Mami Honda is a 36-year-old single writer, whose bestseller encouraged a broad female audience to choose a self sufficient and independent lifestyle. Ten years later, Mami publicly disapproves of the message of the book, which results in a backlash from her fellowship. Momoko Fukada spins four, partly interwoven, storylines around female figures that deal with the tension of body images, marriage, and age.
“Will I Be Single Forever?” is screening on Japannual Film Festival in Vienna
Don't get fooled by the corny, dorama-like title. The live-action adaption of Mari Okazaki's Manga “Will I Be Single Forever?” is more complex than the trailer and the subject the poster may indicate. Former TV announcer Minami Tanaka plays her first lead as Mami. After the engagement with her younger boyfriend (Yu Inaba), she questions the decision. Torn between the individualistic principles that she once promoted in her essay and a looming despair to find a husband, the general public pressure on female single ladies like Mami convergences in her role.
By introducing the married-with-a-kid housewife Ayaka, portrayed by Eri Tokunaga (“Mio on the Shore” 2019), the film illustrates a social role model that simultaneously gets deconstructed, because she is stuck with a lazy husband, who lacks understanding for her needs. On a rare occasion, Ayaka is allowed to go out to a class reunion, where she meets Yukino (Miwako Ichikawa), who lives alone in a big apartment next to Mami because her boyfriend dumped her right before the planned entry. The quartet is completed by the young hostess Miho (Sayuri Matsumura). Relying on her youth as capital, Miho enjoys the sugar-daddy lifestyle of the city until she realises that she eventually cannot continue this toxic habit forever.
All females use social media as a way to communicate their feelings and to engage with a seemingly cold society. Fukuda utilizes Instagram, Twitter, and television as a clever narration tool to create a more or less subliminal connection between the characters. Together with screenwriter Fumi Tsubota (“The Island of Cats” 2019) Momoku Fukuda shapes a well-balanced drama that hits the right mood for a whole series of gender-related problems in society. Different from other so-called “Dating Movies”, the director dismisses humor and kitsch and rather relies on a realistic and modern representation, which is further underlined by a diverse cast of actresses. These individuals ultimately defend themselves and stand up against a patriarchal conception of relationships, in which women have to subordinate. “Will I Be Single Forever?” warns its viewer of false a illusion. If you are lonely, marriage is not necessarily the perfect option to escape from it. In many scenes, Fukuda makes an impressive plea to deliver this message.
“Will I Be Single Forever?” profits from a fresh direction style, cutting its length slightly above one and a half hours. There are no long takes and a wisely chosen score dynamically attaches sequences while establishing the distinct vibe of each setting. Cinematography, editing, and music are on point and prevent the movie to drift off into melodramatic realms.
After “My Father, the Bride” (2019), once more Momoko Fukuda challenges our definition of what's normal and puts the spotlight on her elaborated characters fighting for emancipation. Her subtle style refrains from screaming out an aggressive message. She does not use over-the-top parody nor covers in arthouse secrecy. Determination is a scarce good in Japanese cinema, which often winds itself around slow pace and symbolic images. Momoko Fukada accepts the challenge to combine different approaches of filmmaking and stays true to a mix of modern pop culture and earnest social criticism, altogether giving the audience the uplifting advice to follow their heart.
