Love, Death + Robots.
123 Mins. Starring: Yū Aoi, Issei Takahashi, Pierre Taki, Tôko Miura, Eri Watanabe & Kitaro. Director: Yuki Tanada.
Love is not an application. Bumble your way through Tinder all you want. Love is a chance meeting. Even under nefarious circumstances here. But like a Netflix 'Naked Director', fear not guys and dolls. The baring all here has nothing to do with the 'Romance Doll' or more aptly sex toy concept. The love doll theme is merely a mannequin to this production, not an avatar. I see you Yuki Tanada. Romancing the chrome, the 'Tokyo Girl', 'Moon and Cherry' and 'One Million Yen Girl' director gives us a perfect picture of love amongst the lustful, perverse and puerile modern day settings of how we treat matters of the heart. Offering solace to those still searching for a soul amongst all the swiping and shopping list love. Shining a light on one of the darkest corners of neon Japan-the sex industry-but showing in the grey areas just like the idiosyncratic characteristics of its characters that not all is so black and white. There's a moment where 'Shin Godzilla', 'Kill Bill: Vol. 1' and Studio Ghibli, 'Whisper Of The Heart' actor Issei Takahashi is moulding his model muse in a 'Ghost' like clay, bringing to nostalgic mind Stephan James purists passion creative craftsmanship in Barry Jenkins' 'If Beale Street Could Talk'. And just like that book adaptations romancing iconic author James Baldwin's use of the word sex for genitalia, the sex scenes in this movie make love with beauty, not pornographic exposure to indecent affairs. Even if the first time Takahashi and 'Japanese Girls Never Die', 'Hula Girls' and 'Tokyo Ghoul' actress Yū Aoi (reuniting with Tanada after being the 'One Million Yen Girl') meet it's under the white lab coat ruse of posing as doctors taking moulds of a models breasts for medical purposes...when really it's all to do with the weird science of creating the perfect love doll. But nothing can beat the real thing...romance. And this is the substance of this story that is more than what you see on the surface and what it's all about.
Love blossoms like Sakura season from there in a cherry sweet story amongst all this sour candy going Gaga like Blackpink. Aoi and Takahashi get on as famously as their big names in Japan, even if the elephant in their bedroom is wearing heels and lipstick. We all have our secrets and we we all sometimes are ashamed to admit our line of work to people we fall in love with. But imagine keeping THIS type of job away from your significant other...especially when she thinks you're a medical man for the greater good. Not someone who builds something so they will come...and that's not a 'Field Of Dreams' reference I regret. But I digress. Now if you thought that was bad, to make matters worse imagine trying to hide that the Barbie doll you're peddling like Ken behind on a bicycle is selling like hot cakes because of your girlfriends...well how can we put this...breasts. Again the seedy nature of this narrative actually tenderly turns into something sweetly sentimental and sobering straight forward. It's not about the doll. It's about the woman within. Built into this story even a test proves testament to these two and the love that they share together only. Even with an offload of dolls being flogged by the f###load. Sorry to be so bold and brash, but that's life these days...however Tanada's 'Romance Doll' is beauty beginning again amongst all that. Tanada's take on technology and tribute to love is a terrific legacy making legend and an inspired Issei and amazing Aoi are at their best yet in this perfect portrait. Just like the promotional pictures for this movie bordering on the beauty of amazing art. Wrapped up in each others arms, perspiring with passion like a cicadian Summer. Screaming in the sanctuary of each others hearts, until death does them part.
Love doesn't come easy though. And hard times come to us all. "The price of love is grief" as Her Majesty once said and this King and Queen have plenty of trouble on the throne. Desperately devoted, darkness lies within the delights of love and marriage like secrets and lies. 'The Naked Director', 'Outrage Coda' and Denki Groove music star Pierre Taki's tacky and handsy (with the valleys of silicone only...thank goodness) boss actually is in charge of charisma here and has a decency behind that crass charm that shows there's more at heart behind the harlot, humanity devoid hawking. Whilst like 'Shall We Dance' and 'Memories Of Tomorrow' actress Eri Watanabe's (reuniting with Tanada after, 'My Dad and Mr. Ito') solidarity and support, legendary musician Kitatro in mentoring form steals the show. The 'A Story Of Yonsuke' actor over a drink raises the most memorable and moving speech, that like Michael Stuhlbarg's fatherly wisdom by the fire and ashtray to Timothee Chalamet in 'Call Me By Your Name' warns you not to live and love with regrets. One that sheds tears like memory over lost family and the cruel twists of fate and empty words of when we're too late in this life for what we love as dear as the heart we wish we could keep them as close as and to. Oh and if that's too much for you he's heartwarmingly hilarious too. We need it in a movie where things like 'Cherry Blossom Memories' and 'Weathering With You' anime star Tôko Miura's lonely salary woman character throws a spanner in the works like a claw machine plucking at cuddly plush characters or hearts. Before a Dutch courage couple of karaoke numbers turns into that Bill Murray for Scarlett Johansson in a pink wig singing The Pretenders 'Brass In Pocket', 'Lost In Translation' yearning like Roxy Music's 'More Than This'. Just like Spike Jonze's rumoured reply movie to ex Sofia Coppola's 'Translation', 'Her' (also starring Scarlett). This film takes a look into love in times of technology and how it's deeper than just the one design that takes a million hearts for profit like the Joi and then heart and USB breaking beauty of Ana de Armas in 'Blade Runner 2049'. Making in cinematic creation one of Japan's best movies of recent times like the 2018 Academy Award nominated 'Shoplifters' in a South Korean 'Parasite' Best Picture age of Asian cinema. Now on Netflix like the anime adaptation of 'Japan Sinks 2020' in a locked down year in quarantine. Still burning like the Olympic flame until next year. Subtle beauty of nuances amongst all the Hollywood hallmarks are what takes Far East moviemaking artwork even further. And this one that shows that even with cinematic closure, movies are still alive, also shows that romance is far from dead. No need to doll it up. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Lost In Translation', 'Her', 'Shoplifters'.
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