Romansu

I saw this movie at the 2006 International Film Festival of Rotterdam. The director and the lead actress were present at the screening for a Q&A.

Two friends in their thirties meet a woman in a bar. One man (Shibata, played by singer Koji Tamaki) makes a living as a real estate project planner. The other man (Anzai, played by TV personality and comedian Ishii La Salle) works at city hall as a city planner. The woman (Kiriko, played by Kaori Mizushima, director Nagasaki's wife) does not reveal very much about herself, but she is charming, bold and believes in UFOs. The three end up on the rooftop looking out for alien spaceships.

This is the beginning of an original love triangle.

This is a fictitious story, but the director explained that the central story was inspired by real life events about a project planner. A lot of the dialog was developed together with the actors. They were cast and selected for their ability to come up with their own lines.

I liked this (sort of) romantic comedy a lot. It has dramatic moments, but as a whole this is all light-hearted and fun. I fell in love with the characters. These are believable people with weaknesses and vulnerabilities. I wanted to know more about the continuation of their lives after the end titles rolled. I liked the storytelling, because you never really know what is going to happen next and how things will end up. No Hollywood clichés here. Having said that, I think this is a very accessible film that can appeal to a worldwide audience.

Warmly recommended if you get a chance to see it in the theater or on DVD. 9/10