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Politic
Something to like, but not be in like with...
Wednesday 17 April 2019
Monday 18 February 2019
Burning (2018)
Recently watching Yukiko Mishima's"Dear Etranger" - where an everyday male is pushed to his limits, but rather than exploding violently, returns to a calm after a passive aggressive outburst - I was struck by the hero's choice to keep on the straight and narrow, rather than let that tension get the better of him. Based on the Haruki Murakami short "Barn Burning" (and also William Faulkner's story of the same name), "Peppermint Candy" director Lee Chang-dong chooses to let that tension out violently, allowing it to boil to an inevitable conclusion.
Adapting the character backgrounds, their interactions, however, are reasonably faithful to the original short. Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) is somewhat of a lowly figure in Seoul. A farmer's son, he works low-level jobs while holding his ambition of becoming a writer. By chance he meets an old school friend from his farming village, Hae-mi (Jun Jong-seo) and the pair get chatting, meeting on several occasions before consummating their born-again friendship. But, having saved some money, she intends to travel to Africa, asking Jong-su to take care of her (non-existent) cat.
On her return, following an attack on the
airport in Nairobi, Hae-mi returns, though not alone. Asking him to meet her at
the airport, Jong-su is surprised to see her accompanied by the suave Ben
(Steven Yeun); the trio then going for a meal together. Intrigued by his
writing, Ben often accompanies Hae-mi whenever she meets up with Jong-su.
Though feeling uneasy about being the third wheel and out-of-place among Ben's high
society friends, Jong-su is also suspicious of Ben's wealth for one so young
and mysterious about his earnings.
His father imprisoned for a violent outburst, Jong-su has to return to his family farm to tend to its needs. It is on the farm, after smoking some weed together, that Ben reveals to Jong-su his passion for burning greenhouses: ones simply asking to be burnt down. This only adds to the man's mystery. Indicating that he has found his next "victim" nearby to Jong-su's farm, Jong-su is obsessive in trying to figure out which it will be. After receiving a call from a distressed Hae-mi, she subsequently disappears, leaving him to obsessively pursue Ben in order to find answers to both Hae-mi's whereabouts and the puzzle of the next greenhouse.
His father imprisoned for a violent outburst, Jong-su has to return to his family farm to tend to its needs. It is on the farm, after smoking some weed together, that Ben reveals to Jong-su his passion for burning greenhouses: ones simply asking to be burnt down. This only adds to the man's mystery. Indicating that he has found his next "victim" nearby to Jong-su's farm, Jong-su is obsessive in trying to figure out which it will be. After receiving a call from a distressed Hae-mi, she subsequently disappears, leaving him to obsessively pursue Ben in order to find answers to both Hae-mi's whereabouts and the puzzle of the next greenhouse.
The first thing to note about
"Burning" is that it is long. At two-and-a-half hours with a slow pace,
Lee allows a long of time for the suspense to rise, which he does well.
Jong-su's life is coming to a low point: his dad in prison, taking over a
failed farm and no clear career path or love life to speak of. Almost as if
researching for a novel, he plots the possibilities for Ben's next barn attack,
as well as staking out his home - this has become what he lives for. But the
length doesn't drag too much; come the end, you are searching for numerous
answers. "Burning", much like the Japanese short story, leads a lot
of open ends and leaves it up to you to piece them together.
Ben is the anti-Jong-su: successful, confident and full of mystery. Steven Yeun plays him adeptly; his time in America giving him an aura of the foreign in Jong-su's world. His charm and seeming boredom at Hae-mi - the nature of their relationship unclear, as it is with his subsequent love interest - make Jong-su question what his exact motives are, fuelled by his story of burning greenhouses. Was this merely a stoned prank, or is there a much more sinister man lying beneath? He is fully under Jong-su's skin.
Ben is almost calling Jong-su to act. A man of mystery, he seems as if he doesn't even know himself, living the high life, but without any real purpose. As in his interview in Sight & Sound, Lee wanted to show the difficulties for today's youth in South Korea. Jong-su has nothing but intentions and feels unable to act on them; while Ben has everything but no sense of purpose. Jong-su's final act is the rage of the have-nots against the haves.
