Film Review: A Crimson Star (2018) By Aya Igashi

After being hospitalized, a young student named Yo becomes infatuated with her nurse Yayoi; however after Yo is released, she learns that the nurse had quit her job. Still never far in her memory about a year later Yo, wandering the streets at night to escape her abusive family, comes across Yayoi who is now working as a prostitute. With a strong desire to save the woman she once admired, Yo forces herself into Yayoi's life crashing at her place and trying to force her to change.

The result of Yo's pressure forces an awkward romance as Yayoi is trying to fill a void left by a miscarriage and Yo is coming to terms with her sexuality after suffering abuse from her mother's boyfriend for years. The pair's interactions become more intense and involved as they both fight for the happiness of the other while trying to find their own peace.

“A Crimson Star” leaves a strong visual impact, with both open and intimate spaces. The Japanese countryside is vibrant and serene, and the bedroom interactions between the two main protagonists feel realistic and personable. The peaceful visuals are further elevated by a well-chosen score that uses classical piano melodies. However, the serene atmosphere is rather inconsistent as it becomes marred by nighttime scenes, specifically the ones shot in an apartment space. The lighting chosen feels realistic but does not convey well to film, resulting in some of the more intimate moments being shrouded in darkness, as the actors expressions and movements are hard to make out. Although this inconsistency can be frustrating, the film does leave a strong impact in regards to visuals (The review was made based upon the initial cut, but in latest cut, this inconsistency has been toned down much).

The script does a good job of capturing a profound moment in two peoples lives as their troubled fates intertwine. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to connect with the characters through this approach and feel the film would have benefitted from more exposition, as a lot of the characters' intense relationships seem to rest in themes and moments that are only hinted at. The characters don't really seem to develop that much as well, in particular, Yayoi, even though she struggles to appear carrying a certain strength with her that never really develops into anything. Instead of having a moment where the character comes to a deeper understanding of their life, the film just kind of lingers on the characters' insecurities without any feeling of resolution.

Yuki Sakurai gives a stand out performance as Yayoi, able to convey a wide range of emotions and is really the focal point of any given scene she is in. Miku Kamatsu, although competent in her role as the smitten schoolgirl with a troubled background, does not really seem to add much depth to the character and her emotional range seems restricted compared to that of Yayoi. Given this is Miku Kamatsu's acting debut it is still admirable, she was able to tackle a troubled character and turn in a good performance. The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable after their appearance, but with the focus being on Yo and Yayoi, this doesn't hinder the production. 

“A Crimson Star” beautifully captures the moment of two women facing inner strife and bonding in a unique and engaging manner. Unfortunately, as fascinating as the two characters are, they do feel rather undeveloped as the film really seems to lack that emotional sting, “A Crimson Star” needed a profound defining moment to add meaning to either Yo or Yaoi's plight. Despite the slight emotional disconnect from a film that asks the viewers to invest in the characters, the strong visuals, concept and Yuki Sakurai's performance outweigh the film's shortcoming.