Following the recipe he implemented for “A Bride for Rip Van Winkle” and “Last Letter”, of shooting movies based on his own novel, Shunji Iwai has come up with “Kyrie”, a 3-hour movie that details the story of its three main characters over the span of 13 years. At the same time, it functions as a promotional piece for the idols in the cast, mainly Aina The End whose songs are heard throughout.
Kyrie is screening at Nippon Connection
The movie starts in the present, but eventually unfolds over several different time axes. In the present, Kyrie, a mysterious girl who only whispers except when she is singing, is trying to become a professional musician, but has no luck, even having to live on the streets. Eventually, another girl her age approaches her, Ikko, who immediately convinces her to become her manager, with the two soon sharing an apartment.
It turns out that the two already knew each other from their high school days, when they were named Luca and Naomi respectively, and were quite good friends. Ikko was the daughter of a bar owner, who at some point received a marriage proposal from one of her patrons, which led to her hiring a tutor who worked for the aforementioned patron, Shiomi, for her daughter. Shiomi was actually dating Kyrie’s sister at the time, a decision that had dire consequences for his life, even more so after the tsunami, which actually changed the life of all three forever.
Back in the present, Kyrie progresses her career with the help of Ikko, while eventually Shiori joins her, accompanying her performances. The same happens with Fukin, another young man who is trying to become professional, with them all eventually becoming a group. It turns out however, that Ikko has a secret, while making it in the music business is quite hard.
Shunji Iwai creates a very appealing story of three intriguing characters whose dreams, romantic relations, family issues and trauma shape them, bring them together and occasionally set them apart, with the drama being one of the central components of the narrative. The director takes his time to analyze them all, including some peripheral characters, with Fumi, a kindly teacher that supported Luca, having the meatiest role here. This allows for the audience to feel empathy for them, while also making Iwai’s comments, mostly revolving around female friendship and the concept of staying true to your dreams no matter the consequences, eloquently presented.
At the same time, the many back-and-forths, the fact that Aina the End has a double role (as Kyrie and her sister), and the fact that the focus is on the music as much as the story results in a narrative that is somewhat convoluted and has a number of plot holes, particularly in terms of logic. Iwai’s own editing does not help with that, both in the placement of the different timelines within the narrative and in the rather extensive performances of Aina the End. This last aspect makes “Kyrie” a movie that whether its audience appreciates the particular kind of Japanese folk/pop is a make or break factor, even if there are elements that move away from that part.
If you like Kyrie, check also this video, check the interview with the director
On the other hand, if one perceives the whole thing as a kind of a dream, without paying particular attention to its logic, the result is much more rewarding, particularly due to the overall atmosphere Iwai has created and the charisma of the cast. In that fashion, the fact that Kyrie only whispers and is not talking is one of the most appealing elements in the movie, with her deep murmur essentially setting the tone for the whole film. Chigi Kanbe’s cinematography also adds to the overall dreaminess of the narrative, with the movie including exquisite imagery throughout, also assisted by the excellent coloring. Of course, a scene at the beach by the end could not be missing from here either, although it is one of the most beautiful in the whole film.
This sense, which also crosses into eye-candy territory on occasion, definitely benefits from the appearances of the protagonists, all of which are quite good looking. Aina The End has this almost outwardly beauty that becomes even more intense at the times she is performing, additionally ‘masking’ a performance that lacks on occasion. The same, more or less, applies to Hokuto Matsumura as Shiomi, who does perform a bit better though. Suzu Hirose as Maori/Ikko is both great to watch and performs nicely, with her being the main source of drama here, particularly in the way she fails at moving away from the path her mother chartered. Nijiro Murakami as Fukin has a small role but still manages to stand out, with the same applying to Haru Kuroki‘s Fumi, in the most grounded performance here.
“Kyrie” is a mixed bag, which, as I mentioned before, depends largely on how much one likes Aina the End’s songs. At the same time, as a story that celebrates youth and its dreams, as a presentation of show business in Japan, and as an eye-candy, it definitely works, with the sum of all its elements definitely leaning towards the positive side.
