What Is the Story About?
A former sex worker, Chihiro is rebuilding her life in a small seaside town. She now works in a bento shop, where she finds her own tribe by changing the lives of her customers and the ones she befriends with. Call Me Chihiro is a warm feel good drama that traces Chihiro’s life as she keeps switching jobs and befriending new set of people.
Performances?
Kasumi Arimura is the pillar of Call Me Chihiro. She is exceptionally charming and also vulnerable as time comes. The energy and warmth she carries in her smile makes you want to be friends with her for life. Concisely, it is her effervescent screen presence, the emptiness that shadows her loneliness and her effortless chemistry with the rest of the cast that makes the film such a heartwarming experience.
Analysis?
Written and directed by Rikiya Imaizumi, a contemporary genius in coming of age dramedies, Call Me Chihiro is another worthy addition to the long list of Japanese feel good dramas. Adapted from a manga series titled ‘Chihirosan’, Call Me Chihiro is light hearted and also heavy hearted as the film reaches a closure.
Call Me Chihiro starts off like Chihiro’s daily diary. We see the place she works at, the ones she meet enroute her workplace, the way she bonds with loners and tries to cheer them up, her close friend, etc. The happy go lucky Chihiro seems to be the most cheerful person in the room, but a stride of melancholy and loneliness consumes her from within.
Much like every other Japanese dramedy, the supporting characters also get a visible character arc of their own in Call Me Chihiro. Every interaction of hers is tender. Be it the blind woman who used to work at her bento shop, or Makoto, a naughty boy she befriends, or the old man who she feeds and grooms.
Call Me Chihiro appears to be a very happy drama on the outside, but is not all that. Much like Chihiro, the film punches your gut with the reality of loneliness and emptiness. One could sense the walls Chihiro built around her falling and the air of loneliness around her thickening as the film progresses. In a particular scene, Chihiro laments on how she is inability to even cry when her mother died.
In a way, Call Me Chihiro is a meditation on life, loneliness and life’s tragedy. It’s also rumination of the fact that the happiest looking around us are the loneliest souls. Aided by a supremely charming lead actor and a terrific supporting cast, Call Me Chihiro entertains and charms all it’s way to your heart and then picks your heart heavy.
If you’re a fan of movies like Amelie, Call Me Chihiro easily adds as a worthy companion. In short, Charming actors, beautiful frames and yeah.. lots of Bento.. What more would you want?
Other Artists?
The entire cast of Call Me Chihiro is a bundle of warmth. Be it Hana Toyoshima who plays Okaji – a reluctant high-schooler, or the naughty Makoto played by Tetta Shimada, or Jun Fubuki’s Tae.. every single character makes a mark and leaves your heart with love and tenderness. The chemistry Kasumi Arimura shares with the cast is undeniably visible throughout the film.
Music and Other Departments?
Call Me Chihiro’s biggest strength is its screenplay. Brilliantly adapted to screen from a manga, the film is also beautifully shot and composed. Every frame is full of life but also sometimes visibly empty, mirroring the journey of its protagonist. The music also beautiful anchors the narrative that revolves around the exploration of solitude and depression.
Highlights?
The story
Cast
Screenplay
Cinematography
Score and music
Drawbacks?
Nothing much
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes. Definitely
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Call Me Chihiro Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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