It's a pink film with serious character work, a bittersweet ending and an amazing core image. It was shown in film festivals and was named the fifth best pink film of 2003. (Only the fifth? Wow.) The "lonely cow" of the title is a young widow, Noriko, living on a farm with her senile father-in-law, Shukichi. We see him doing his farm chores, but then... I boggled. Seriously, what the hell? Its matter-of-factness is what makes it so bizarre, on what's obviously a real farm with actual cows. Shukichi's in the milking shed and there's a naked girl on all fours among the animals. That's Noriko. She's waiting to be milked. She even moos. He genuinely thinks she's his favourite cow (who died long ago) and he's worried that she's gone dry.

You can't just call that senility. Shukichi must have something else that needs diagnosing, but never mind. We can infer that Noriko's fond of her father-in-law and that she doesn't easily catch cold. They're not shagging, though, and they're otherwise normal and nice. They have a photo of Noriko's late husband on the sideboard.

It's the supporting cast who are having actual sex. The vet molests his nurse, while Shukichi has a horny daughter (Mitsuko) who didn't bother attending her brother's wedding, or his funeral. She regards sex as a commercial transaction. Even she, though, would be surprised if she found out about her father's home life. I laughed aloud when Mitsuko decided to accompany dad on his milking round, even though Noriko's waiting there on all fours as usual.

There's a bloke who might be considering sexual assault. There are people who'd like Shukichi to sell the farm and will be pestering him to sign. There's also quite a lot of slapping from people who mean it.

At one point, Noriko uses a tree branch on someone who deserves it. The next time we see him, there's a bandage around his nose. I laughed.

This is a pretty good film. The pink elements are well integrated (except maybe for the vet and his assistant) and important to the narrative. The film's core image is something I'd never even imagined before, while the story being told about Noriko and Shukichi is sincere and relatable. Their shared bereavement, the age difference and Shukichi's condition make this one a lot more textured than you'd think.