Hanalei Bay (2018) [Film Review]

Hanalei Bay; or, Silent Grieving
     Being forgetful isn’t the problem. Forgetting is the problem.
At the moment, I am making my way through the movie adaptations of Haruki Murakami’s novels for the purposes of my upcoming editorial. I thought it could be a idea to slow my pace and focus in greater detail on one particular movie, which is Daishi Matsunaga’s Hanalei Bay.
Release Info
Directed by: Daishi Matsunaga Starring: Yo Yoshida, Nijiro Murakami, Reo Sano
Language: Japanese Original Title: ハナレイ・ベイ Runtime: 96 min
Synopsis
Sachi (Yo Yoshida) receives a phone call informing her that her son died in Hawaii due to a shark attack. The woman arrives in Hanalei Bay to take care of formalities and retrieve the ashes of her son. Nevertheless, Sachi continues to come back to Hanalei Bay every year…
By the seaside
One could think that Murakami purposely came up with the theme of a mother losing her son to tell a sappy tale centered on grieving, but the mother figure is an extremely bitter and self-reliant person who helps out two noob teenagers from Japan.
Director Daishi Matsunaga recreates the main plot points a T, but the reserved camerawork, stoic atmosphere, and the striking performance by the legendary Yo Yoshida are the factors that make this particular adaptation stand out to me. The third act is especially captivating as the viewers see a clear difference between the difficult past of the main heroine and the present stillness of the titular bay.
I have to say that the mother in the film is not simply bitter. She processes her feelings towards her unruly late son while becoming the mother figure to two Japanese surfers. Undoubtedly, the most touching scene is the one in a skate park, and it is an original addition not penned by Murakami at all.
With regard to performances, Yo Yoshida undoubtedly carries the weight of the film on her shoulders. Nijiro Murakami does well in the supporting role as one of the young surfers in need. Reo Sano is quite memorable as the son, in spire of the limited screen time. I also appreciate the fact that there is a lot of dialogue in English. Some viewers voiced their concerns about the delivery of lines by Yo Yoshida, but I think she did it very well, definitely better than Satomi Ishihara in Shin Godzilla (2016).
Recommendations
If you are looking for a tranquil feature that will make you reconnect with the lyrical loneliness, then recommend Hanalei Bay. Unfortunately, the film is unavailable on streaming platforms at the moment. However, the movie is making rounds as part of many film festivals (that’s how I watched it originally), and there’s also a Japanese DVD edition out there.
Overall score: 9/10
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4 comments:

  1. Rise17 April 2023 at 02:22

    I remember I made the desperate two and a half hour trek to a movie theater playing this when it first came out. Murakami and Sano Reo being the big pulls for me back in the day.

    Honestly I feel like I need to revisit this film to truly appreciate it. I completely forgot about Yo Yoshida's performance, and her's was the one that held the film together!

    Also did you see the news about "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" getting an animated movie? That was pretty intriguing to me!

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    Replies
    1. Oliver Ebisuno9217 April 2023 at 15:54

      Thanks for the comment, Rise!

      To be honest, I was quite surprised to know that the movie even existed! It was played on a double bill together with Burning during a film festival one hour away from my city. I greatly enjoyed both films, but Yoshida Yo stole my heart with Hanalei Bay.

      I'm pleased to know that you were also able to see the film on the big screen. I sincerely hope that the two and a half hour trek you experienced was not that exhausting.

      Ah yes, I have heard about the news concerning the "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" animation. I will mention this in my Murakami editorial. I should be able to submit the complete draft to MDL next week.

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    2. Rise22 April 2023 at 12:22

      You're most welcome as always! I think I finally got my connection down for blogger and things!

      Man, a double-bill with this and Burning? That would be a dream to see in theaters! It was absolutely worth it for me, and I'm sure that it was worth it for you!

      I'm excited to read your editorial on MDL!! Now I we'll have to wait and see when the film is more widely available...

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    3. Oliver Ebisuno9222 April 2023 at 14:07

      Thank you :)

      Speaking about Hanalei Bay and Burning, yeah, I was really surprised to see this as a double feature! Especially in the countryside of Europe, which is my homeland. It was indeed worth it for me. I also hope that the Hanalei Bay will get wider release someday, perhaps on Blu-Ray from some respect distribution label.

      As for the editorial, your timing is perfect because I submitted the article last night to MDL! So now we have to wait for the editors and admins' approval. I hope it will come out within a month.

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