The film possesses genuine merit, without question, although *'Fireworks'*—or its Japanese title, *'Hana-bi'*—feels excessively long. I remained engaged during the initial 45 to 55 minutes, but I felt the latter part of the movie really slowed down; apart from a few brief instances, it seemed to just replay similar scenes repeatedly. I understood what was being conveyed, but in my view, it needed something more. The acting is quite strong across the board. Takeshi Kitano naturally takes center stage, and I also found Ren Osugi to be exceptionally good—equally impressive as the writer, producer, and director of this 1997 movie. The rest of the cast delivers solid performances, and visually, everything looks well-presented. I did enjoy it in general terms, but it didn't affect me as deeply as it appears to have impacted other viewers. It’s still worth seeing, regardless.

Source on TMDB