The ending may feel somewhat inevitable
by the time it comes, but much like Jong-su's obsession, the longer you leave
it and the more you mull it over, the more intriguing it gets. Having re-read
the short after, as well as adding the ending, Lee adds a greater sense of
mystery, obsession and social comment. What starts as a burning candle,
explodes like a firework.
Sunday 17 February 2019
Every 14 Days...(49)
Familiar Things (Hwang Sok-yong)
I liked the cover of this book, and the
premise drew me in somewhat. However, on reading, I was less than captivated.
Bugeye is a teenager who moves into a
landfill site with his mother after his father is sent away. Starting their new
life collecting thrown-out scraps to salvage and sell on, they befriend one of
the site chiefs and his son, Baldspot. What follows is the developing
relationship between the two sons, the strange characters they meet and their
dips into the big city, before a rather predictable turn of events.
The setting is one that feels slightly
like ones you have encountered before: a post-apocalyptic-like world of waste
left behind in the wake of modern progress. The characters are the forgotten
ones, cast aside by society, much like the waste the scavenge through. Nothing
here particularly feels that original.
The style of writing also has some
moments of cringe, particularly in describing the Nintendo that Bugeye buys;
written as if an MP trying to be down with the kids. There are also some
slightly more fantastical elements that to some extent lose me.
That said, this is an enjoyable enough
read and plods along relatively nicely enough. But the fact that this isn't the
most exhilarating writing or original work makes this a little too familiar to
stand-out too much.
Days to read: 12
Days per book: 14.7
Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (Sue
Townsend)
Yet a further installment in the Mole
series ticked off, in chronological order, no less.
This, being the fifth, starts a couple of
years after "The Wilderness Years", Mole now a soon-to-be-divorced
father of one, then two sons. In his thirties, he sees some minor fame as a TV
chef, and is finally offered the chance at his dream: being a published author.
As always, he fails in all these things
at the start of the Blair Years in the late Nineties. He has successfully
alienated his wife, abandoned his son - and not even aware of the second -
shown a pure lack of charisma for the camera and simply incapable of writing
the simple words he so often yearns for.
Luckily for him, life finds a way of
rewarding him: inheriting a house off a man he barely knew; with his mother
essentially saving him in everything.
The longer diary entries suggests the
sophistication he believes he has, but in his thirties and back living at home,
relying on his mother and bemoaning his parents' marital problems, he is firmly
back at 13 3/4.
Days to read: 19
Days per book: 14.7
Straight Outta Crawley (Romesh
Ranganathan)
When riding a wave of success, it's
pretty much standard now for a comedian to write a cash-in book, however
necessary one may be. Ranganathan is no different. Pretty much always on the
television these days, that cash cow must be milked. As indicated in his
introduction, this book was bought for me as a gift and I thus felt obliged to
read it.
As the title suggests, this book breaks
down his life into various themes, with a pun on a hip hop "classic"
as the title for each chapter. The key issues covered are: his start in
stand-up ("Could the Real Romesh Ranganathan Please Stand up?"); his
childhood obesity and subsequent veganism ("Lose Yourself)"; his
mother ("Mama Said Knock You Out"); etc.
Despite switching the chronology up a
little, there is a general timeline that is followed throughout, and the
earlier parts are the more interesting. His dabbles with hip hop, his career as
a teacher, his parental problems during his childhood and his start in comedy
are the more interesting parts of the book.
Once fame comes into it, it gets a little
bit more boring, anecdotes usually ending "I died on my arse" and
with his profile now so great, it feels little more than a DVD extra of
"Behind the scenes" tales from the recording of TV shows.
Luckily, his fame comes late on, so this
doesn't take up too much of the book, the more enlightening and interesting
points in life coming before all that. In fact, his stories from his days as a
teacher, starting to try-out the odd bit of stand-up, is where the most
interesting moments come from, with some genuine advice on how to deal with
unruly teenagers. And I didn't mind this accompanying my Tube journey in each
morning - there is enough variety here to keep you entertained.
