Wood Job!; or, Into the Nature
You’ll never understand. You’ll leave the village, too.
Don’t get everyone’s hopes up. I’m saying if you’re going to leave, hurry up
and do it!
Continuing my Shinobu Yaguchi month, today, I’m taking a
look at one of his recent movies, which is the Wood Job! from 2014. A feel-good
adventure in the midst of the Japanese forest, filmed on outstanding locations.
Release Info
Directed by: Shinobu Yaguchi Starring: Shota Sometami, Masami Nagasawa, Hideaki Ito
Language: Japanese Original Title: 神去なあなあ日常 Runtime: 116 min
Synopsis
Yuki Hirano (Shota Sometami) is a student who fails at entrance
exams for university. What is more, his girlfriend dumps him. Uncertain as to
what to do in life, he notices a promotional leaflet of forestry training
program with a beautiful girl on the front cover. In pursuit of the girl from
the leaflet, he signs up for the course and he becomes a trainee at Nakamura
Lumber Co. high up in the mountains. Working under a tough as nails lumberjack
Yoki Iida (Hideaki Ito), Yuki discovers that working in the woods is a hard
job. Nevertheless, he continues his apprenticeship and tries to win over the
leaflet girl, Naoki (Masami Nagasawa).
Being a Lumberjack
Wood Job! is another zero-to-hero story after Yaguchi’s unforgettable
Waterboys (2001) and Swing Girls (2003), yet this time, the focus is not on a
group but on an individual. Interestingly, the screenplay is based on a story
“Stay Mellow – Kamusari Mountain High” (original title: 神去なあなあ日常)
by Shion Miura, whose fiction seems to be the hot stuff for filmmakers right
now (in 2013, her novel The Great Passage was also adapted into a film).
Personally, I found the story of a
teenager-turned-lumberjack very interesting. The film has all the trademarks of
Shinobu Yaguchi: youthful romance, quirky characters, subtle humour, out-with-a-bang
finale and yes, Akira Emoto in a supporting role as well. However, one thing
that really stands out is the setting. Contrary to a certain failed filmmaker
from Hollywood who had to "build the forest" in order to film, Wood Job!
was shot on real location in the mountains of Mie Prefecture and, oh boy,
many of the shots are simply breathtaking.
Speaking about the location, I gather that Yaguchi must have
used a lot of stunt work and the help of real lumberjacks in order to get some
of the brilliant shots of falling trees. Thus, a lot of pain and sweat must
have gone into the film from the technical side, but it perfectly balances the
plotline of the picture.
And what’s main the story? It’s a boy meets girl arch,
except for the fact that it is enriched with the themes of hard work,
self-confidence, appraisal of village life, and even the supernatural. The main
hero undergoes a significant change when he notices the importance of taking
care of the forest and how it benefits the whole society. He even stands up in
the defence of the villagers when some teenaged douchebags from the city are
laughing at them. Therefore, the movie’s message is clear: have some respect,
even for the things you do not know about.
With regard to performances, Shota Sometami and Masami
Nagasawa did a great job together and one can really feel the chemistry between
these two. Hideaki Ito deserves praise as a super tough lumberjack (his
performance was hilarious!). In addition, Yoshimasa Kondo and Yoji Tanaka
appear in minor roles as course instructors.
Well, I really really enjoyed Wood Job!. It provides the
development of the main characters and indicates that there is so much more to
life than living in a city. Plus, it has a hilarious, over-the-top finale based
on the real Onbashira festival in Japan.
Recommendations
Safely recommended to anyone who is looking for a movie to
spark a good mood. Wood Job! is a feel-good movie with a great story and
wonderful locations. If I ever happen to visit Japan, I will certainly try to
visit these mountains for sure. Once again, Shinobu Yaguchi delivered an
awesome movie. This guy never fails.
Overall score: 9/10
