Sukûrugâru konpurekkusu: Hôsôbu-hen (2013) Reviews

• Well done foreign coming of age film.

  jmpomaha2015-01-11

  Looking at the movie poster you may think this is a typical (by American standards) teen sexploitation film. It is not. It is a coming of age tale set in an all girls school in Japan. The writing and dialogue are well done and realistic. The situations between the two main protagonists seemed real in every way. The acting by the girls was first rate. SPOILER ALERT! -- Perhaps the weakest part of the film is a scene at the end during the Arts Festival where several of the girls' openly profess desire for one another. I found this part a bit suspect knowing the Japanese predilection of saving face. However, because of that cultural taboo it made the scene string than some alternative. SPOILER ALERT! -- If you are looking for lesbian T&A, explicit sexuality and situations, then this is not your film. It is deceiving in that way and I believe it may be the reason for the lower ratings by some viewers. If, on the other hand, you want to see a foreign film that explores taboos in a sensitive and well crafted manner, then give it a try.

• Sensitive coming of age story.

  somejava2015-12-09

  This movie won't appeal to anyone seeking the typical American style version of schoolgirl drama. It was subtle and delicate. Attention was paid to detail. Dignity and respect and sensitivity were all given their just due. This movie isn't about the prurient details of learning about and exploring ones own sexuality. It's about learning to separate feelings and emotions. The plot is not a complex one. But it's nonetheless compelling. And there are at least a couple of instances where you really don't know where it's going to go. And that's where it also differs from an American counterpart. It resists going down the potential darker path. So it leaves you with a positive feeling for the potential future of the characters. I thought the acting was good. And I found myself really feeling for some of the characters. This movie has more depth than the poster picture implies. I liked it.