A BALANCE (2020)

 

Critic - No.185

Director: Yujiro Harumoto

Produced by: Toei Company, Ltd.

Casts: Kumi Takiuchi, Ken Mitsuishi, Masahiro Umeda

Language: Japanese

Genre: Drama

 

SYNOPSIS: 

Documentary director Yuko (Kumi Takiuchi) portrays a school violence incident from three years ago that resulted in suicides, while she was teaching classes at her father’s cram school. As her documentary project progresses, Yuko discovers a hidden truth and becomes deeply involved in the lives of the families pained by that secret truth.

 

REVIEW:

The film starts off by portraying a fiery documentary filmmaker who demands impartiality and truth through her current scandalous case. The film then takes an interesting route when Yuko re-evaluates her lofty principles when she realises that a scandal is about to break much closer to home. Through a gripping subject matter and well-etched characters, A Balance gives a revealing insight into Japan’s culture of shame, which spreads like a stain through the lives of anyone touched by rumour or wrongdoing.

 

The most psychologically affecting aspect of the film is the way the characters are played out especially when Yuko tries to help her pregnant student with a contradicting mind to cover the entire truth behind it. That struggle of balance is excellently displayed by Kumi Takiuchi who gives an effortless career binding performance in the film. Her character arc, from a principled idealist to a deceitful careerist risking a teenager’s health and life, is arresting. The production design of the film was quite noteworthy particularly when it comes to the neglected messy space that Mei shares with her father that somehow symbolises the disoriented relationship they share.

 

Even though the film carefully peels its reveals in the second half of the film, it doesn’t really earn its running time with scenes feeling overly stretched. The arthouse approach of the narrative abruptly rifts off to a disappointing melodramatic ending that unfortunately, rips off the strong set up the film had. That said, surfacing off a taboo topic as such, the film is no doubt a conversation-starter, which will continue to gain the interest of top film festivals worldwide.  

 

VERDICT:

‘A Balance’ is an uneven but intense drama that intriguingly explores Japan’s culture of shame through a dark forbidden scenario.

 

CELLULOID METER- 3/5: