Josee, o Tigre e o Peixe

Having watched the 2020 Anime version of this story and the 2020 South Korean version of this story already, I have to admit that I was already rather familiar with the plot and the story. But for some reason the original 2003 Japanese movie had eluded me up until 2020. So when I had the chance to sit down and watch "Joze to tora to sakana tachi" (aka "Josee, The Tiger and the Fish") of course I did so.

I have to say, first and foremost that I really enjoyed the 2020 Japanese Anime version of this story, but found the 2020 South Korean movie to be somewhat mediocre. But I had hopes for the 2003 Japanese movie as I sat down to watch what writer Aya Watanabe and director Isshin Inudô had in store for me.

The story was adequate, but then again I was already well-familiar with how it would play out, so there wasn't really much of anything new here. However, in this 2003 Japanese version director Isshin Inudô had a bit of nudity here and there, and that felt rather unnecessary to drive the movie forward, and it was something that the movie could have been without.

The acting performances by Chizuru Ikewaki (playing Joze/Kumiko) and Satoshi Tsumabuki (playing Tsuneo) was good and they definitely carried the movie quite well individually and together on the screen.

If you haven't already seen "Josee, The Tiger and the Fish", you should do so if you have the chance, because it is a good movie.

My rating of the 2003 Japanese version lands on a five out of ten stars though, as it just wasn't as emotional or riveting as the 2020 Anime version was.

This is one of those films that went wrong, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly why. As best as I can sum up, I'd say it suffers from an "identity crisis". This means that it gives you glimpses of some powerful themes, but it never follows through enough to satisfy. It flirts with comedy, with drama, with philosophy, but only as a dilettante would; it never jumps boldly into any of those veins.

Several scenes border on profound. The characters introduce some very insightful concepts, but the scenes always seem to cut short before the concepts truly materialize in the dialogue.

For example in one (otherwise great) scene, the girl describes how she has been brought up from the depths of her isolation. Then she injects, something like, "But even if I must return there, then that'll be OK." End scene. WHY? Is it because she has become a stronger person? Or is it because she prefers isolation? Or is it because she is apathetic? Like a fortune cookie with no context, it never gives us a hint how to apply this compelling statement. It's left as an unfinished whimsy.

I suppose this is the same technique used in Impressionism (painting) like the works of Monet where we are shown vague spots & outlines, and it is up to us to fill in the gaps with our imagination. If you like Impressionism, the you may like this film. But if you are more a fan of Classicism (Da Vinci, Rembrandt, even Dali) with its bold strokes and lucid representations, then you'll probably be left as unfulfilled as I was.

Visually, it was nice. The pacing was perfect. It was everything I've come to expect from modern Japanese cinema, but as I said above, it doesn't have the substance to back it up (despite its rich plot). I suggest you check out some of these films if you want to know what I'm talking about: Dolls (2002), Shiki-jitsu (2000), Cha no aji (2004), Warai no daigaku (2004), Shimotsuma monogatari (2004), Swing Girls (2004).

Those are examples of modern Japanese films that dive right into theme (be it drama, philosophy, romance or comedy) and they give you a lot to sink your teeth into. Ever since the days of Kurosawa, I believe this has been the tradition--perhaps the obligation--of Japanese cinema.

I wouldn't call Josee bad, but it's not quite as powerful as its contemporaries.

AFTERTHOUGHT: There's an 11-part Japanese docudrama called "1 Litre of Tears" which I believe handles this subject matter much more powerfully. The music is a little sappy, but the show is worth checking out if you can find it!

A languidly paced journey thru a relationship - accompanying a callow young man who meets a young woman curled up in a baby carriage

intrigued - he worms in his way into the home of her eccentric grandmother where the young woman lives - and is offered a meal cooked by the young woman who - when finished cooking - drops from a stool onto the floor with a thud - and then drags herself and her useless legs to another area of the small home - instead of joining him at the table

tho sullen and curt with him - she possesses an offbeat appeal - the young man finds her so fascinating that she soon steals him away from his pretty girlfriend - the two women's confrontation in the middle of a street is one of my favorite scenes of all times

the strange evolving relationship goes where it wants to go - not where you want or expect it to go - don't expect longing gazes or romantic declarations - these two have edgy get-togethers - offbeat yet convincingly realistic

i loved it - i fell for the odd girl even more than the young man did - the actress who portrayed her - Chizuru Ikewaki - instantly took her place among my favorite actresses of all time - she's an immensely potent presence - and that first impression has stood up after seeing her in mostly smaller roles in lesser films - i've even heard speak decent english in one of them ("The Oishii Man") - i can heartily recommend her film "Across a Gold Prairie"

the leading actor had more scenes and was able to hold up the film in Ikewaki's absence - with pretty and talented Ueno Juri as the prior girlfriend giving him a boost at times - but this film is a showcase for Chizaru Ikewaki - and her character - the bewitching Jozee.

Their love story seemed really ordinary, even though Josée was disabled. They didn't try to make the audience feel sorry for her or anything, which is a good thing but at the same time it turned the story into an unremarkable one. If someone made a movie out of my love life I wouldn't watch it because it's normal and kinda boring.

This is a small masterpiece, one of the best films released in 2004. On the cover, it's an unlikely romance between an easy-going college boy and a captivating girl who is disabled from the waist down, but it doesn't even begin to show how wonderfully astute this film is in dealing with still-youthful emotions of its characters. 'Joze' captures what it's like to be young and in love perfectly, but it's never self-conscious or brash about it; it also deals with the question of disability in a quiet, subtle way, never patronizing it or pandering to its sentimental possibilities. Satoshi Tsumabuki of 'Waterboys' fame plays nicely against type as the well-meaning but shallow Tsuneo, while Chizuru Ikewaki is truly beguiling as the titular heroine. 'Joze' is a romance whose refreshing honesty and quiet courage is so rare these days that it may well go down as one of a kind. It's also one of the very few films to achieve a level of true emotional resonance, with an ending that is both low-key and utterly devastating at the same time. It is a moment that stays in your mind long after you've left the cinema, growing more and more tender as you dwell on it.