“Modern Love” is Takuya Fukushima's bold take on the romantic film genre, blending science-fiction and psychological elements into a plot that is fresh and exciting.
Modern Love is screening at the 19th Japan Film Fest Hamburg
A new planet has appeared in the solar system. Named Emanon, the mysterious planet is also observed to be expanding and has a peculiar influence on the life of one individual in particular. Our protagonist Mika is a young woman working at a travel agency, who converses with the disembodied voice of her boyfriend who vanished mysteriously some years prior. One day, a man appears in her agency asking about a holiday to Agartha. After a search reveals no result on their systems, Mika recommends another destination and the man tells her that actually anywhere will do. This man later returns with a gift for her: a model of a human brain. Though creepy, this is far from the strangest thing to happen to Mika. She soon discovers that there are two other versions of herself, each living parallel lives, though occasionally overlapping and meeting one another. One of these Mikas has recently met her former boyfriend, Teru, while in the other's world, Teru has committed suicide. The mysteries established in the film: Agartha, parallel worlds, delusions, doppelgangers, déjà vu, and even time loops, create a powerful sense of alienation and confusion through which Mika herself is battling in an effort to come to terms with her grief and isolation.
“Modern Love” is written and directed by Takuya Fukushima who does a great job in blending the science-fiction elements with a romantic drama. The surrealism of the situation is used to enhance the uneasiness and emotions of the characters. It also allows him to show sequences that would not be possible in a more conventional story, such as having three different versions of the same character conversing with one another, or the idea of reliving the same day over, which is pleasurable to one but not all of the versions of Mika. Although never explained in the movie, Agartha is the name of a mythical world that exists at the centre of a hollow earth. This is a perfect metaphor for this film in which Mika is, in a sense, delving into her own psyche to try to understand her emotions and find a path out of her loneliness.
The story is at its strongest when it is focused on Mika. There are side-characters at a research laboratory who serve little purpose other than to set up the idea of the strange planet, which could have been done more succinctly, and they are sidelined later in the film.
Azusa Inamura is charming as Mika, we see two sides to her character as she portrays the carefree woman who is deeply in love with Teru, and also a jaded figure who pines for her lost partner. Takuro Takahashi is also likeable as Teru. Although he is largely there for Inamura to play off, he is given a few standout moments of reflection. The supporting cast give good performances, in particular Mika's extravagant gay co-worker, but often they are no more than a plot device.
The film is very well put together, although a little overlong and with a few scenes that could have been omitted. The latter portion, when all the various peculiarities begin to make sense and the story narrows in on Mika and her personal anxieties, is gripping. The film's use of science-fiction elements means that there is always the expectation of bizarre twists just around the corner. Although it doesn't go out of its way to confuse the audience, there is a sense of unpredictability that keeps things entertaining. Some of the standout moments include Mika standing alone in an empty club that encapsulates her sense of solitude perfectly.
Overall, I would definitely recommend “Modern Love” to fans of romantic drama with a science-fiction twist. The film evokes certain timeless themes in a novel and engaging way, blending real and unreal situations in a naturalistic way. Helped in large part by Inamura's performance as Mika, which ensures that the film has a protagonist that the audience can sympathise with, the film is a curious yet welcome addition to the genre.
