AllMovie

Japanese actor-turned-director Atsuro Watabe takes his maiden voyage at the helm with this restrained, wintry drama about a quiet girl from Hokkaido who may not be as lonely an unfulfilled as she first appears. Fusako (Saki Takaoka) works at a horse ranch in Yunni. Her father is a pharmacist (Toshiyuki Kitami) still reeling from the recent death of his wife, so loyal daughter Fusako helps out with deliveries when possible. Fusako's sister (Leona Hirota) is a successful model, and quite obviously the apple of their father's eye. One day, while making a delivery to Yubari, Fusako gets stranded in a snowstorm. Offered shelter by a mechanically inclined mute (Watabe), the worried traveler eagerly accepts. Later, while passing through Yubari again, the two develop a bond that promises to develop into something deeper. Their burgeoning relationship faces a formidable challenge, however, when a sudden accident reveals that Fusako hasn't been entirely honest about herself.