I took an hour of my time to watch 5 Centimeters Per Second and, I gotta tell you, even if the movie was total and utter crap, the gorgeous animation and imagery in this movie would've still made it worth the watch. The attention to detail in the scenery and landscapes is staggering. It's a good thing the movie isn't total and utter crap, and I would recommend it for not only anime fans, but anyone who likes bittersweet stories about love, life, and relationships.
The movie is split into three little "episodes", or short stories. The stories are related but each focus on a specific stage in life, which can perhaps be surmised as young love (episode 1), to unrequited love (episode 2), to maturity (episode 3). I try not to be too spoiler-y in these pathetic little snippets that I call my "blog posts", but let me just say that calling this film "melancholy" is a gross understatement. I think everyone can relate to this film since the themes it explores have probably been experienced by everyone at some point in their life (myself included), which is, I'm hoping, exactly what Makoto Shinkai (writer and director) was aiming for.
Probably doesn't help that I have a soft spot for stuff like this.
Anyway, I don't know if I can recommend it enough, with its amazing visuals, relate-able plot, and mature themes. I wouldn't say it's perfect - the film ends somewhat abruptly (there's a music video-type montage in the end that no one will see coming... except you. Since I told you.) and character development takes a hit because of its short runtime (62 minutes). The storytelling is very Japanese, too (read: slow for those who aren't used to it). And it is sad. So maybe if you don't like that stuff, you might not want to see it, but I think you still should. I'll be honest, though - if I knew it was going to be this sad and depressing, that it would've affected me the way it did, I probably would've put off watching it for a little while just 'cause I try to avoid intentionally making myself miserable.
Fairly minor quips aside, this movie still gets aces from me. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got, erm, sand in my eyes.
Quick Hits - Pow! Zap!
- Speaking of the director Shinkai, I didn't even know he did it until after I finished watching the movie, and I'm a big fan of his work. He did Voices from a Distant Star, another short (about 30 minutes) movie with melancholy undertones but with a sci-fi spin and is about, among other things, text-messaging, and The Places Promised in our Early Days, which is his first feature-film, similar in themes, minus the text-messaging. Both movies are amazing, although Voices might be a little tough to watch now, because he did the animation by himself on his iMac a few years ago and I'm sure it doesn't hold up quite as good as it did back then, but the message is as poignant as ever and the achievement is still commendable. Just remember to have your favorite episode of Arrested Development ready for viewing so you can feel "happy" after you watch one of them. Damn you, Shinkai, why are you so depressingly awesome!
- I watched Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit recently. The first half is good; the second, not so much. That's all I'm going to say about that.
- Classes have started. Hurray? These anime and movie postings will probably slow down a bit. At least my schedule is very Allan-friendly: Mondays and Wednesdays I'm in class from 5:30p-8:15pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30pm-1:45pm and 4p-5:15pm. Yeah, that's a sizable gap in between, but that's OK. I'm sure I'll appreciate it when programs and projects start to pile up. Also, no class on Fridays!
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2 comments:
Shinkai is a beast man, Voices from a distant star is one of my favorites. I should pick up the other ones. One time I let a girl borrow Voices and asked her if she cried. She said no, I then knew she wasn't for me!
Ah man. That is hilarious. That's a pretty good measuring tape you've come up with. I might have to steal such tactics for myself.
His feature films are amazing, too, especially 5 Centimeters Per Second. Seriously, you should see it. I was watching the ending music-montage on youtube just now (the one I mentioned in my blog) and I had to turn it off early.
That shit is so sad.
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