By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.75
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring: Jô Odagirin Tadanobu Asanon | Sayuri Oyamada | Takashi Sasanoi | Tatsuya Fuji
Original language title: Akarui mirai
Country: japan
Year: 2005
Running time: 92
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363235/combined
Diane says: “Can’t say I really liked BRIGHT FUTURE (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, director), a coolly presented surrealist
story of two disaffected youth whose family ties are broken–to say nothing of the jellyfish. The gang of purposeful-seeming yet directionless kids in the end reminded me of nothing but Alex’s droogs, and the whole tale seemed like it could lead into A CLOCKWORK ORANGE scenario. However, unlike the NYTimes reviewer, not once was I unsettled, not once did the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I found it pretty much uninvolving.
“But I did like some elements of it: the performance by Tadanobu Asano of LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE and ZATOICHI, the shifts in picture quality, the grainy washed-out whites and blues and browns, the very interesting clothes. Asano sure did develop a different fashion sense by the time of LAST LIFE, Do we have a costume award? 2 cats.”
Michael says: “BRIGHT FUTURE is one of those perplexing films that provide an entertaining ride along the way, but when the credits roll you’re left scratching you head and wondering what that was all about. This Japanese film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (no relation) is steeped in Japanese culture that may not be readily transparent to the Western viewer. After doing a little poking around and watching some of the DVD extras, I’ve come to understand that BRIGHT FUTURE is about what Ty Burr of the Boston Globe calls, ‘apocalyptic generational rebellion.’ The more I think about it, the more it hangs together, but there are certainly areas that get a little fuzzy… like the jellyfish?
“Mamoru and Yuji are twentysomething buddies who work in a factory. When the boss takes an interest in them offering promotions and more money, they are both tempted and wary. While the extra money would be nice, do they want to move from being slackers who are making some money doing temp work to full time drones in a 9 – 5 job? Our focus is Yuji (Jô Odagiri) who sees the future in dreams. Lately his dreams have been black, revealing nothing, so by day he is despondent and lost. Mamoru (LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE’S Tadanobu Asano) is his best friend (and possibly more?) who he is drawn to. Mamoru has a deadly pet jellyfish and a cryptic inkling of some sort of insurrection to come. After Mamoru commits a violent crime and is imprisoned, Yuji inherits the jellyfish and Mamoru’s specific instructions on how to teach it to adapt to fresh water. Enter Mamoru’s dad, Shin’ichirô (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES’ Tatsuya Fuji) who after years of alienation, has returned to visit his son in prison. Both reeling from Mamoru’s fate, Shin’ichirô and Yuji are drawn together in an erratic not-quite father-son relationship that provides the generational conflict. From there the film features an escaped and multiplying jellyfish, a gang of youths foreshadowing an even younger generation coming of age, an interfering spirit, and the return of Yuji’s future-telling dreams. As I said, it’s difficult to add up the elements into a coherent whole, but the ride is enjoyable.
“Asano has a superstar charisma that is just lovely to watch. Odagiri has a difficult chore with the sleepwalking-through-life Yuji, but the rage at society that is bubbling beneath the disaffected surface is nicely handled. There is an immediacy to the digital look of the film that works well, along with Kurosawa’s oddly placed shots. I think this one is going to sink in well, but for now I will give it 3 ½ cats”