These books are written at a time when
fame is at its peak, so sales will be greatest. His life as a real person is
more interesting, and writing about his post-fame days will be best off written
in a fair few years' time when there is more interesting stuff to say. But by then,
will anybody be reading?
Days to read: 9
Days per book: 14.7
Journey by Moonlight (Antal Szerb)
Reading Antal Szerb's "Journey By
Moonlight", I couldn't help but keep Umberto Eco "The Name of the
Rose" in mind. That's what happens when two books have an Italian setting
and feature some sort of monk.
Mihaly's recent marriage to his new wife
Erszi is something of a fallacy for both of them. Mihaly still yearns for the
days of his bohemian youth in 1920s Budapest, yet feels the need to conform to
society's norms; while Erszi has left her older, rich husband for more of a sense
of adventure with Mihaly. The truth is that neither is getting what they truly
want from the other.
Starting their honeymoon in Italy, Erszi
learns some more about Mihaly's past, with the revelations soon seeing the pair
split on their journey. Going their separate ways, Mihaly digs deep into his
past with some soul searching, while Erszi sets off for Paris and days of
nearly being wild. Both soon find themselevs, however, back where they were
before they met.
Mihaly is essentially a man who doesn't
want to move on from his student days; wanting to keep the friendships and
sense of whimsy he had then. His training and job are explained as trying to
conform, but are not for him. Though in reality, he is a man clinging to a past
while others have moved on and grown up. This sense of nostalgia is one he will
have to grow out of.
While full of convenient coincidences,
Szerb's tale is one of the dangers of living too much in the past and allowing
thoughts of youth to take over. Gut-wrenching whimsy at what might have been
and what happened to those yesteryears is dangerous and can see your present
crumble without even realising. Perhaps it's better to be happy with what
you've got than think too much about what you left behind.
Days to read: 12
Days per book: 14.7
The Book of Tokyo (Various)
As part of a series of short story
collections centred around certain cities, it's fair to say that "The Book
of Tokyo", like any city, is a mixed bag of the good the bad and the
weird. It can often be the case with Japanese shorts that they can veer off
into strange and dark alleyways, and this is no exception. With contributions
from some big international names and some less-so, whether or not you get an
accurate portrait of Tokyo from these is anyone's guess. A bit like how to
interpret Tokyo itself.
Of the ten included, a couple
pass-by barely noticeable: Kaori Ekuni's "Picnic" and Nao-Cola
Yamazaki's "Dad, I Love You" can be completed without really
remembering much of what you read. Another couple plod along nicely, but fail
to really leave you with any firm conclusions: "A House for Two" by
Mitsuyo Kakuta has some nice moments; and Osamu Hashimoto's "Vortex"
likewise. The weird is delivered in the form of the book's opener, Hideo
Furukawa's "Model T Frankenstein", which is perhaps best got out the
way early; and the biggest name in the book, Banana Yoshimoto's
"Mummy".
Two authors with recent successful
novels, Hiromi Kawakami and Shuichi Yoshida deliver nice efforts with "The
Hut on the Roof" and "An Elevator on Sunday" respectively, but,
for me, the strongest efforts come from the perhaps less-known Toshiyuki Horie
and Hitomi Kanahara. Horie's story of essentially a hostel for female tourists
who end up working hostess bars offers some interesting social comment on
foreigners working in Tokyo; while Kanahara's deadpan humour as her heroine
fantasises about having sex with every man she walks passed, with some explicit
but nonetheless humourous detail of these encounters.
There are definitely better short stories
from Japan out there, and better collections. What this collection offers is a
slightly less obvious portrait of the lives of those living in the city and
confirms that whatever it is it's definitely not normal.
