Films about hikikomoris (or at least individuals who border on being one) have been rising in number in the Japanese movie industry. However, it is the first time that one such protagonist ends up travelling in Varanasi, with Yoko Mochizuki basing her story on her own life experience, and connecting it to Shusaku Endo's “Deep River” a novel about a group of Japanese tourists who take a life-altering journey to India.
The River: Flow of Life is screening at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival
Hazuki is only interested in cinema, to the point she actually works in one and only sits at her home watching movies on her laptop when she is not there. Her mother is rather annoyed with her lack of ambition regarding her professional life and any romantic prospects, and does not shy away from telling her off, usually during dinner. Her father on the other hand, seems barely to acknowledge the existence of the two women in his life, not participating at all. After one more fight in the house, Hazuki makes a rather absurd decision for her, to go to India along with a Bollywood loving colleague who has been trying to convince her to do so for some time. Just before the flight however, her colleague gets sick and is unable to travel, leaving Hazuki on her own to experience India. Terrified, and despite the politeness of her Indian guide, who speaks Japanese fluently, she remains timid and closed-up as a shell, not even daring to remove her mask. After an incident, however, things begin to change.
Evidently, the trip to India is what sets the whole film apart from the majority of Japanese indies, with the tour-guide aspect being probably the most entertaining in the movie, even more so due to Hazuki's ways, which, for people who are not as introverted, can even appear rather funny. That the experience, and particularly a dangerous episode, changes her, is the main comment of the film, with Mochizuki suggesting that travelling outside of Japan can be a solution for the secluded, disconnected ways of the hikikomori, by getting to know, essentially, a completely different country. Granted, the way Mochizuki, who also wrote, edited, and starred in the film, goes about the presentation of this concept is somewhat on the nose, with Hazuki's return changing everything like magic, but in general, the comment seems realistic enough, particularly through her presentation of the protagonist and the ways she changes, by finally being able to trust someone.
This someone is her tour guide, with Vijay Yadav, who actually plays himself, being quite convincing in the part, adding to the realism of the movie. The cinematography, particularly in the way it captures the cramped space and the beauties of Varanasi is also on a very high level. The episode, on the other hand, could be a bit better presented, particularly since finding a second local who speaks fluent Japanese seems somewhat far-fetched, as much as the way the whole event unfolds.
To continue about the acting, Yoko Ootaka, who many will recognize from “Mrs Noisy” is rather good in the role of the mother, in a role quite similar to the one just mentioned.
“The River: Flow of Life” is not exactly a great film, but is well-presented, original, and communicates its comments eloquently, resulting in a spectacle that is definitely easy to watch.
