a very refreshing film

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 2004)

Refreshing not because it bursts with energy or a tirade of philosophical junk, it' enlightening because it's very, very subdued on many levels. But within its little world of subtlety it manages to shine, briefly but poignantly, this brilliant idea that eventually becomes the whole film. It's easy to see why this film is lost on so many people, but is loved to bits by others. From the offset, it appears a very boring movie. Nothing happens. They make a big deal out of very little. And if you can't get used to that, you miss out on the fact that actually, in doing this, they made something extremely beautiful and emotive to watch.
The film winds between dreamy scenes, a first unintelligible, later they click together, of the two main characters experiencing a particularly woeful (and at times absurd) stay in the city of Tokyo, Japan. The first half of the film focuses on this and the second on their meeting and growing entanglement. Personally, it wasn't until the very last scene that I realized how great it was, so my advice is to stick with it and watch to the end if you're having second thoughts.
It's beautifully shot, succinctly written and the soundtrack is more than a little trippy. A wonderful film that deserves special mention.