Days to read: 9
Days per book: 14.6
Saturday 9 February 2019
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019: Dear Etranger (2017)
Often when a film explores the underlying
rage of an middle-class, middle-aged, middle-management type, it will explode
in a terrible act from which there is no turning back. Yukiko Mishima's
"Dear Etranger", however, chooses not to go for the sensational, and
is an exploration in how it's easier to simply lose it rather than stick to the
straight and narrow.
Makoto (Tadanobu Asano) is a man
struggling between two families. Divorced and re-married, he struggles to
balance keeping contact with his daughter from his first marriage, Saori (Raiju
Kamata), and treating his two stepdaughters, Kaoru (Sara Minami) and Eriko (Miu
Arai) as if they're his own.
Playing the good husband and father, he
doesn't stay after work to drink with colleagues, takes all of his annual leave
and tries as much as possible to include his two new daughters in his life.
However, his good intentions at home see him first for the chop when his
company restructures, leaving him relegated to working in a warehouse.
At home, while Eriko plays along with the
scenario, the elder Kaoru is less happy to play along at happy families,
wanting to see her real father, the way he meets with Saori. Adding a further
difficulty to his situation, his new wife, Nanae (Rena Tanaka) announces she is
pregnant, leaving Makoto wanting to cut his losses and move on.
However, when looking at two other
fathers: Kaoru and Eriko's real father, Sawada (Kankuro Kudo); and Saori's stepfather
see him stick to being a father to all four of his children, the tension
released and returning to normal.
Throughout the first half, Mishima keeps
a kick drum soundtrack playing, signifying the tension building under the
surface for Makoto. Despite all the negative points coming to his life, he
keeps going with a stoic attitude. But the repetition and constant grief he
receives from Kaoru, along with the news of the pregnancy, cause this tension
to rise to the surface. Kaoru's words both push him over the edge and bring him
back from the brink when she compares him to her real father.
Makoto's anger comes out in realistic and
unspectacular bursts. Rather than simply lashing out, his nature is more
passive aggressive, carrying out Kaoru's request in anger. Asano's performance
and Mishima's direction create a believable response to the situation and feels
a truthful reflection of family tensions. Though the spiteful nature of Kaoru
might seem a little strong for some, but she is a girl struggling to accept the
situation.
No one character is portrayed as a hero,
however, or indeed a monster. Sawada may be shown to have been a terrible
father in flashbacks, but on meeting him today, he is very aware of how he is
when it comes to children and his thoughts on parenthood; a life he simply
doesn't wish to have. Makoto also is guilty of unconscious bad habits, pointed
out to him ex-wife Yuka (Shinobu Terajima). Her words clearly sit with him in
his better understanding of Kaoru, becoming a guiding father to her, rather
than simply forcing her to call him "Dad." All can learn something
from one another.
Mishima paces the film well, switching
between the present day and flashbacks of key moments in the previous
marriages. In a career that hadn't quite hit the heights until now, "Dear Etranger"
is a mature film, and shows that there is potential for Mishima to develop into
a consistently strong director. Asano's performance also shows his versatility;
an older man now, giving an equally mature performance as a man trying to keep
his tensions under control, and not always succeeding. Both create a realistic
character and show that it's more difficult to keep your cool and keep going
than to let it all out in a violent outburst.
Tuesday 5 February 2019
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019: Her Love Boils Bathwater (2016)
I love Japanese cinema. There, I've said
it. Putting "love" in this year's theme for the Japan Foundation's TouringFilm Programme ("People Still Call it Love: Passion, Affection andDestruction in Japanese Cinema") should have been a sure-fire hit for me then.
Sadly, my love for other things as well meant I only committed to watching two
films of this year's selection.
As the title suggests, love in Japanese
cinema is very much a double-edged sword, having seen many a life destroyed by
it on the screen over the years. As such, I imagine we can expect many a moment
of over-acting, pain and struggle...
So, from one of two, "Her Love Boils
Bathwater"...
It's funny how some coincidences happen.
