The movie may be quite long, but it will hold your attention smoothly you won't realize the runtime. My point being: the story of the lead girl and the people she encounters is very engaging. Its like looking through a window to the life of someone dear to you.
A Bride for Rip Van Winkle isn't actually about Rip Van Winkle. Its about a young adult named Nanami whose roller-coaster of a life forces you to empathize with her. Rip Van Winkle does not enter until the second hour. Nanami had everything against her: a failed marriage, a broken family, no job. She sought refuge with a man named Amuro (Go Ayano) who stages acts, depending on the request of the client (he's like an actor-for-hire--but he has people working with him or for him too). The pivotal turn of the events happened when Amuro hired Nanami to become housemaid of a mansion, the owners thereof are untold. Rip Van Winkle is the internet name used by Mashiro (Cocco) a fellow actor-for-hire turned friend of Nanami. Turns out Mashiro was also a housemaid in said house. But that's not the only interesting thing about Mashiro. Her life is as interesting as that of Nanami. She has her own share of trials and then you get to empathize with her. An awkward lesbian love then ensues. I say awkward because there's something in Cocco's portrayals that kinda disturbes me. But that's just me. Anyway, the unfolding of subsequent events are dramatic. The ending is nothing but a good screen shot of a lady looking afar, probably reflecting of how her life has been and how it will be in the future.
The movie feels like so many things happened yet the simplicity of it all is retained. Its melodramatic but no extensive emotions are required.The pacing is fine-tuned. What made this movie more remarkable is its exploitation of piano pieces that jibe with the emotion of the film.
