Sudden Rain

A poignant comedy-drama that plumbs the depths of marital unhappiness, "Sudden Rain" (1956) follows Fumiko and Ryōtarō Namiki's seemingly ordinary life as they struggle to reconnect amidst constant arguments over trivial matters. Witnessed by their niece Ayako and new neighbors, the Imasatos, their animosities are played out in a series of escalating confrontations that bring both levity and heartache. As the couple teeters on the brink of divorce, a chance encounter with a children's balloon sets off a defiant game of ball-throwing that humanizes even the most mundane of marital disputes.