Ashita no watashi no tsukurikata...
I didn't plan to but I'm glad I watched How to Become Myself at the cinema. It wasn't a typical rom-com that I was expecting but instead deals with matters of the inner self. Like, in our daily life we present ourselves differently depending on the situation and who we're with. There's a different self for when we're with friends, when we're with family, with colleagues, classmates, people we're close with, those that are not, people we like, people we don't like, people we trust.. the list goes on. This movies slightly touches on the subject and asks the question, "if that's the case, then who is the real me?".
The film progressed at a leisurely pace but I really liked the style. Visually I haven't been so mesmerized ever since I first watched a Shunji Iwai film. In this case their style is somewhat similar too. But director Jun Ichikawa used a lot of split screen and breathtaking shots of nature and everyday surroundings. Can't say enough how much I love the way the movie was shot. I'm definitely checking out more of his movies. It's a bit sad to learn that he already passed away sometime last year.
A few random screenshots..
One of the main characters is this short haired girl named Hinako who was bullied/ignored in her old school before she had to move and decided to adopt a more cheerful persona at the new school. I like her character. She reminded me of Kamei Eri xD The girl who plays Hinako is an idol IRL..
But the one who ultimately carries the film is Riko Narumi. I've only seen her in 1 Litre of Tears but she shows here that she's so talented! It's so hard to believe that she's just 16 this year. The last young actor I've seen that had so much emotion written in a single glance was Yuya Yagira. Btw she won best newcomer in 2007 for this role.
Stayed until the ending credits. It ends on a hopeful note.. I loved the song too.
It's strange but scenes from the movie just stayed with me for the rest of the day after watching How to Become Myself. Always a sign of a good film^^..
The film progressed at a leisurely pace but I really liked the style. Visually I haven't been so mesmerized ever since I first watched a Shunji Iwai film. In this case their style is somewhat similar too. But director Jun Ichikawa used a lot of split screen and breathtaking shots of nature and everyday surroundings. Can't say enough how much I love the way the movie was shot. I'm definitely checking out more of his movies. It's a bit sad to learn that he already passed away sometime last year.
A few random screenshots..
One of the main characters is this short haired girl named Hinako who was bullied/ignored in her old school before she had to move and decided to adopt a more cheerful persona at the new school. I like her character. She reminded me of Kamei Eri xD The girl who plays Hinako is an idol IRL..
But the one who ultimately carries the film is Riko Narumi. I've only seen her in 1 Litre of Tears but she shows here that she's so talented! It's so hard to believe that she's just 16 this year. The last young actor I've seen that had so much emotion written in a single glance was Yuya Yagira. Btw she won best newcomer in 2007 for this role.
Stayed until the ending credits. It ends on a hopeful note.. I loved the song too.
Click to viewIt's strange but scenes from the movie just stayed with me for the rest of the day after watching How to Become Myself. Always a sign of a good film^^..