last life in the universe

[pete]

Years later.  I still love this film so much.  Has it picked up any new friends since the last slew of negative (or lukewarm) responses?

[ponceludon]

I've seen this movie twice. The first time, I was so in love and the gangster subplot didn't bother me at all, in fact it provided an interesting aspect of the main character's personality that seemed like an entire world that wasn't at all addressed and made him all the more mysterious. The second time I saw it, I was able to look at more details, and I still loved it.

[brockly]

spoilers

the cover art for this caught my eye at my local video store. i recognised the title and remembered pete raving about it when it was released so i decided to rent it..

while i enjoyed the film immensely, watching it i didn't think it would induce any extensive post-viewing deliberation. two days later, i can't shake it. there are moments in this that are so eerily enthralling: the ethereal cleansing of noi's home (holy shit!); noi taking the form of her dead sister for a portion of the film after falling in love; the ending. the more i think about these moments, the more i feel the need to watch this again.

i loved the space the director had given himself by allowing kenji and noi to exist as, for the most part, unexciting characters. we're not hanging on their every word but rather observing the director's choice of exposition. its always great to see a film that proficiently commits to alternative methods of sustaining an audience other than relying on the whim of its central characters, though kenji's suicide attempts were always assiduous. and it's not a result of poor writing, i did fall in love with both these characters.

the more i think about it, the more i love this film but i can't fully justify its impact on me. ive always been a sucker for subtly accomplished surrealism so that would have something to do with it. perhaps a second viewing will reveal more. nevertheless right now this stands as one of my favourite films of the decade so far.

also ive been listening to the soundtrack all day. amazing!

[Stefen]

Drop your trousers.

He'll be here soon.