Summary
One of the greatest film titles of the last year draws its inspiration from a true story. It is definitely one of the best fruit-related films you will see at a Japanese Film Festival.
I admit it: I have been obsessed with this title ever since I saw the poster on AsianWiki in October last year. It might have been the bright yellow of the titular fruit, or maybe the sheer comical exuberance of Yo Oizumi’s expression, but this leapt to the top of my must-sees in 2019.
A BANANA? AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT? (こんな夜更けにバナナかよ 愛しき実話) is actually based on a true story, one that was adapted to Kazufumi Watanabe’s bestselling novel. Medical student Hisashi (Haruma Miura) develops a friendship with Yasuaki Kano (Yo Izumi), a man who has suffered with muscular dystrophy since he was 12 years old. With an army of volunteers at his beck and call, he is a staunch advocate for living “independently” and dreams of moving to America.
The title comes from an unreasonable request Yasuaki makes one evening of rookie volunteer Misaki Ando (Mitsuki Takahata), Hisashi’s girlfriend and the object of Yasuaki’s affections. Much of the film follows of a semi-comic series of attempts to win her over, or over-the-top moments in which Yasuaki engages in a rodeo party.
Yet there’s a solid bit of heart at the chewy caramel centre of director Tetsu Maeda (My Departure) and screenwriter Hiroshi Hashimoto’s (Inuyashiki) film. A series of smaller crises remind us of the seriousness of Yasuaki’s condition, including one that ends with him dependent on a respirator to survive. Having to choose between merely surviving and potentially using the use of his voice, he remains committed to his creed. “I won’t die counting holes in the ceiling,” he re-affirms.
Much of this is held together by Yo Izumi as the central figure, mostly finding a balance between playing some of comedic aspects of the character, based on the real-life Shikano Yasuaki, and the more realistic turns. After all, the character is not always a likeable one, and the fact that we actually feel something for his fate by the end of the film is a testament to his performance.
Having said that, the film does consciously manipulate us into an emotional corner on more than one occasion. Even so, as the film’s coda shows us footage of Shikano, who died in 2002 with over 500 volunteers having worked with him during his time, and might just be a reminder to value each day that we get a chance to exercise the freedom of mobility.
2019 | Japan | DIR: Tetsu Maeda | WRITERS: Kazufumi Watanabe (novel), Hiroshi Hashimoto | CAST: Yo Oizumi, Mitsuki Takahata, Haruma Miura | DISTRIBUTOR: Shochiku (JPN), Japanese Film Festival 2019 (AUS) | RUNNING TIME: 120 minutes | RELEASE DATE: October – December 2019 (JFF)
