Summer Nude

Young director Iizuka Ken's first work is a comedy about the day in the lives of a bunch of people on the Okinawan island of Ishigaki, who all start with their own separate stories but end up having effects on each other lives in one way or another. Does it sound like it has been used before, well it has. This is not the most imaginative movie ever, in fact, it comes packed with several tired old clichés, like many Japanese comedies. The main story is supposedly a love story but because the director puts far too many smaller stories in the mix the film loses its focus.

There is however something slightly charming about all the short stories - they may be meaningless and largely superficial, but they are still snatchy, funny, and colourful, just like one of those "purikura"-stickers Japanese teenaged girls love to take. Iizuka is also doing a good job of building sympathy for new characters in a very short time. My favourites include the two slacker yakuza's on the beach and the annoying girl from Tokyo.

To summarise: Clichéd and flawed in many ways but has its agreeable parts too and overall it works out, on some level, at least for a first time director like Iizuka.