Love Letter (1995) [Film Review]

Love Letter: or, In Search for the Lost Memories

     “Dear Fujii Itsuki, How are you? I’m very well.” – Watanabe Hiroko

Just when I begin to think that the Japanese cinema can’t surprise me any further, a movie like Love Letter comes along. To be honest, I resented watching this picture, because it has such a convoluted online synopsis. Nevertheless, I finally brought myself round and played the film... Two hours later I was lying on the carpet heartbroken and wrought with anger at myself for not having seen this beautiful masterpiece earlier.

Release Info

Directed by: Shunji Iwai Starring: Miho Nakayama, Miki Sakai, Etsushi Toyokawa

Language: Japanese Alternative Title: When I Close My Eyes Runtime: 116 min

Synopsis

Watanabe Hiroko (Miho Nakayama) is a woman living in the city of Kobe. Two years earlier, her fiancé, Fujii Itsuki (Takashi Kashiwabara), died in a mountain climbing accident. Still in depression and grief, Hiroko writes a letter to her dead fiancé and sends it to the address she found in his old high-school yearbook. However, it was the wrong Fujii Itsuki she found in a book. The mail reaches Otaru, a northern town, far away from Kobe, and the letter is received by Fujii Itsuki, a female (also played by Miho Nakayama). Soon after, Watanabe Hiroko is surprised that she received a response from her dead fiancé. In consequence, a remarkable correspondence between the two women ensues.

Eternal Waiting

Love Letter marked the theatrical beginning of Shunji Iwai’s filmmaking career, the director of such acclaimed pictures as Picnic (1996), Swallowtail Butterfly (1996), and All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001). It should be noted that the screenplay and the subsequent novel based on the film were written by him as well.

So what Love Letter is all about? Well, it is mainly about the experience of feeling. In order to understand what I mean, I suggest that you watch at least the first two minutes of the picture. When Miho Nakayama gets up from the snow, the camera pans out to reveal the overview of a city in winter, and just as Remedios’ captivating music kicks in, the movie immediately steals your heart.

However, the film is not so much about the process of overcoming grief, but rather about immersing oneself in memories of the past. Watanbe Hiroko may be the first character we are introduced to, but it is female Fujii Itsuki who seems very much to be the protagonist of the whole story. Through her recollections, the viewers and Hiroko discover the elusive figure of male Fujii Itsuki, who he was and how he interacted with others. The fact that Miho Nakayama plays the two characters who exchange letters is not without any meaning, but I do not intend to spoil the twist for you.

The primary advantage of Love Letter is the enchantingly beautiful world and its characters which Shunji Iwai carefully crafted. The director must have drew a lot of inspiration from the late Krzysztof Kieślowski (The Double Life of Veronique (1991) and The Three Colours Trilogy (1993-1994)) in terms of handling cinematography and complementing visuals with music. I simply fell in love with the snow-laden city of Otaru and I hope that I will live to see the day when I’m gonna be able to do some live location scouting out there.

In terms of performances, Miho Nakayama steals the show as Watanabe Hiroko/Fujii Itsuki. Having known her as a great j-pop singer (but not the best), it is quite out of the ordinary to see her playing two contrasting parts almost effortlessly! However, other actors also do a fine job. Miki Sakai deserves the second highest praise as a young female Fujii Itsuki (she really looked like a younger version of Miho Nakayama!). Etsushi Toyokawa does well as Hiroko’s friend, whereas Bunjaku Han and Katsuyuki Shinohara are unforgettable as female Itsuki’s family.

By far, the most touching scene of the movie, at least in my opinion, is “Ogenki desu ka?” moment. I found it so powerful and relatable that I was forcefully withholding tears! What is happening to me? I have to get a grip. No! I cannot, because this movie is so gloriously brilliant in its evocation of sentimentality and nostalgia for things long gone...

 

Recommendations

Safely recommended to anyone. If you happen to stumble upon this 23-year-old gem, do not waste time and grab it! One side note though. There seems to be no R1 dvd release of the movie. It was released in the US under the VHS title When I Close My Eyes, but that was basically it. Go for R3 release instead. Many reviewers praise Love Letter as the greatest romance story from Japan. To me, it is the greatest sentimental story ever told! It is not so much about love, but coming to terms with oneself. Dear Watanabe Hiroko...

