FFM 2006: Taiyo no Uta

Don't go see it. It reminded me of a review I read of Mizu no Onna (Woman of Water), that movie starring UA with Tadanobu Asano on the side, in which it described the movie as a moving image version of an idoru photobook. It was that which kept me annoyed from ten minutes into the movie down to the 120th or so minute that it took to end. At least I could fast-forward Mizu no Onna.

The love story had as much tension as congee, and the characters were so unbelievably plain and single-dimensioned. I don't know, but everything except the beautiful photography, annoyed the hell out of me. It's like a promotional video for YUI that people pay to see, but in the West, it passes for an art house film. I should have known better, b/c, seriously, it's not the first time.

Well, Kamakura was nice, and I even recognized quite a few places, like the beach, and the train station. It wasn't written anywhere that it was shot in Kamakura, and the director (who was present, b/c the movie is actually part of the first-time directors competition - he spoke English fluently) just pointed it out at the beginning of the film, so it was probably one of the plus point going towards the movie (YUI is cute, but her character, who's "determined to live", seriously lacks plausibility). Otherwise, a waste of my Macdonalds and time.