The solitary lifestyle of hiroko is intimately captured through yamasaki 's minimalist technique , with handheld camera-work being used to show her rolling around with the torso both at home and at a secluded beach .
Yamasaki 's unhurried direction elicits strong work from watanabe and ando , who offer nuanced performances as two women who have shared experiences yet are still , in many respects , strangers .
