Touch

It's only July 2024 and this is hands down the best film of the year so far. What a dream it would be to see this film be nominated at next year's Oscars for the filmmakers and cast. Hopefully this film will be remembered in some other award races if not the Oscars. The story telling is gentle and beguiling but never slow. There is no wasted moments as Kristofer (Egill Ólafsson) now worried about memory problems after his wife has since passed and living a lonely life in Iceland. He takes the audience on a journey through the start of pandemic through London and Japan (and through extended flashbacks) as he searches for a true love who abandoned him half a century ago. The actors are well chosen for the roles including the actors playing the young Kristofer (Pálmi Kormákur) and his love interest Miko (Kôki). All the emotions and reactions seem natural and their empathy fully earned. A restrained but pivotal role is played by Masahiro Motoki as Miko's father and Kristofer's mentor in Japanese cuisine. Audiences may remember Motoki from the Oscar winning film "Departures". The best films often have stories we wish will never end. We want to know more and this film is no exception. But the ending here is fully satisfying. It's a quietly intense and yet still emotional ending. How do we overcome loss and find the courage to resolve our grief. This story shows how one man finds the will in what initially feels like an impossible situation.

Kristofer has limited time and ventures into the world to care for some unfinished business. With a potential global pandemic and the looming threat of countries going into lockdown, he ventures back to his old stomping grounds of London to search for Miko, a woman he loves. While revisiting the places of his youth, he relives a simpler time and what led him to a love he could never forget. Following leads and reconnecting with old friends, Kristofer hopes to feel the romance and love of Miko once again.

This beautiful love story spans decades, cultures, and historical moments. Although the story seems simple initially, it has a few twists and turns as it unfolds through flashbacks. The story is told at a slow pace, in multiple languages, and does stretch a bit. The story also gives a unique perspective of a survivor of the atomic bombing of Japan. Most WWII stories usually do not share much of the aftermath that the citizens of Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced. The story shares more of the Japanese culture than Icelandic culture. This is a fantastic film and a unique watch for date night or anyone looking to experience multiple feelings simultaneously.

The acting was great by the young and old actors. The pacing was really good. I was worried by the fact the movies constantly jumps between present and past, but I was able to follow without issue most of the times. The story flows very well, and I never lost interest over the 2 hours timeframe. It has a solid conclusion where a few questions are still ligering, but not major to main plotline. It felt like I just followed a old man following his footsteps in a very wholesome journey, and he went through lots of things. The soundtrack in the movie is minimal which I appreciate. I never heard icelandic before. Also, this movie inspiries you to learn a language which is great for those trying to learn a new language.

This is another heartwarming movie telling the eternal story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy meets girl again. You could also call it "Rekindled love in the age of Covid". An absolute gem. Beautiful story, great casting and acting, awesome score. Just an overall satisfying movie with real people doing real things. No superheroes, no car chases, no explosions, just real life with the two main protagonists being from different cultures and the atom bomb on Hiroshima playing a major role. Skip all the brainless drivel Hollywood serves up all Summer and enjoy this understated heart-breaking feel-good movie.

The love story, which unfolds in silence, traverses different eras and places but never misleads the audience, captivating the viewer's heart with its wonderful direction (director Baltasar Kormákur) and the beauty of the camera work (cameraman Bergsteinn Björgúlfsson). Although the story is heartbreaking and at times cruel, songs play an important role in this film to prevent it from becoming too serious. The heartbreaking Icelandic folk song sung at the beginning by an older Christopher (Egill Ólafsson) becomes the central theme of the film. Next, the song by Arai-san (Tatsuya Tagawa) from the Japanese restaurant where young Christopher (Palmi Kormákur) works depicts the love affair between Christopher and Miko (Koki, the restaurant chef's daughter, the father played by Masahiro Motoki), sometimes romantic, sometimes comical and heartbreaking. Along the way, the Icelandic folk songs sung by young Christopher are wonderful, and the karaoke by Kutaragi (Masatoshi Nakamura), whom old Christopher met in Japan, actually fits the theme of the film. The film ends with a moving performance of an Icelandic folk song sung by older Christopher while holding the hand of Miko (Yoko Narahashi), whom he sees for the first time in 50 years. The music used in the film (music by Högni Egilsson) is also very beautiful, but it is rare to see a film where the characters sing so many songs (except, of course, for musical films).