Zenzen daijobu

This is a delicate Japanese comedy about how life can be disappointing. It features three main characters approaching 30; none of whom are satisfied with their lives:- A nervous, shy girl with an unusual affection for fish sausages, aspires to be an artist but is too clumsy to hold down a job, a hospital manager who never confronts anybody and commands no respect because he is always trying to be nice out of fear that people won't like him and the most compelling and amusing of all, Teruo, an obtuse, sadistic and dim-witted park keeper. He likes scaring kids and dreams of one day building a super-ultra-haunted-house-deluxe, which will literally scare people to death.

There is a briefly explored sub-plot in which the two men compete for the affections of the girl, but this is never resolved as she finds love with another man. None of their dreams are realised and there are no scenes where emotional hopes are addressed or aspirations achieved.

This is not a fantasy film, but rather a film about fantasy. The charming movie is set predominantly in a second hand book shop belonging to Teruo's father. Despite the lack of a neat, conventional plot resolution, the film is redeemed by a poignant message about the pleasure that can be taken simply by enjoying one another's company.

This is a small film in that it is about a few people and the film just goes along slowly, but there is an unusual poetic sense to it. Teruo is 29 and a tree pruner who also delights in scaring people and wants to open up "The Ultimate Haunted House". Akari watches a homeless woman who displays dolls outside her ramshackle dwelling. Akari paints pictures of her. She gets a job as an orderly at a clinic and is a total klutz and resigns. She ends up working with Teruo's father's bookshop, as the father, seemingly needing a break from life, takes a trip. There are also side characters, including a young man with half of his face covered in a rash. This film is a seemingly nonchalant view of the human condition, of acceptance of those who are "different" and a search for happiness that may be just within reach. This is not a mainstream film, it is slow moving, with intermittent comedic flourishes, but it is very well made. You feel better about yourself after watching it and that is some ringing endorsement.

A quirky comedy, I was really impressed with Kimura Yoshino. She portrayed her introverted character very well, and there were funny scenes here and there with her clumsiness, but I just wasn't feeling it. I absolutely did not connect with the characters. The natural creepiness of Yoshiyoshi was perfect for this role, and although I enjoyed seeing him in many movies and TV shows and he was pretty funny in this movie, I don't believe for a second that he has what it takes to be in the leading role. And of course, quirky movies like this never has a strong storyline. I guess it's a love-or-hate movie that just didn't work for me.

I really liked the message in this movie though, that life is not all about money or success, and it's fine to just be yourself. I have enjoyed Kimura Yoshino's acting before, and I love it even more now. Definitely looking forward to see more of her movies in the future.

FINE, TOTALLY FINE (also known as ZENZEN DAIJOBU) is the debut film from writer and director Fujita Yosuke. After revisiting memorable scenes days after my initial viewing, I've decided that this very well may be one of my favorite live-action films from Japan.

Arakawa YosiYosi, whom you may recognize from small roles in Japanese movies and dramas (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, "TIGER AND DRAGON"), finally gets a deserving starring role. His character is Teruo, the son of a struggling used bookstore owner. Obsessed with scaring people and collecting horror memorabilia--including monster figurines with his frighteningly accurate head on them--his dream is to build a truly terrifying haunted house. Although his thirtieth birthday is approaching soon, it doesn't show one bit.

Teruo's brother, Hisanobu (Okada Yoshinori), on the other hand, does a better job of acting his age. He always tries to please everyone at the hospital that employs him, but he's hopelessly single and ultimately bored with himself. He immediately falls for Akari (Kimura Yoshino), the attractive, introverted star-of-the-show who's so clumsy it's almost unbelievable. We first meet her as she spies on an eccentric homeless woman who builds colorful statues from garbage and scotch tape. Armed with binoculars in one hand and fish sausage in the other--which she has a sweet tooth for--she peers at her from behind a rock. When she returns home to her small apartment, she plays a cassette of rain sounds, makes expressive portraits of the woman with oil pastels, and hangs them around the room for only herself to enjoy.

After a short period of time, Akari leaves her job at the hospital, where she once worked alongside Hisanobu, and instead finds work at the bookstore. It doesn't take long for Teruo to take interest in her, which is where the love triangle begins. ZENZEN doesn't exactly have a typical, defined plot line, but it does present a engaging, hilarious character study. Judging by the laughter I heard throughout the movie at its North American premiere, I would venture to say that the audience didn't mind this element.

I cannot stress how well-crafted the humor is, particularly from someone new to the business. While ZENZEN can come off as quirky and unusual, it's presented in a fairly realistic manner. That's not to say the dialogue is sparse, but, for the most part, the pacing is more comparable to that of a drama than a comedy. Others may find this to be the film's weakness, but I would argue that it's the key to making it soar.

How anyone could not fall in love with this charming underdog of a film is beyond my comprehension. I dare you not to laugh.

*A note to IMDbers: I don't give out 10 stars too often, so don't take my score too lightly. Also, it supposedly won the Audience Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.

Fine, Totally Fine is a low-key movie about a slacker turning thirty and still dreaming of building the ultimate Haunted House attraction. That trope gives a few scares and laughs in the meandering narrative. Quirky, klutzy female Akari (Yoshino Kimura) comes along and creates a love triangle that resolves itself as a square. Little else happens. This is not so much a feel-good film as a feel-not-so-bad film. YosiYosi Arakawa, an acquired taste at the best of times, is given a rare leading role and holds up well, though mostly shows why he is highly regarded as a character actor. Yoshinori Okada as his erstwhile rival in love is more charismatic in a muted role. Yoshino Kimura as the sought after Akari hams it up in the way Japanese TV audiences love. Salarymen will swoon.

I saw this a couple of months ago, and while it was mildly entertaining, I forgot to review it. Doing so now, I realise I can hardly remember anything about the film. Which kind of says it all - fleeting, slight, inoffensive. Decent entertainment, but not much else.