Title: Boku ga ikiteru, Futatsu no sekai / ぼくが生きてる、ふたつの世界
Rating: 7 / 10
Recommended for:
Those who want to see a heartwarming story grounded in reality but without the theatrics
* Potential spoilers ahead!
Liked:
- The best thing about this movie was that it didn't try too hard to be a tearjerker. While the story had to showcase the challenges which a CODA (children of deaf adults) had to deal with as he bridged the gap between those who could hear and those who couldn't (whether on purpose or naturally/unwittingly), the developments never got too hysterical nor emotional. There were of course moments which tugged at heartstrings and the finale unleashed a torrent of feelings yet in a subtle but impactful manner. As such, those who may be apprehensive about this movie being too dramatic or overly tear-inducing can rest assured that it won't be the case.
Many a times, stories about the handicapped or those with disabilities tend to be a bit idealistic and preach about the "right way" to associate with these groups of people but this movie did not shy away from displaying the dilemmas faced by the people around the deaf couple and their "natural reactions". I thought that the line of "please don't take away things that we are capable of doing ourselves" was rather memorable and a good reminder for everyone. Sometimes, we think that we do certain things for the interests of others but it can have a detrimental effect. And when we go out of our way to help others, that may not be what the other party wants even if it's well-intended.
As for the son, I liked that the story didn't try to show him as someone who was a perfect child and behaved in an angelic manner all the time just because his parents were not "the same" as the majority of those around him. His outbursts, frustration and indifference were raw and strong at times but definitely natural as a human being and not so hard to imagine or understand.
- The deaf actors in this movie Oshidari Akiko and Imai Akito were so natural and brilliant in their performances. Besides showing the challenges of parenting a CODA, they also managed to display their chemistry as a couple who went through objection and lack of faith in them from those around them. While the finale between mother and son was very memorable, I also thought that the scene where the father shared the love story of the parents with the son being equally pleasing to watch.
Disliked:
- I have to admit though that the first arc of the story i.e. before the high school version of the lead was shown was quite slow and may be a tad boring. Although it was probably necessary to show the development of the story right from the start when the couple had their son, it also limited the amount of time from the middle to the end to show how the son became more accepting of his role as a connection between the deaf and those who could hear. That inevitably led to the ending of the movie being somewhat abrupt and not as fulfilling as it could potentially be.
- Despite the fact that Yoshizawa Ryo was the lead, I actually thought that it was Oshidari and Imai who stood out more than him. This is contrary to the title of the movie which indicates that the CODA, not the deaf parents, was the focus of the story. And since his character was in an angsty state or somewhat lost about his position in life, this version of Yoshizawa may not be that appealing to watch even for his fans. While I do think his performance here was decent, there certainly wasn't enough room for him to show what he could be capable of.
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