Couples Skating: ‘My Sunshine’ Review
The recent new wave of Japanese cinema has brought many new young auteurs to the international stage and Hiroshi Okuyama’s My Sunshine proves to be one of the best in recent years. The strong directorial voice of the Okuyama shines through in a less bleak coming-of-age story compared to his directorial debut Jesus. The film follows Takuya, a young Japanese boy who becomes infatuated with a figure skater, Sakura, whom he sees at the ice rink. He tries to imitate her and when her coach, Arakawa, notices he takes Takuya under his wing. Takuya and Sakura are put together as a skating couple and the two quickly grow closer to each other. However, a series of events put their relationships into a free fall.
The film is a masterful example of what the slow cinema movement can do. The film takes its time to ruminate on every scene with tremendous long takes and a slow pace. However, the film is not meant to be a fast-paced sports movie. It’s meant to be a coming-of-age story with ice skating as a backdrop. The film’s deliberate pace creates a unique tone that is unrivaled by other slow cinema films at the Cannes Film Festival.
The strongest aspect of this film is the cinematography. The director takes the “Every Frame is a painting” approach to filmmaking. Each shot is deliberately placed and executed skillfully for such a young auteur. The negative space of the frame in each frame highlights the isolated nature of the setting for the film. It feels almost surreal to see only Arakawa, Takuya, and Sakura. The film is from Takuya’s point of view and the cinematography makes the smallest spaces seem grand in scale: the way we saw things as kids.
The film uses a lot of different camera techniques subtly that it’s easy to miss. The high frame rate sequence during the second time the audience sees Sakura dance is a daring use of such new technology on such a smaller more intimate picture. The slow-motion sequences work well not only in introducing Takuya to the art of figure skating but the audience as well.
One of the overarching themes in this film is the idea of masculinity as a social standard. Takuya is not good at sports like baseball or hockey and instead gravitates toward a more typically feminine sport. More so, Arakawa is gay and sees a lot of himself in Takuya. In March of this year, the Japanese government struck down its ban on gay marriage but lawmakers have yet to fully recognize same-sex unions in the country. Which makes Arakawa’s natural queerness something that makes the film all the better. Arakawa’s relationship is just seen as another part of his life that comes into play later in the film. The film shows the audience that masculinity can come in many forms. Whether that be the Uber-macho hockey coach or the reserved quiet Arakawa.
The writing of this film is reflective of the craftsmanship that went into this film. The deliberate parallels between each character, the pacing, and the realistic dialogue make the film's slow pace feel more like a scenic trip through the Japanese countryside with a coming-of-age tale over it. Takuya has a stutter, but only in times of gratitude or anxiety, which makes for a character trait that fits the insecure Takuya well. The dialogue between Arakawa and his boyfriend Igarashi subtly implies from their first time on screen together that they are a couple. The film makes their relationship clear without ever having one touch the other. This speaks to the ultimate conclusion for Arakawa’s arc as well.
The color palette for this film, though muddied at times, is unique to this film. The muddied palette reflects to the audience the true-to-life nature of Japan in the winter. However, the palette adds warmth to the film by contrasting the cold exterior of the rink with the inviting interior of the rink. In one sequence, the muddy palette melts away like the morning snow for one shot as Takuya and Sakura perform their routine perfectly in practice as the fluorescent lights and the sun pouring in through the windows bathes them in light.
Hiroshi Okuyama’s signature style is a pillar of this film and is all but sure to go far in the International market. His insistence on naturalistic performances, long takes, and meticulous framing choices make for a style wholly his own. Each shot has a unique presence in the film with some shots calling back to others, such as when Sakura’s friend is talking about how she thinks Arakawa is cute versus when Sakura is asking the same friend about Takuya.
Kiara Takenashi as Sakura gives a stellar performance that encapsulates the pressures of a high-competition sport such as figure skating and approaches the subject matter of jealousy well. Though she hides them well, her emotions control her, and Takenashi portrays that with precision.
Ultimately, the film is a warm heartfelt look at childhood crushes that brings a unique style to the table as well as an interesting story. Fans of The Zone Of Interest will enjoy the pace and style of the film whereas fans of Moonrise Kingdom would appreciate the story. The film shows its audience a wandering coming-of-age story that allows its quieter moments to take center stage.
