I'll start by saying I'm not a fan of the way Japanese filmmakers handle drama, Kurosawa aside. They're great at action, horror, I've enjoyed Japanese comedies, but their dramas always feel contrived and overly emotional.
This film begins as a bit of a mystery from the perspective of a mother about why her son is acting out. Then it starts over from the perspective of the teacher, who has been accused of causing her son's behavior. Then it finally goes to the son's perspective for a supremely disappointing reveal.
*Soilers below*
The film sets itself up as a suspense thriller, the first two stories end on sort of cliffhangers to be explained in the third segment. Did the child kill himself? Did the teacher? Has the boy's friend been manipulating the situation all along like some sort of sociopath? (I was hoping for that one, I would have enjoyed a "The Good Son" type ending). No, instead it suddenly becomes a gay drama. I mean, it's sort of vague but the context is all there. It almost felt like an after thought too, as there was nothing really to imply that beforehand. And what about the building the kid burned? No consequence for that because love conquers all? How about the Principle and the accusation that she killed her grandchild? A lot was left on the table.
This is the sort of movie we're just drowning in right now. "You need to treat ____ better because they're really misunderstood" heartstring dramas. I mean I supposed I've never seen one from Japan, especially about Homosexuality, but this could have been so much better. It was 3/4 of the way to being a really good thriller and it just turned into another gay drama.
This film begins as a bit of a mystery from the perspective of a mother about why her son is acting out. Then it starts over from the perspective of the teacher, who has been accused of causing her son's behavior. Then it finally goes to the son's perspective for a supremely disappointing reveal.
*Soilers below*
The film sets itself up as a suspense thriller, the first two stories end on sort of cliffhangers to be explained in the third segment. Did the child kill himself? Did the teacher? Has the boy's friend been manipulating the situation all along like some sort of sociopath? (I was hoping for that one, I would have enjoyed a "The Good Son" type ending). No, instead it suddenly becomes a gay drama. I mean, it's sort of vague but the context is all there. It almost felt like an after thought too, as there was nothing really to imply that beforehand. And what about the building the kid burned? No consequence for that because love conquers all? How about the Principle and the accusation that she killed her grandchild? A lot was left on the table.
This is the sort of movie we're just drowning in right now. "You need to treat ____ better because they're really misunderstood" heartstring dramas. I mean I supposed I've never seen one from Japan, especially about Homosexuality, but this could have been so much better. It was 3/4 of the way to being a really good thriller and it just turned into another gay drama.