PeteQ-3

This film reminded me in turn of Kill Bill and Thelma and Louise. The dominant characters, and heroes of the story, are women, and even two secondary characters who meet their ends before the credits roll are superhuman women in their own ways. The villains of the story are mostly flawed and despicable, greedy men, some of whom have unhappy endings. The acting is solid all around, and while some plot details are faintly ridiculous, they add to a great story, very well told. I was pulling for our lady heroes from the first frame to the last.

We saw this at TIFF, including a great Q&A with the director afterward. Brendan Fraser is fantastic, as are several of the Japanese actors. The basic premise - that people can be rented to act as substitute friends or family - was shocking to us but is evidently a real part of Japanese culture. While there are numerous minor story arcs, two main ones are each quite compelling; one involving a fatherless girl, and another a fading old man. Their stories will make you both smile and weep.