Despite its evident lack of budget, in addition to a script which could do with a more tighter focus, “My Sorry Life” is a stimulating effort from Kozue Nomoto. Appearing frequently on the festival circuit, Nomoto's latest feature is one which is bound to pique interest.
“My Sorry Life” is screening at Japan Cuts
The film follows Kei (Maki Fujiwara), a television producer whose life appears to be at a dead-end. Behind the back of her husband, the retired comedian Yoshi (Akiyoshi Okayasu), she takes contraceptive pills in the hopes that she cannot get pregnant. A career woman, she finds herself frustrated in her home life, but equally perplexed in her professional one. When she gets the chance to spearhead a new web show focusing on ordinary people in Japan though, her circumstances soon change.
Generally, “My Sorry Life” is rather mundane. Even with its quickly developing plot points, the pace of proceedings plods along rather slowly, and nobody finds themselves particularly engaged with those on screen. For one, Kei is not necessarily an investable protagonist, with her rudeness, selfish nature and insensitivity coming across as rather grating. Even when she reaches the point of near collapse it feels more of a poor reflection of meagre what ifs as opposed to anything substantial, and Nomoto is far too hasty to give her female lead some semblance of redemption. Some more contemplation and genuine shifts in personality may have benefitted the narrative, as it does come across as rather lenient on a woman who we are seen as being rather underhanded, and occasionally desperate.
With that being said, it is to the credit of Nomoto that, in spite of a small ensemble which lacks any sort of amiability (aside from the LGBT characters), the audience can still somewhat appreciate the human side of those on our screen. Even though Yoshi is undeniably a half-witted partner to Kei, it is easy to see why he reaches his climax of hopelessness when one considers the mistreatment he continuously faces from the person closest to him. Similarly, with the stress and pressure that Kei is found under on a daily basis, there is at least some sympathy to be had for her outbursts and bouts of self-indulgence.
Continuing, although plenty of holes can be picked in the plot, or the characterisation, one criticism which cannot reach the movie is that of the acting performances. Maki Fujiwara is excellent as Kei, painting her depiction with a brittle resilience and unaware insensitiveness whilst remaining entirely grounded. In the same vein, Akiyoshi Okayasu offers a strong performance as Yoshi, a light-hearted, sensitive man who eventually seeks back control in his life.
Technically, the low-key, grainy camerawork is impressive here, giving a down-to-earth, real life feel to proceedings. There is nothing fancy about any of the locations anyone find themselves in, and the low-budget nature of the movie is palpable in an endearing way.
Overall, “My Sorry Life” is something which is unlikely to live long in the memory, but could provide the right audience with plenty of kicks. Although the comedic elements tend to fall flat, Kozue Nomoto's bold comments on the lives of 30-somethings in Japan feels ambitious enough to earn plaudits.