Just before going to watch Ryota Nakano's "Her Love Boils Bathwater"
I read Mark Schilling's review of Seijiro Koyama's "Sakura" from his
book "Contemporary Japanese Film". To start, he quote Donald Richie with
whom he watched the film: "Now that was a Japanese movie." This is a
statement that could be lodged firmly at the start of any review for Nakano's
film.
So I went there. Featuring a cast of
people you have definitely seen in other films, this is a classic Japanese
movie of a constant barrage of turmoil heaved our heroine's way, forcing her to
dig deep to overcome adversity, with a big dollop of "we can succeed if we
all pull together" spirit.
Futaba (Rie Miyazawa) is a single mother
to her sole daughter Azumi (Hana Sugisaki). Living at their now defunct public
bathhouse - the owner, her husband, having "disappeared like steam" -
she works in a bakery while Azumi struggles with bullying at school. On
learning she has terminal pancreatic cancer, she feels it's time to re-ignite
an old flame.
Having located her husband Kazuhiro (man
of hair Joe Odagiri), via a Japanese staple PI (Taro Suruga), she drags him,
and his illegitimate daughter Ayuko (Aoi Ito), back to the bathhouse to open
its doors once more. As Futaba's illness worsens, so do Azumi's school
troubles, but tears provoke strength in her daughter to overcome the bullies
and take on her share of responsibility for the bathhouse.
Planning one final road trip with the
girls to see Mount Fuji, Futaba has one final revelation for Azumi: she is not
her real mother. It is following this that Futaba's health takes a turn for the
worse, seeing out her final days in a hospital bed while her family keep the
bathhouse waters running.
In the world of "Her Love Boils
Bathwater", the turmoil that needs to be overcome seems to be that of
abandoning mothers: Ayuko has been abandoned by her mother, left with her loafing
buffoon of a father; PI Takimoto is always accompanied by his young daughter
after his wife died in childbirth; and as we discover, Azumi is not Futaba's
daughter, but the child of the deaf-mute ex-wife of Kazuhiro.
All of these young women find a surrogate
mother-figure in Futaba, showing her strength of character to help raise and
comfort them, despite, as we learn, having been abandoned by her own mother
when a young child. All this doesn't exactly paint a great image of mothers,
but also makes Miyazawa and her relationships with her fellow cast members the
strength of the film.
Nakano tried to build close relationships
between the cast during shooting, creating an almost temporary family among
them. And this works. The young "daughters" respond well to Futaba
when she's at both her most strict and caring, and grow as Futaba declines. This
is a far cry from Odagiri's performance as the seemingly apathetic Kazuhiro. He
seems to perpetually play the role of an eighteen year-old boyfriend responding
to his girlfriend's calls to meet her parents, while smoking a cigarette, but
he does this with an effortless cool; the perfect foil to Futaba's strength.
But while the acting and character
relations are strong, the Japanese movie Richie was referring to perhaps sends
this film into overkill territory. Adversity is slapped around our faces like a
wet fish, with tears thrown straight into our eyes by the bucket-load. This
somewhat detracts from the power of Futaba's struggle, with certain elements
that could have been removed. Poignancy can come a little more subtly.
When I watched Akio Kondo's"Eclair" I was perhaps somewhat naive in my conclusions. While
indentifying the over-sentimentality on display, I should have perhaps been
more aware of the staple diet of Japanese commercial cinema and its need to
tick boxes. You simply must have someone give someone a bike ride. The "all pulling together" spirit of the film's
conclusion is as cheesy as it is sickly sweet.
Put forward as Japan's 2017 Oscar submission,
this is a film that certainly represents Japanese film. The fact that it wasn't
put forward for nomination, however, reflects its overall quality.
Thursday 10 January 2019
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Perhaps for some time now, cinema has been lacking in original ideas
for stories, meaning that style is becoming more important. CGI, films shot entirely
on green screen and the failed attempt at 3D have seen special effects used as
a way of overcoming this. But as hipsters love independent movies, increasingly
there seems to be a move towards special effort, as opposed to effects.