Overall score: 10/10!

Upcoming next time: 99th review!

Note: This review was published in a re-edited form on AMP (August 27, 2019)

The Lunchbox (2013) [Film Review]

The Lunchbox; or, A Stroke of Luck
     Somewhere I read that the wrong train can lead you to the right station...
Has it ever happened to you that you opened your lunchbox and were surprised by its content? This week’s review will cover the troubling topics of depression, letters, unexpected friendship, refuel of faith, and pursuit of happiness. Obviously, I want to discuss the 2013 international hit film The Lunchbox with Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur in the leading roles.

Release Info

Directed by: Ritesh Batra Starring: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui

Language: English, Hindi Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Mr Saajan Fernandes (Irrfan) is a widower who is trying to get by at his accounting job. Illa (Nimrat Kaur) is a housewife who is hopelessly attempting to get the attention of her busy husband. The wife even prepares a special meal which she sends via the food delivery system of Mumbai’s “dabbawalas”. Unfortunately, some kind of a mix-up happens en route and the lunchbox ends up on Mr Fernandes’ desk. Illa discovers that the meals are not reaching her husband and writes a letter to the unknown receiver of her dishes. Saajan responds and, in consequence, a long-lasting correspondence ensues. The unexpected communication through the lunchbox irreversibly changes the two strangers.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach
The first thing I would like to say about this movie is that I deeply regret not seeing it at the cinema. I picked it up on DVD a week ago (Indian food and Irrfan Khan on the cover did the trick) and, after watching it, I complained to myself: How could I miss such a gem on the big screen?! (Release date: February, 2014 in my country). Indeed, The Lunchbox is a shining gem polished with an enormous amount of noticeable love and patience from the cast and crew. What initially appears to be yet another romantic flick pleasantly surprises its viewers by becoming a warm-hearted story about regaining self-confidence and living life to the fullest.

The core of the film is transgressing cultural differences. The eponymous lunchbox is the inanimate facilitator that establishes a connection between people from totally different backgrounds. Mr Fernandes is a Scrooge-like character (living in painful solitude after the loss of his wife) who wants to be left alone. Illa, on the other hand, is a young housewife and a mother who seeks to renew the relationship with her husband. As the two start to exchange recipes, pieces of advice, daily anecdotes, and personal confessions, they get closer to each than they would ever be in reality. This shift in attitude is especially visible in Saajan who transforms from a recluse into a dreamer. He even befriends an outgoing office apprentice Shaikh (played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and eventually becomes an important part of his life as well. This is the paradox that the director Ritesh Batra draws before us. Mumbai is the cultural melting pot of people always in a rush. Serendipity in the form of the lunchbox makes two of those people: a Christian (Fernandes) and a Hindu (Illa) stop and think for a moment.

However, there is still one more issue to be mentioned and it is the one of love. Namely, Saajan changes not just because of the excellent food he receives, but because of Illa herself. This is an impossible love story: a 52-year-old Christian falling for a married Hindu. Yet, the two try to find each other. Illa sets up a meeting in a cafe, but Saajan never approaches her, because he is aware of the social gap between them. Still, Illa eventually tracks down his office address, but he has already retired.

This leads us to the real villain of the piece, and no, it’s not Illa’s husband (though it is implied that the man is cheating on her). The true enemy of our characters is time. The Lunchbox touches upon a very universal problem of busy lifestyle in a metropolis. Mumbai workers need to be on time at work, but they prefer home-cooked meals for lunch. Thus, the “dabbawalas” came to existence in order to save the time (of housewives and workers). Yet, time is an obstacle for Saajan and Illa to be together, not only in terms of age difference, but also quite literally.

In the ending scene (which I liked very much, though it sparked many negative comments on the web) we see Saajan travelling with “dabbawalas” on a train. By doing so, Mr Fernandes hopes to find Illa during the process of returning the lunchbox (in the afternoon). However, on the same day, Illa decided to sell her jewellery and escape from her husband as soon as her daughter gets back from school. Will Saajan find her before she leaves? This is the question to which the viewers have to answer on their own. Personally, I believe that even the wrong train can lead you to the right station...

