Let it be said that Sachio is an unpleasant man. A once promising writer, he wastes his time arguing on talk shows instead of working, he is having an affair with his editor, and then, when his long-suffering wife is killed in a bus accident, he can barely shed a tear… unless, of course, cameras are on him. At a memorial for the victims of the accident, he is taken aback by the profound grief of a truck driver, Yochi, whose wife—best friends with Sachio’s spouse—was also killed. In a move that surprises even himself, the callous Sachio offers to take care of Yochi’s now motherless children while their father is on the road. Based on the director’s own novel, The Long Excuse is a beautiful, funny, and ultimately heartwarming film that explores the themes of grief and redemption.
Press
”Masahiro Motoki's first big screen leading role since ‘Departures’ is startlingly in subtlety and moving power" - Variety