While not an overall excellent film, 2017's "Ice Cream and the
Sound of Raindrops" was shot in one sixty-plus minute take, including
various locations and musical interludes along the way. And the "Inside
No. 9" team revisited the idea of filming a live episode last year.
Relative unknown director Shinichiro Ueda's "One Cut of the Dead" (or
more appropriately the Japanese title: "Kamera o tomeru na!" /
"Don't Stop the Camera") - a film within a film within a film -
combines this use of a single take with the perils of trying to shoot scripted material
live.
In an abandoned army facility, a girl is attacked by her zombie boyfriend.
Except that she isn't. Chinatsu (Yuzuki Akiyama) is a low-rent actress starring
in a zombie film directed by the erratic Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu). Dismayed
at her forty-second take failure, they break from filming. But as they wait
around, the small crew are attacked by zombies - Higurashi knowing that the
location has a "history" of army experiments.
What follows is a one-shot chase as the survivors try to escape their
newly dead attackers, with awkward dialogue, strange behaviour, blood
splattering and breaking the fourth wall. The sole survivor, Chinatsu is left
standing on the roof of the facility, staring up at the slowly and awkwardly
rising camera as the end credits then scroll up the screen.
But we haven't got there yet.
It is after this thirty-plus minute single take that "One Cut of
the Dead" actually begins. A month earlier, Higurashi is approached by producers
from the "Zombie Channel" to film a single-take zombie film to be
broadcast live in the afternoon - his "cheap, but average" style
seemingly what they're looking for. Something of a hack director, he is
initially reluctant, but is too weak to say "no." As such, he takes
on the role and is introduced to his cast and crew: a less than inspiring
bunch.
After a troubled preparation, the day of the shoot comes, but as they
prepare for their risky move, everything that can go wrong goes wrong. As such,
Higurashi and his crew are left to improvise and get by as best they can, making
sure to follow the mantra: "kameru o tomeru na!"
Itself a film made on a very small budget, I'd seen a lot about the record-breaking
profit levels that "One Cut of the Dead" had already made and the
strong social media marketing efforts by the cast and crew. As such, I chose to
read little about the film itself before seeing it, trying to remove all
"Blair Witch" comparisons and expectations.
Not just a film within a film within a film, this is essentially the
film, making-of and bloopers all-in-one. To start the "one cut" is a
breath-taking ride of hilarity; seemingly baffling acting, behaviour and
dialogue; blood splattering; gore; talking directly to the camera; various
mistakes; and what must be a very tired cameraman. As the initial end credits
roll, we're left thinking "o-kay."
The film's second part offers explanation as to the above, in what is a
witty, well-crafted script to create all of the mistakes that appear in the
live broadcast we're thrown into. The stress and pressure the crew are put
under shows, with none worse affected than Higurashi and his wife, Nao (Harumi
Shuhama), drafted into the production late on. Both go rogue, not so much
acting, as letting their frustrations out - the director determined to make the
shoot work for the sake of his art.
The television producers, while setting the difficult task, are less
concerned by the art, embracing the chaos. Indeed, much of the middle section
of "One Cut of the Dead" feels like a Japanese TV drama; the style of
shooting and music feeling very much part of a Japanese small screen. But this
is a film made for the big screen and a big audience. The laughter track
provided by a big crowd adds to the undoubted fun that this is. Ueda shows that
a lot of ideas that come out of a live shoot will be improvised out of
necessity, and has fun in doing so. The laughs are big, the timing spot-on and
the acting suitably awkward.
But while showing improvisation is necessary, Ueda's film is one that
has been carefully thought-out and choreographed, like a well rehearsed stage
production. The cast and crew have obviously been challenged in making this,
and the crew's efforts are shown as the actual end credits roll in true Jackie
Chan fashion: the "making-of" cameraman following the actual camera
and sound men as they take a well-earned drinks break as the camera continues
to roll.
Tuesday 8 January 2019
Mirai
Kon Ichikawa's 1962 film "Watashi wa
nisai" was translated to "Being Two Isn't Easy" for
English-speaking audiences. Without seeing it, you get a fair idea of what the
film is about from the title alone. Mamoru Hosoda's "Mirai" (or
"future") isn't quite such an obvious title, though naming it
"Being Four and Becoming a Big Brother Isn't Easy" wouldn't quite
give the game away either.
