By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Daishi Matsunaga
Starring: Durian Lollobrigida | Hio Miyazawa | Iori Wada | Ryohei Suzuki | Yûko Nakamura
Original language title: Egoisuto
Year: 2024
Running time: 120
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22006138
Michael says: “I’m always happy when PIFF keeps the ‘I’ for international in mind during programming. This powerful Japanese film, EGOIST, turned out to be one of my top films of the festival, and one that I felt confident in recommending to others, not to miss. Kôsuke is the confident, handsome one in a group of gay male friends. The one who never seems to settle down, and who the others both gently poke fun and admire. When he hires a new trainer to help stay fit, there is spark of chemistry, and Kôsuke finds himself romantically drawn to the younger Ryûta with an intensity that surprises them both. From there, it’s better not to say too much, because this beautiful film unfolds in ways that take several surprising turns that make a dramatic impact on the viewer. In addition to the central couple, Ryûta’s mother are integral characters to the story. I was surprised at how quickly EGOIST moved from what seemed to be a lightweight, gay romantic comedy into something much more, and very pleased by that. This is a film that is worth the experience, and if released in the U.S. will definitely be among by year-end nominations. 5 cats”