LOVE ON SUNDAY (Japan, 2006)
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
90 Minutes, digital projection, in Japanese with English Subtitles
Directed by: Ryuichi Hiroki
Starring: Takami Mizuhashi, Ryuya Wakaba, Yuria Haga
Showtimes: THU June 26, 1:00pm at the IFC Center [Buy Tickets];
SUN June 29, 1:00pm at the IFC Center [Buy Tickets].
Note: "Buy Tickets" links will take you to the IFC Center website (for shows at IFC Center) and to Japan Society website (for shows at Japan Society). Tickets for each venue must be purchased separately.
Director Ryuichi Hiroki’s films deal intimately and painfully with relationships and friendships and his low key style and thoughtful narratives revel in the sad, still moments of self-discovery and human frailty. Hiroki steps back from the corrosive female psyches that he dissected with enormous empathy in VIBRATOR and IT’S ONLY TALK (previously screened at the NYAFF) and gently probes the troubled teenage relationships in the two LOVE ON SUNDAY films. It’s bittersweet love melted down to its purest, most youthful essence.
Part WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF and part John Hughes’s SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL this is a breathless roundelay of romance, misunderstandings, hurt feelings, missed opportunities and teenage angst all compressed into one day. Akira is leaving the small town tomorrow where she grew up to join her father in Tokyo and she wants to spend her final night with her lifelong friend, Nao. She’s long been in love with Nao but has never had the nerve to tell him and now that she is leaving her feelings are an overwhelming rush of emotions. Nao, though, has been approached by Tamaki, the most popular girl in school and his head is spinning at the thought of it and he wants Akira to help him practice his kissing technique. Tamaki isn’t really interested in Nao, however, she just wants revenge on Akira because her boyfriend, Gaku, broke up with her to go out with Akira. The two girls know exactly what’s going on as they spar with each other like duelists, but the men are, as usual, completely clueless. The four teenagers end up together on Akira’s final night and they joust constantly for position leading finally to a final, mad sublime dash to true love and understanding.