A semi-autobiographical work, Mamoru
Hosoda's film tells of learning patience and perspective in a film that is both
close to reality and fantastical. These switches can perhaps annoy, but anyone
living with a toddler will be able to sympathise to some extent, but your overall
reaction to "Mirai" might be dependent on your life situation, and
indeed, like a two year-old, your current mood.
Four year-old Kun's parents have just had
a second baby: daughter Mirai. This new addition angers Kun, no longer the
sweet little one of the household, able to walk and talk, he is not given the
attention he is used to. Fighting his parents, he also tries to fight his
little sister.
Frequently left frustrated, whenever
passing the oak tree in his architect father's quirkily-designed house, in true
"Christmas Carol" tradition, he meets a spirit that gives him a life
lesson. Their pet dog as a prince, felt abandoned since Kun was born; a teenage
Mirai letting him know her feelings as to his behaviour towards her; his mother
at his age - not the strict disciplinarian she has become; and his great
grandfather who teaches him to be brave.
Switching between the household base and
the various scenarios in time, Kun is not quick to learn from his family
members' teachings. But, as for any toddler, it takes time and reinforcement
for him to finally realise Mirai as his little sister and see himself as the
big brother he is needed to be.
As the film's opening shows, this is a
film of exquisite detail and has been carefully considered. The detail in the
animation is rich, giving "Mirai" an almost 3D feel. The character
movements and mannerisms are well thought-out and realistic and recall the opening
moments of a Studio Ghibli film.
To some extent, the reality of the
scenario also has this same level of due care and attention, reflecting
Hosoda's own life experience as a father to an older son and younger daughter.
One cannot help but relate to the mother and father's predicament: the father
taking on the parenting while working from home while the mother goes back to
work. This is designed so that each character can see the world from the
perspective of the others. The father is now a "better dad" compared
to his involvement in raising Kun, being at home all day and having to take on
more responsibility. Kun is not the only one who has to see things from the
viewpoint of another. And a few parents in the audience might agree.
However, as the parents do not get as
much airtime as Kun, their scenario isn't fully developed enough to make this a
film aimed at adults struggling to raise young children. While one can relate
to the struggles, the realism is more in Kun's mannerisms and behaviour, rather
than the film's story and conclusions. The parents' dialogue can perhaps be a
little too open, direct and articulate to accurately reflect the struggle. And
for some, the revelations may seem obvious for the amount of struggle to get there, but so much in life is,
until taking a step back.
Like a toddler's mood and behaviour, the
film switches continuously. The changes to the future and past selves can make
this more a collection of life lessons for Kun, rather than a complete whole.
But each day comes with its own challenges and having to start again from
scratch. As such, "Mirai" doesn't drag on or bore.
The more fantastical elements might be a
little difficult for some to take, myself included (and why I do not watch as
much anime as I could - in fact, this is a film I might normally avoid). These
can somewhat detract from the realism approach in the present day scenario,
though his meeting with his younger mother leads to some of the strongest
visual elements of the film.
The ending, however, feels a little too far
into the fantastical. With the film's strengths more in the subtle nuances of
Kun's behaviour, the ending feels a bit more blatant in its delivery of fear
factor and can feel a little disappointing, and more in-line with more young adult-aimed
anime. Having a hint of "Spirited Away" in its conclusion, the ending
could have perhaps been more refined.
But with both good and bad elements,
"Mirai" is very much like a child. Parents will be able to relate to Kun's
difficult behaviour and frustration, and this may give it enough to overlook
the weaker points, as they would their own children. Without this standpoint
however, "Mirai" might not have the same effect and feel like a lot
of bumpy emotion rather avoided.
Essentially, being four and becoming a
big brother isn't easy, and watching it isn't either, and your response might
be down to your level of patience and perspective.
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