“How to Find Happiness”. A great question, that this film attempts to provide an answer for in a rather unique production about an unlikely relationship forming between a doctor and a patient.
How To Find Happiness is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
Shunichi Nagasaki's film features Toshihide (Mahiro Takasugi), a young doctor living at his clinic. When Ako (Nagisa Sekimizu) drops into his clinic, and looks exactly like the woman he has a crush on, he's clueless. Ako then is forced to stay around due to medical reasons, and starts temporarily living with Toshihide and his family. He soon realizes that Ako is not the woman he hoped she was, but that does not stop them from bonding anyways, and gives both of the characters the development they so necessarily needed.
The film does a lot of things well, but excels in showing two less-than-whole characters in pretty unique ways. The script, by Yumi Yazawa, makes for a very happy, humoristic and quirky film throughout, yet carries a melancholic undertone for most of it as well. Its humor is not universal, and may not appeal to all audiences, as it seems quite in-your-face and overbearing. However, it's undoubtedly a very specific style that some people will absolutely love.
The film benefits a lot from the cinematography by Makoto Watanabe, giving it a very vibrant and lively look, while mostly taking place at the same place. The same can be said about the editing by Abe Hirohide, which is quick and snappy, adding to the comedy in the film, but giving enough room to breathe during the more emotional scenes. In turn, the main couple, Mahiro Takasugi and Nagisa Sekimizu, have serious chemistry that makes their scenes together shine, and truly elevates the feature. They're charming, fun, yet manage to be taken seriously as well.
Overall, it's quite a heartwarming film that manages to balance humor with genuine life lessons about the necessity of someone to love, whether that'd be family, or a relationship. It's unique enough that it could very well be something someone else will absolutely love.
