Kakera

Kakera- A piece of our Life There are films you love, films you hate and films that, quite frankly, leave you more perplexed than Dubbya-Dubbya and his bumper book of Sudoku. This one is likely to fall into that latter category for many people as Momoko Ando's directorial debut is something of an enigma, but if you're willing to unfold the creases of your mind, you might just come away with a smile.

I wanted to start this piece with a string of the films and directors that have clearly inspired the film, and whilst one might be inclined to suggest more than just the delicacy and vibrancy of Wong-Kar Wai (in particular Chungking Express) or even similarities to the female-female relationship at the centre of Ji-Woon Kim's 'A Tale Of Two Sisters' (don't let its 'J-Horror' tag fool you), to do so would be to remove the essence of Kakera- A piece of our Life and to replace it with something less unique, more generic and undeniably Hollywood, ultimately fuelling a presupposition that in all likelihood would not represent the film with complete honesty. So, with that in mind I would like to instead offer this man's thoughts with the hope that any subjectivity here is simply the by-product of a mind unfolded.

Based loosely (80% is supposedly new material written solely for the screen) on the 1996 manga 'Love Vibes' by Japanese manga artist Erica Sakurazawa, Kakera is the story of Haru, a quiet college student in a loveless relationship with a character designed to dislike, and Riko, a young prosthetist with a penchant for the women and something of a 'Yandere' character, who meet one day, quite by chance, in a cafe. Riko shows an immediate interest in Haru and this simple encounter is the catalyst for the entire film.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the film is that it is peppered with little gems of wisdom (perhaps the most inspiring being the idea of not wasting any opportunity for the fear of not getting another one – carpe diem if you will) and is often conducive to helpless smiles (just see if you don't when you see Haru prodding Riko's bum). On the other hand, it also invites you to share in the frustrations born of feeling trapped (you'll see just that when Riko joins Haru on a couple of occasions at college socials).

There are several instances of subtle visual rhetoric that will, should you find them, reward you with a more complete viewing and give you food for thought for the trouble. One such rhetoric, however, is so glaring and unrealistic (a 'soda-pop' bottle is thrown into the air whereupon it transforms into a two-headed dove (!?) and flies away) much of the audience gave audible smirks of disbelief.

As for the questions asked…Well, really there is only one, but the point is to find it for yourself and if you find others, all the better. Admittedly, this can sometimes be frustrating and certainly there were members of the screening audience that didn't see this even by the time the credits rolled, but these questions, even if just allusions to them, can often enrich a cinematic experience – thank you, Coen Brothers.

So for anybody with an interest in Japanese culture, this film will do you proud. Whilst this is no tourist advert (the cast is tiny (and thus not representative of a cross section of society) and the locations drab), fans of cinema and culture-enthusiasts alike will enjoy the little flourishes of genius and the fact that it's simply a Japanese movie, respectively. For everybody else, go see it and let it open your mind. Sometimes a question is better asked than a question answered.

"Men and women are all humans. It's only hard when we categorize ourselves … Maybe we don't need to define ourselves as man or woman. Maybe the determination of our sex at conception is as arbitrary as whether the zoo was open or not. What we do know is that in the beginning all humans start out being women."

Kakera: A Piece of our Life is an emotionally-charged independent film about the budding relationship between two women. Haru (Mitsushima Hikari, of Love Exposure fame) is a quiet, odd-ball college student dealing with a boyfriend who is with another woman and only uses Haru for sex. Riko (Nakamura Eriko) is an enthusiastic, excitable prostheticist who prefers women "because they are soft and cuddly," as she states in one scene. They meet quite randomly–in a coffee shop; Haru is drinking her mocha and ends up with a cute chocolate mustache. Riko is immediately smitten.

I must begin with the performances. Both actresses are absolutely phenomenal. Mitsushima Hikari is great, as usual, playing an off-beat yet quiet character. This is a departure for her, as she is usually the loud one. As director Ando Momoko has stated, Mitsushima was willing to do anything she asked, even excitedly growing out her facial and underarm hair. Mitsushima's character, Haru, is portrayed as the opposite of attractive–shown going the bathroom, wearing strange clothes, with facial and armpit hair, etc. This obviously upset her fan club, as the heads of it attended the first screening and, according to Ando, came up to her furious about how Mitsushima was portrayed (she used to be of the pure, cute, cuddly, idol-type). I give major props to Mitsushima for courageously committing to her characters and her acting career.

Nakamura Eriko is impressive as well. I had previously seen her in the film Shikyu no Kioku (2007), where she played a quiet, cute young college student in a small role. She, like Mitsushima, reversed her typical character-type in Kakera, playing the tough, loud, enthusiastic Riko. I don't know if I've ever seen a performance quite like Nakamura's; she makes you feel her happiness, her excitement along with her. There is also a haunting, brilliant short performance by Katase Rino as a depressed, lonely older woman in need of a prosthetic breast.

Kakera is Ando Momoko's first film, and she is definitely a young talent to watch out for. The daughter of Okuda Eiji and sister of Ando Sakura, cinema is definitely a family affair–though she prefers to do things her own way. Her camera is varied, delivering many important still shots, slow tracking shots, extreme close ups of faces, and an intimate styling when needed. It ends up as a refreshing experience. The visuals are deliberately dull and monotone, with certain colors popping out for special effect. James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins contributes to the score and delivers fitting, quiet, atmospheric, and progressive music that highlights the light, bouncy, and uplifting yet sometimes sad, though never dark, quality of the film.

There are both some extremely powerful and totally irrelevant scenes included in the film. One scene in particular is striking in its use of background imagery to deliver an emotionally tied message. Haru had decided to tell her boyfriend that they were over, but after delivering the message falls over and lands face-first on the floor. She rolls over and says "I'm done," then lays there and allows the guy to have his way with her as she hums mindlessly to herself. Meanwhile, a war documentary is playing in the background, guns firing and bombs exploding. This emphasizes the turmoil and chaos both in Haru's mind and in the scene as a whole. Another scene, where a thrown bottle transforms into a two-headed pigeon, is completely irrelevant and removes the viewer from the reality of the film–especially with the cheap CG used.

Kakera is a deeply engrossing and thought-provoking film that seeks to show that gender doesn't matter when it comes to love, it's about finding yourself and looking at the person inside. Haru and Riko's relationship is a normal one, they experience things that any "normal" couple would experience. Just as Riko fills up prosthetic pieces, she also fills up Haru's heart and helps her move through her rocky relationship with her boyfriend; however, they are not immune to typical relationship woes. The actresses had fun making this movie–you can tell because they infect you as well, causing wide smiles to magically appear on your face.

I'll leave you with a little quote of wisdom from the film: "Favorite foods are better eaten a little at a time." Remember it.

This is a somewhat atmospheric film which explores the budding love between two young women in Japan. The pace is low till about the middle then picks up. The story is about Haru (the versatile and terrific Hikaru Mitsushima, who was memorable in Sono's "Love Exposure), who meets up with Riko (Eriko Nakamura, also very good) in a café and they explore a relationship which is at times tentative, frustrating but, ultimately, very believable. Haru's dead end relationship with a guy however doesn't immediately make her succumb to Riko's charms, which I think is probably the best thing about the film. Its a wonder not more films explore the nature of uncertainty in love and affection like this one. That the film has no intentions of being preachy or politically correct is also a minor revelation. Both actresses have bright futures in film if they stick to challenging roles like this, and director Momoko Ando's craft is also not only obvious but refreshing. I recommend this film, its truly a worthwhile slice of life.