The Whispering Star

It's not a bad film but it's a difficult watch. Even if I like the crazy Sono, I also appreciate his quieter films (I absolutely love The Land of Hope), but this is a bit too introspective for my taste.

Certainly beautiful, certainly with a lot of meaning, certainly with great acting, but boy...I'm sure I will not rewatch it even with all it's merits, as this seemed much longer than it is.

This is a hard one to pin down. It's unlike anything Sion Sono has done before and is the type of film that will have some proclaiming it a masterpiece while others won't like it at all. I can see arguments for both cases but I thought it was a beautifully done piece, visually, and a quiet thoughtful film when considering its implications.

Other than one brief scene in color it is entirely in black and white. Early on it put me in mind of Cory McAbee's wonderful space-western/musical THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUT (2001) in that it shares the same approach with a simplistic unconventional design to the spaceship and the way it is seen in the exterior shots as it travels through the lonely cosmos. With THE WHISPERING STAR the interior design has old timey retro gadgetry and commonplace items like a washing machine and a refrigerator full of what looked like cans of beer. In both films these scenes were intentionally styled as oddities and both were effective despite being low budget. But that's where the similarity in the films ends as they become quite different experiences.

There is very little dialogue in THE WHISPERING STARS, and it's all done in whispers, lending meaning to the title. The onboard computer is called "computing device 6-7 MAH Em" and it talks in the quiet voice of a young child, trying to engage android Yoko Suzuki, a courier in the "SPACE PARCEL SERVICE," in conversations, which are largely ignored by the latter. Even seemingly important decisions on coarse corrections go unresponded to so 6-7 MAH Em just deals with whatever needs to be done while Yoko is more likely to grab a beer from the fridge, study the pile of packages yet to be delivered, or listen to old voice recordings she made. Days pass, even years, with nothing much happening in between the brief stops on planets to deliver packages to humans, all of which has us (and Yoko) wondering at the meaning of the contents of the packages which often seem trivial or unexplainable mysteries at best.

Interesting too is that the scenes taking place on the planets were filmed in and around the mostly abandoned city of Fukushima, Japan, where the nuclear power plant catastrophe occurred. Which enhances the feeling of questioning loneliness that Yoko feels as she goes about her deliveries.

Very different sort of film for Sono but I liked it and, if anything, I am more impressed by him than ever. There is no telling what he will come up with next but I'll be along for the ride.

– Far into the future people are shadows of their former selves. Humans are far too short-lived and vulnerable, so artificial intelligence pervades the universe. One humanoid robot named Yoko, delivers packages to the fringes of distant galaxies. She has time on her hands so she listens to the audio diary of her predecessor, wonders at the fluttering of moths and peeks inside the packages. The parcels are filled with non-essential items that only humans could appreciate; faded photographs, bits of cloth and little mementos of every description. She is intrigued. As she interacts with humans on scattered planets Yoko learns to ride a bicycle and appreciate sounds, among other things. She sees that machines aren't so perfect and make mistakes just like humans do. "This film will give you a greater understanding of what it means to be human," said the director in Toronto. The film is set with 1950s décor and is shot nearly all in black and white, with a burst of color during one scene that represents "nostalgia for the past."

The eerie and abandoned feeling to the city scenery is all too real because it was shot in the cordoned off area around Fukushima. The film crew obtained permits and included non-professional actors who were evicted from the area at the time of the disaster. All sounds were recorded after the scenes were filmed. This imaginative and cerebral film is slow-going. I appreciate slow-moving films, yet felt the points could have been better made in less time. All in all it is wonderful to see the mechanical Yoko begin to appreciate memories, taking pictures, throwing a ball to a dog, music, games and all the little things that humans appreciate. Three and a half of five stars. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival 2015.

I didn't know what to expect from my first Sion Sono movie, so when The Whispering Star ended up as what I can only describe as Stanley Kubrick meets Andrei Tarkovsky I was certainly surprised. Its narrative is almost wholly visual with minimal dialogue, often spoken in hushed and reverential whispers, expecting the audience to fill in the gaps with the limited information they've been given. Despite the clunky and unoriginal outlook of society and nature, it's the way the film is presented to you that makes all the difference, the black & white photography of the seemingly abandoned Fukushima Prefecture is gorgeous, with one scene of colour feeling beautifully alien to the rest of the movie. The long periods of reflective silence allow the audience and character to ponder on their meaning and place in the universe. While at times feeling akin to that of an arthouse production, for what it's worth, your patience will be rewarded if you can make it to the end.

We are flying through space. Pale interior, vintage technology, beyond the window: thousands of stars in a big black nothing. This is what dreams are made of. But, as our hero, Yoko, reveals to us, these scenarios of escapism are not always as exciting as they might seem in the beginning. In the distant future, while Yoko and her sole digital companion travel through space as intergalactic delivery pilots, Yoko tells the sad tale of men's invention of teleportation. Teleportation? "Amazing!", one might think. But, Yoko recalls, when exotic destinations were easily within reach, they quickly lost their charm. When going to the beach is merely another push on a button away, half the fun is gone. Anticipation is the magic word which unfolds its meaning as we get older.

The same goes for Sci-Fi movies. New worlds, far away galaxies and unimaginable creatures all have their appeal. During the run of "Avatar" people spent 2,78 billion Dollar in movie tickets for a good 2 ½ hours of teleportation. But the easier these worlds come to life, the more powerful the CGI-Gods become, the quicker we will be bored and left with a hunger. Horror movies have come a long way from cheap costumes and shadow play to gore and jump-scares. Have they become better? Not necessarily. And so it also happens to Sci-Fi. Better effects, a more perfect immersion, does not equal a more satisfying escape experience.

Funny side note: Star Wars actually tried reworking its visuals with a more technical approach, rising the images "up-to-date", thus making the illusion and escapism more real. The outrage over it is even more known than the outcome itself.

So, Yoko teaches us: Teleportation to the beach, as good as it is, does not satisfy our need for relaxation. And just the same: visual effects do not satisfy our need for good Sci-Fi. Popping in the latest CGI-fest does not necessarily tickle our brains area that craves deep thinking.

So, writer/director Sion Sono puts a spin to his futuristic scenario. Everything feels a bit outdated, the set design is more reminiscent of a 1950s Sci-Fi film. It lets us focus on the content, not the shining outside of the set. In this contrast, a distant day which feels like yesterdays future, the perfect androids that have taken over the world seem helpless. Opening up parcels, finding film strips, feathers or old photographs, they wonder "What the hell is this?". And so do we wonder also: Well, yeah, why in the world do these things have any value? The old scheme, android vs. human, technology vs. romanticism, here it is. This is emphasized by fantastic camera work which takes a human, subjective view and guides us through a world which is not clean and shiny but alive and breathing.

The films filming location, whose background can hardly be ignored, hit me with a cynical note: What a bold move to film a movie in the ruins of the Fukushima region and discuss human virtues vs. technical perfection - In a place where human error lead to an unspeakable disaster which probably would have been avoided by any cold hearted android.

So, is this a masterpiece? Not in my opinion. Did I enjoy it? No. While it makes you think of the genres greats (especially the on-bord computers appearance is straight out of 2001) it falls behind in direct comparison. It lacks focus, throws in too many things instead of being concise with the questions it poses. A computer going through Platos cave allegory? Well, this might be an interesting thought but in this film it simply falls short and leaves you scratching your head.

Oh and it's boring. Let's not forget about that. It is really boring at times.