Year: 2007
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Genre: Romance
'Each and every minute felt dreadfully long. Time. Cleary had evil intentions.'
The story is about two friends who are friends and they get separated and eventually see each other again. Takaki and Akari are two good friends who have known each other ever since primary school.
Believe it or not, this was Shinkai's film which was released in 2007 and I must say, without this film, films such as The Garden of Words or Your Name would have the impact it has today - especially with Your Name.
When you watch this film, it almost feels like three films into one. At first, you can see Takaki's point-of-view (POV) and see how is he feeling. Followed by the second part of the film where you can see Akari expressing her thoughts and feelings. It almost feels like you can experience what each character is feeling. I like how the characters were just suited for the storyline and it's relatable for people to relate to.
Friendship. This is the first word I can think of when watching this film. Its simple effective storyline makes it an enjoyable film to watch - I feel that whilst watching this film, you can see how the pair became more than friends. Once you meet that friend, you know that you and that person are inseparable.
Regret. Warning, some spoilers ahead but it's not the entire ending. Why regret? Akari likes Takaki and wants to confess to him that she likes him. That's all I'm going to say, but this film shows how not taking what your heart desires can cause things which you regret in the future.
If I were to talk about cinematography alone, this film would probably be in the top three in terms of cinematography from Shinkai. As shown by the picture above, this was one of my favourite shots used in the film.
A simple wide shot like this can help symbolise how he's isolated in a place he's not familiar with, and he has thoughts of giving up. I just like how Shinkai uses certain shots for each moment and you can tell each feeling of it.
If I were to do a dedicated post based on the film's cinematography alone, I think I would have so much to say.
By the way, if you've watched most of Shinkai's films, do you realise that there's always a train station? Films such as The Garden of Words, Your Name, Weathering with You etc have that shot of trains either passing by or the character riding the train.
I feel that the train can symbolise how no matter how far we are, we are always connected through tracks, which leads us from destination A to B. It's to tell how distance should not be a factor in splitting your loved ones apart.
This film is criminally underrated in Shinkai's trilogy. If you were to do this exact film in this day and age, I'd personally think that this film could achieve the recognition that Your Name went on to get.
Overall, this film is so underrated that I am trying my best to convince you to watch it! I love the simplicity of the storyline combined with the visuals. Cinematography was one of the highlights for me and the characters who were involved made you feel like you want the best for both of them.
Followed by the hidden messages which we all can relate to, is certainly one of the compontes which I throughly enjoyed.
Rating: 8.5/10
See you tomorrow for my next film!
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