150th Review: Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers (2005)

Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers; or, Believe in Yourself

      When I think of it, feeding my turtle and spy activities have similarities. I get excited about doing spy activities wherever I am. I just want to live as inconspicuously as possible.

Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers what a mouthful of a title! Well, that’s Satoshi Miki and his quirky style for you. I have been meaning to check out more films of this director after seeing his wonderful Adrift in Tokyo (2007). Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers was made just two years before that film, yet it is also a motivational story with a heart-warming message.
Release Info

Directed by: Satoshi Miki Starring: Juri Ueno, Ryo Iwamatsu, Eri Fuse

Language: Japanese Original Title: 亀は意外と速く泳ぐ Runtime: 90 min

 

Synopsis

Suzume Katamura (Juri Ueno) is just a simple housewife. Her husband is abroad doing business and she takes care of his turtle. She kills free time by meeting her best friend, Kujaku (Yui Aoi). Oddly enough, nobody ever seems to notice Suzume, almost as if she’s invisible. All of a sudden, Suzume accidentally notices an advertisement for spies. She meets with a man and woman who created the ad. They claim to be spies on the services of a foreign state. After interviewing Suzume, they employ her, giving 5 million yen for mission expenses, and begin her training…

 

What makes us ordinary?

Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers really feels like a story by Haruki Murakami (but he would not have used comedy). Suzume is just a lonely housewife with a turtle, but after meeting a strange couple, she gets an extraordinary job which requires an ultra-high degree of ordinariness. This makes her think about what is the essence of being normal, in contrast to being not normal.

Of course, director Satoshi Miki would not be himself if he had not sprinkled the story with a full array of weird supporting characters. Apart from the spy couple, Suzume also encounters an over-the-top plumber, a retired marksman, bored-to-death cops, and a ramen chef who always makes mediocre ramen. Through these characters, Satoshi Miki questions the notions of individuality and personal uniqueness. Only after understanding ourselves can we reach our full potential and do great things, just like Suzume.

 

With regard to performances, Juri Ueno is basically the queen of weird stuff! (*Swing Girls (2004), Nodame Cantabile (2006) flashbacks*.) She makes everything instantly more awesome just with her appearance. The three actors: Ryo Iwamatsu, Eri Fuse, and Yutaka Matsushige, who also appeared in Adrift in Tokyo (2007), were also extremely hilarious as the spies. Azuki Panda-chan scene nails it!

Recommendations

If you liked Adrift in Tokyo, then go ahead and watch Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers. It is a positive, happy-go-lucky film which definitely deserves more love nowadays. As for Satoshi Miki himself, it is a crime that his films are not quite popular internationally. The man is a master of quirky (and touching) comedies focusing on serious themes. I think that I should buy myself some sunglasses and a turtle.

Overall score: 8/10