The Errand, a short film directed by Shohei Shiozaki, tells the story of a young girl that finds herself in a difficult situation: her father, dying of lung cancer, asks her to buy cigarettes for him, but every time she tries, she is scolded by her mother. The character of the young girl is interesting, and the actress that plays her does such a good job that it is unavoidable to sympathize with her. Her journey to find a cigarette after losing the money she receives from her father is heart-warming and touching. It shows that she is able to go to incredible lengths in order to fulfill her father's "last desire", even if she knows it is something that would make his health worse. On the other hand, if the main character is well constructed and the acting is good, the plot itself is somewhat moralizing. In this sense, it was as if the film was part of a campaign against smoking. At the beginning, the family is fighting because the father wanted the young girl to buy cigarettes; and at the ending, when the father gives up on smoking, the family reunites in peace. In this sense, even if the characters are complex, the plot could have more layers of meaning, instead of a flat message.
Review of Otousan no tabako
