Quick Review #107: Ore Monogatari!! (movie)

Title: Ore Monogatari!! / 俺物語！！

Rating: 7 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who are in the mood for a simple and cute first love story involving unbelievably innocent and cute characters and/or are fans of Suzuki Ryohei, Nagano Mei and Sakaguchi Kentaro

* Disclaimer: I have not read the original manga.

Liked:

- While I haven't read the original manga and cannot comment on how well/close the movie mirrored the plot, the story was straightforward so it was definitely stress-free watching and suitable for those who are in the mood for light entertainment. Considering that this was something from 10 years ago, it was also interesting to see the key actors/actresses in their younger days.

- Suzuki Ryohei actually beefing up for real and displaying fully immersive acting as Takeo, the cuteness overload from Nagano Mei (definitely irresistible for the guys) plus a cool-looking Sakaguchi Kentaro (eye candy for the girls) really helped to elevate this movie. Frankly speaking, given the simplicity and predictability of the story, it would have been difficult to sit through this if not for the great performances from the three of them. Although I had been concerned over the huge age gap between Suzuki and Nagano, they actually did look convincing enough as a high school couple.

Disliked: 

- The downside to the straightforward plot was definitely its predictability so it wasn't difficult to see where the story was heading. I thought that the film could be more concise in the last 30 minutes or so and leave some time for the happily-ever-after scenes instead of dropping these breadcrumbs of cuteness only in the ending credits. And the part about misunderstanding each other's feelings right from the start - that could have been averted if some of the characters did not engage in misleading moves but I guess that had to happen so as to propel the plot forward. While the criss-cross feelings situation might seem cute initially and provided much comedic relief, I was getting annoyed by this went on and on until someone finally gave a much-needed nudge to the leads.