Tugumi

Famed writer Banana Yoshimoto's original novel 'Goodbye Tsugumi' is a light, fun read. However, in terms of depth and character development, compared to her other, more acclaimed works like 'Kitchen' or 'Asleep', it falls short. Jun Ichikawa's screenplay, though starting off as a line-by-line adaptation, eventually takes some liberties. Some smaller story arcs are dropped and a major character is altered from a schoolboy to a grown man, resulting in subsequent alterations in the storyline. In my opinion, these changes elevated the story, got rid of its excesses and made the titular character more enigmatic but strangely palpable. Riho Makise's portrayal of this complex character is nothing short of amazing. She brilliantly pulls off the polar opposite traits of the character - vulnerable but headstrong, mischievous yet empathic, spoilt yet stoic. Tomoko Nakajima has also delivered a measured, capable performance as the narrator character.

The pacing of the film is somewhat uneven. It spends too little time on building the premise and catching up with the present, resulting in some early confusion. Similarly, the final 20 minutes drawing to the conclusion is inexplicably rushed, completely ruining the slow, charming middle bulk of the film. I suspect this is because of some studio decision to wrap the story under 2 hours. The rest of the film - the beautiful locations, the cinematography, the costumes, the art direction are all superb, as one expects nothing less anyway.

The first 5 minutes of this movie are overwhelming. Each scene is so beautiful that make you immersed in nostalgia. "Sometimes the wind brings the smell of the ocean... At such times I almost cry out." The narration mutters softly, the camera moves like a bird moving on the wind, and the scene slowly fades from the city to the sea village. It's probably most memorable movie openings scene ever.

It's amazing how the female protagonist can express so many emotions with a restrained expression. The bipolar disorder that the protagonist suffers is actually seen as a device to represent the movie's theme. In conclusion, this is a film that show the feelings toward hometown through the character Tsugumi.

Hometown is a place that gives us a sense of frustration like hell when we stay there, but it is also a place that provides infinite longing when we are far from there. It is a truly bizarre place that allows you to encounter many accidents and raw emotions again if you are back to there by longing. It is like a night river side scene in the middle of the movie. Creepy and beautiful at the same time. A place where life and death, love and conflict are intertwined so that you can feel extreme emotions, like bipolar disorder.

Is there any other film that expresses the hometown in such a pitiful and beautiful way? It is a film that deserves a full score.