One of those films which I had in my possession for quite sometime but never got around watching. It starts out with two friends who enjoy the night life and live together in a tiny apartment. At first it's not made clear as to why, but soon it becomes obvious. Partly due to the scarcity of cash, but mainly for a fact that Kyoko and Chinatsu are very close friends. The music and the overall atmosphere paint a quirky facade of an otherwise complicated relationship between the two girls.
Chinatsu is a tomboy, wishing she was born as a man and has trouble keeping her dates, while Kyoko is a happy go lucky free spirit of sorts, that enjoys painting, flirting up with guys and even sporadically leading Chinatsu on. Kyoko's mood swings keep Chinatsu entertained as much as they drive her mad and jealous. Especially when she tries to get her feelings across and answered in return. The ever changing wave of both characters' emotions, at first feel disjointed, but as the dialogue sets in, their misunderstandings feel sincere. The acting and confinement of the director create a genuine feeling of eroticism with a layer of sophistication, as supposed to silliness or raunchiness.
Thankfully Love/Juice avoids pulling something like the terminal illness card to set the intended mood of gloominess and instead depends on the raw collision of these imperfect, confused personas. A good offering from a young director, who obviously has a lot more to say. A film which might make you reflect on your life and relationships, or it might not, but it will surely make you want to see what will happen to these two characters.