Irrfan Khan gives a superb performance and, out of his cinematic creations, the character of Mr Fernandes instantly became my second favourite (right after Ashoke Ganguli from The Namesake (2006)). Nimrat Kaur is convincing as Illa and handles the character with confidence. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is a wonderful addition to the film as Shaikh. The subplot about this sympathetic extrovert is another advantage of the movie.

Recommendations
If you’re not into romantic films, that’s okay. If you’re not into colourful Bollywood love flicks, it’s also fine. The Lunchbox is neither of these and does not pretend to be. It takes an accident that may well occur in real life and turns it into a wonderful tale about the meaning of life. It’s been quite a while since a movie managed to set me in a positive mood. Maybe I’m being slightly too subjective about this film, but I can’t help to look at it from my personal experience of having a pen friend. Nevertheless, The Lunchbox is a moving and memorable story, which makes you root for its protagonists. I’ll certainly be revisiting it every now and then.
Overall score: 10/10 (Deservedly Earned)

The Japanese Wife (2010) [Film Review]

The Japanese Wife; or, Love in letters

This Indian film review will focus on a critically acclaimed, epistolary romantic film by Aparna Sen (Mr. and Mrs. Iyer) about the impossible love formed between two people from distant cultures.

Release Info 

Directed by: Aparna Sen Starring: Rahul Bose, Chigusa Takaku, Raima Sen

Language: Bengali, English, Japanese Movie Industry: Tollywood Runtime: 120 min

Plot

Meet Snehmoy Chatterjee (Rahul Bose), a math’s teacher in a remote Bengali village who decides to respond to an advertisement in a magazine and in this way gets in touch with a Japanese pen friend Miyage (Chigusa Takaku). Surprisingly, after extensively writing to each other and emotionally opening-up, the two resolve to exchange wedding vows through the letters, becoming “husband and wife”. Throughout the period of seventeen years this “letter marriage” between Snehmoy and Miayge, who have never seen each other, is put to extreme tests when unexpected problems hit the displaced couple.

Marriage at a distance

Aparna Sen took a huge risk with this particular movie, especially considering it’s highly improbable in real life main premise: a man and a woman, who have never met throughout their lives, form a lasting and faithful relationship through the letters. This sounds like an idea for a Jane Austen novel, not a proper movie; yet, the story strangely works on  screen. Maybe, the main thing responsible for the digestibility of The Japanese Wife is the way in which the main characters are presented. Snehmoy is not an Indian Mr Perfect from Bollywood, but a hardworking, poor teacher who lives with his aunt Maashi (Moushumi Chatterjee) and a widow Sandhya (Raima Sen). On the other hand, Miyage is also parent-less and quite poor (hence the two cannot afford to buy plane tickets), but she also suffers from cancer. Miyage’s illness is the binding point between her and Snehmoy, for when the teacher finds out about his wife’s illness, he goes on numerous pilgrimages to Calcutta in order to find a good oncologist who would be able to diagnose Miyage’s cancer without her actually being there… This kind of naive sacrifice is what makes Snehmoy a likeable character.

Interestingly, the issue of sexual purity is also brought up in the story. Whereas, Miyage leads a lonely existence in Japan, Snehmoy lives with the young and attractive Sandhya and her small son, both taken in by Snehmoy’s aunt. Paradoxically Sandhya seems to be a perfect match for Snehmoy, a real possibility to form a happy family, but nevertheless, our protagonist does not engage in any emotional or physical connection with the woman, remaining devoted only to Miyage.

The visual style of the movie is also worth mentioning. In contrast to such box-office hits as Eat Pray Love or The Best Marigold Hotel, India was not presented as a filthy third-rate country, but the beauty of its countryside was brought to the foreground. Snehmoy seems to live in a paradise in the middle of nowhere and so as Miayge (though we don’t get to see much of Japan from her perspective). Yet, while surrounded by wonderful nature (rivers, forests, green plains) the two platonic star-crossed lovers still live in extreme isolation from other people, seeking comfort only in writing to each other.

Recommendations

I recommend The Japanese Wife to everyone who likes a slow, yet charming study of human relations without any stereotypical romantic trash. Unlike Tollywood mainstream films, this movie grows on you and leaves you thinking: Can platonic love be really possible today? Definitely worth seeing.

Overall Score: 8/10