It seems that in this year's Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, one of the motifs is famous actors shooting their debut short films, with Kengo Kora and Hiroshi Tamaki being two of the most prominent samples. The former has come up with “Courier”, a short that focuses on a bicycle courier in Tokyo.
Courier is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia
The said individuals is named Maru, and we follow his path through the streets of Tokyo during a day of his work. First, he goes to an office building, then he takes a break by visiting a cycle shop owner who is in a philosophical mood. A bit later, he goes to his usual joint to grab a bite, where he meets a colleague, Hide, who tells him of his plans to move out of Tokyo, now that his wife is expecting a child. Lastly, during the night, he stumbles upon a film shoot.
To begin with, the thing the viewer will probably first notice is the impressive cast, with Tasuku Emoto playing the owner of the shop, Shota Sometani Hide, Ryuichi Hiroki the director of the film, and of course, Ayumu Nakajima Maru. Add to that the fact that Kengo Kora himself also appears briefly, and you have one of the most impressive casts we have seen in a short film. Furthermore, all the performances are quite good, in a style of measured realism, with Nakajima having the most time on screen and splitting it between riding a bike and interacting with various individuals. Probably the scene that stands out in his acting is the one where he watches the movie shooting, with a sense of longing (perhaps a missed dream) passing in his eyes.
The narrative follows an episodic style, with each meeting adding a new “part”, while lengthy scenes of Nakajima riding his bike in various time periods within the same day connect the meetings. The episodes are not exactly remarkable, maybe with the exception of the film shooting, which actually includes a night action scene, but are grounded in reality, in a style that looks almost like a documentary. In a subtle comment, Kora seems to imply that his protagonist wants some change in his life, while in a more direct one, Hide states that “Tokyo is no place to live with a growing family”, perhaps mirroring the director's own opinion.
The cinematography is quite accomplished, including shots where the camera follows the bike, and others where it is steady showing him passing by, while also including a number of close ups that work well here, particularly considering who the cast are. The focus is on realism here too, with any exaltations. The editing results in a relatively fast tempo, although the truth is that the riding scenes could have been briefer.
“Courier” is not exactly spectacular but still shows that Kora has a steady directorial hand, as he manages to retain the rhythm through the whole of the 25 minutes of the short, in a rather hopeful debut that definitely takes full advantage of his impressive cast.
