Summary
A honest but pleasant exploration of isolation and loneliness, filtered through a fish-out-of-water narrative and a terrific cast.
“This short is the first 20 minutes of a feature I wrote,” said filmmaker Atsuko Hirayanagi of her award-winning short film in 2014. “I hope we get to tell the whole story one day.” OH LUCY! made good on that hope when it debuted at the International Critics’ Week section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
Hirayanagi tells the story of Setsuko (Shinobu Terajima), a 55-year-old chain-smoking office worker who decides to take English lessons with John (Josh Hartnett) at the behest of her niece. When the unconventional teacher, who hugs her and dubs her ‘Lucy,’ disappears back to California with Setsuko’s niece, she sets off with her estranged sister (Kaho Minami) to find them.
Isolation and loneliness have rarely felt as tangible as they do when we meet Setsuko. When she leaves her tiny and cluttered apartment, her human interactions consist entirely of perfunctory discourse with her coworkers. Perhaps sensing a portent of the future, Setsuko lashes out at a retiring colleague by vocalising what “everyone really thinks” about her. The action further isolates her from her limited community.
The shift of location to California unleashes Setsuko physically and mentally, and we watch her become “Lucy,” at least for a while. Like a reverse Lost in Translation, there is a joy in watching Setsuko find a new lease on life, but a corresponding amount of pathos in knowing that she is chasing a delusion of sorts. She ‘loves’ the much younger John, but it only took the simple act of a hug for her to feel connected to him.
OH LUCY! has a terrific cast, even if it’s ultimately a showcase for Terajima, who builds on the role that Kaori Momoi initiated in the short film version. Her merry war of words with the wonderful Minami is a highlight, as is the awkwardness of the relationship she and Hartnett develop across broken English. There’s even an odd but welcome cameo from Megan Mullally, not to mention a small but significant role for veteran actor Kôji Yakusho.
An unexpected tonal shift segues into a sense of frenetic desperation to Setsuko’s actions in the climax of the film. This blessedly steers Hirayanagi’s script clear of a mawkish view of connectivity, but this too can be a double-edged sword at times. Setsuko’s outlook sometimes keeps us at arm’s length as well, making the final few scenes with Yakusho a bit rushed. A pleasantly told examination of connection.
2017 | Japan, US | DIR: Atsuko Hirayanagi | WRITER: Atsuko Hirayanagi | CAST: Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami, Shiori Kutsuna, Köji Yakusho | RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes | DISTRIBUTOR: Melbourne International Film Festival | RELEASE DATE: August 2017 (MIFF)
