Plot: Tetsuo works in a local supermarket. One day, he sees a girl collapse in one of the aisles. Satoru suffers from anemia, Tetsuo is a gentleman and takes care of her. The next day, Satoru returns with a little gift. Soon after the two start dating, only Satoru is a closed-off girl who is very attached to her mother.
Watches
April 09, 2025
A stylish arthouse drama about a troubled relationship. Isomura is an interesting director, but also a bit unpredictable based on the films I've seen. This is his most serious work I've watched so far, and it's a style that comes easy to him (more so than the commercial stuff). It's just a little too long and repetitive to be an uncontested masterpiece.
The performances are strong, the cinematography is lush (with lots of blue, dark monochrome), and the drama is intriguing. But the characters are a bit one-dimensional, and after a while, the narrative elements get a bit too forceful. Still, this was a nice little find. Fans of turn-of-the-century Japanese dramas should give this a go.