This sweeping tale of maternity is exquisitely mannered, yet also colorfully tinged with a seductive scent of mystery and ripe bursts of melodrama. Springboarding off a news item about a 17-year-old girl’s attempted suicide, the details behind two generations of fraught mother-daughter relationships unfold with stirring twists and turns aplenty. The intense psychodrama of emotional blackmail and betrayal reveals a philosophical rumination on the titular concept that is as thought-provoking as it is compelling. Seasoned director Ryuichi Hiroki (Vibrator) exhibits his patented cinematic insight into female hearts and minds in this sublime adaptation of the shocking novel by Kanae Minato (Confessions).