Phantom

One of the greatest surprises of the year, "Phantom" is an experience to be seen and felt by everyone who strives to see something unique in terms of film and life experiences. It's an honest observation on the human condition, reflecting on situations that in one way or the other we can truly say: we've all been there. Cogito ergo sum! I think, therefore I am. From ages ago to many distant centuries to go, people will always try to find answers to their existence, comforting reasons or not on why life has to be the way it is, or how can one change things. Internal questioning, sometimes sharing with someone who may provide a different perspective; if not, at least we have a good talk. And that's what this movie offers.

"Phantom" revolves around a Tokyo couple (Yuki Fujita and Masato Tsujioka) spending a sleepless night talking about who they are, the problems they face, trying to find a meaning for what they're going through. Most of the time it's the girl who exposes her views on life, her problems and obstacles she faces while finding ways to pay her rent, or understand the world around her. The boyfriend seems less worried about everything and acts supportive of her, sometimes joking around to ease their mood.

As images we barely see them with each other, instead we follow them having solitary moments, walking alone in the city, conflicted with what they see. It's like those moments you have when you're going from one place to another, on your way to school or work, just observing people, reactions, situations, peculiar acts and your mind goes in several directions. We are reminded of the many contemplative shots Sofia Coppola and Terrence Malick use in their works mixed with the persistent dialog of the main characters in the background, almost a Godard style but less political and more down to earth. The director's choice in doing this instead of a filmic play trapped in the same place is an excellent and cautious choice, even more surprising for a foreign director to present a different culture in the way they perceive themselves: as called in Japan, Ma (emptiness). The space in between images, fragments in quietude, empty but full of meaning, it's there with a purpose. All of those give a sense of time and place and where people are. The technique is growing stronger lately and of the few films I've seen this year that used this dream-like style with off-screen dialogs, this one used the best.

Though the place chosen to be set was Japan, the movie's proposition and ideals resonate in all over the world, a great example of a genuine universal cinema that breaks barriers and reaches everyone, everywhere. Real and straight-forward in its questionings, one feel easily connected with those characters and their visions of world, as if they were taking many of your thoughts from your head. We spend sleepless nights imaging why we're here, what we're going to do with our lives, and we felt exactly like the phantoms described by the woman here (sorry I won't spoil the meaning of it). With such a higher sense of identification, even if we don't get no answers and no solutions to the problems presented, at least we can say: it's the same struggle everywhere and we're not alone. Just extremely separated for many reasons, far away yet so close.

It reveals plenty about life, our anguish, fears and desires, happiness, misery, evolution, growth, the communication we have with others and ourselves, the many stages of what makes us humans. For a first time work, Mr. Jonathan Soler accomplished the feat of a cinema giant and I'm definitely looking forward for his next projects. His direction of actors is very impressive, taking the best of his actors. Fujita's voice was like music for the ears, filled with emotion. Complex yet simple, beautiful yet saddening, that's art echoing life as it is. 10/10

Going into Phantom I didn't realise it was a 'bedroom movie,' one most likely shot in the director/writer's house and probably guerrilla style in its exterior sequences. I decided to stick with it because it has similar ambitions to myself in how to make a simple low budget film so meaningful. Even though it's an amateur production, there's definitely potential talent behind the camera. Great Canon footage and eerie undercurrents of its score overcome poor sound quality and the interesting existential stream-of-thought ideas overcome weak storytelling. In fact, its minimalist images should be a prime example on what to do with low resources, though perhaps the film could've benefited from being a series of stills as the editing and movement in the frame feels too rough. It's a film all in the dialogue. A night of insightful conversations similar to Hiroshima Mon Amour or Before Midnight. It has the danger of being pretentious, but it comes from a well-intentioned and introspective place. It's full of very relatable mid-20s quarter-life-crisis anxieties where life hasn't really started or just begun.

In the conversation, it studies universal themes of identity and depersonalisation then places that perspective on others around us. It's concerned with social status, limitations, meaning of our lives and the consequence of our actions - an idea the title comes from, where a Phantom has no consequence. But is this study of cynical ideas darkly melancholic or merely bittersweet? It does suggest that bonding with another is the solution to life and while I certainly agree, it's a tough answer to chew on if it's not an option. However, as the film is about feeling disconnected, every relatable point it has where you feel connected to it is a wonderful feeling. It's arguable that the film is in fact a documentary with its Sans Soleil travelogue style without the travelling as there's only shards of fiction here and there. That's another slight issue with the film, while the conversation is strong and flows fluently enough, the images are often either cryptic or preachy. At least they're always thoughtful. It's certainly an interesting way to look at the world like Phantom. One of the better near-zero budget films I've seen.

7/10

It's night. A girl and her boyfriend can't sleep. After a day of unsuccessful attempts to find a proper job, they don't want to suffer life "as it is" without having at least tried to change something. But before you can change, you have to reflect, and that's what they do during the course of this small-scale, but yet enchanting art-house picture. First in their bedroom, and then wandering around the streets, the two of them exchange their perspectives on life in the big city, as part of a crowd, as a small wheel in the capitalistic machine, and ultimately as seekers for happiness and relieve. The dialogue is sort of a voice-over-soundtrack to more or less blurred images of anonymous metropolitan images, which are from time to time interrupted by a return of the camera eye to the couples' bedroom where the exchange continues – or still takes place, since it is unclear where they are positioned precisely. While the girl outlines her problems with having an identity in a world where identities don't mean a lot any more, the boy takes the position of an almost Socratian questioner, leading her to refine her views. While in one way sharing the idea that something can be done to alter society – a society more dead than living, more mechanical than solidary –, they also share the notion that exploitation (to some people, by some people) is inevitably an (albeit ugly) part of the way people use to live nowadays. Buy isn't the real tragedy the fact that while noting that and trying to escape to a better way of life, you doing nothing more than reassuring the system? Questions are tough in this one, a film where an average couple takes on a sort of "amateur sociological perspective" to question the world they live in. Not easy, but appealing nonetheless.

I was contacted by email through IMDb and got suggested to watch this movie...and oh how I don't regret it. I'm really into this kind of pointless yet interesting and finished too soon movie. I didn't know any of the actors involved and it was nice to watch fresh faces being so convincing and intense. The cinematography is really beautiful and I feel like I've traveled through Tokyo, through a really interesting and disturbing Tokyo. All in one, I was pleasantly surprised and I will tell my friends to look at for this one! I'm a fan of non blockbusters and kinda intimate movie that focus on a relationship only. We don't have explosions or any action, it's with an introspective feeling that we relate to it, not only by adrenaline, and it's always a pleasure. Good job to everyone involved !

I wasn't able to sit thru the whole movie in one sitting and alas the password changed before I could get back to view it. But I have to say that from what I saw it was a very well planned/designed/produced movie. The movie materials from their web site and other things presented gave me a very interesting perspective on a movie that doesn't have dialogue - as in the mouths are moving to the sound -- everything is off-camera. I haven't thought of that idea for doing a movie. If ever it comes along for viewing publicly (or the film owners would like my review of the second half and can get me a new password) I'd like to see it thru to the end. Thanks for inviting me to view the preview.