A self-remake of multi-award winning 1982 film by director Oobayashi Nobuhiko, "Tenkousei" is about two junior high students switching bodies. This plot has been done many, many times in film already, but this is a very unique, experimental film. First of all, every single scene is tilted in random angles between 5~45 degrees. It took me a while to get used to it, but it was able to create some incredible scenes. The cinematography on this film was the most beautiful I've seen in any movie, including American and other Asian movies. Music was equally touching, and accompanies beautiful scenes very well. This movie is 2 hours in length, but the time will just fly by thanks to an excellent flow.
The lead actress, Renbutsu Misako had an extremely weak presence in "Battery", but she did an excellent job here. She is very attractive and has a big potential. I will definitely be closely following her career. Both actors did a very convincing opposite sex, especially considering they are still child actors.
This film is particularly interesting because the transition from the first half to the second is extremely smooth. Before you know it, it turns from a fast-paced comedy into complex drama, and while you were laughing through the first half, you might be crying through the second half. Although this movie is such a cliché in so many ways, it really connected with me and moved me. The ending was slightly draggy, but thanks to the great music accompanying beautiful sceneries, it sank in even more. I have not seen the original, but I absolutely loved this movie, a masterpiece IMO.
