THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME
September 6th 2009 22:31
Category: Videos
Based on the original story by: Yasutaka Tsutsui
Director: Mamoru Hosada
Screenplay by: Satoko Okudera
Producers: Takashi Watanabe & Yuichiro Saito
Starring: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido & Sachie Hara
Produced by: Tokikake Film Partners & Mad House
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 99 minutes Rating: PG
How to describe this particular feature, well it combines elements of science fiction with the everyday life of three teenage high schoolers in contemporary Tokyo. Thus with this latter component we have elements of young love, humour, the general grist of the students life – exams, what you intend to do with life after graduation etc along with tragedy and pathos. All of these things neatly mesh together to produce a rather touching and very entertaining story that tends to grow on you. Of course like any well made Japanese anime there is a fair bit of depth to its story and there is a lot left unsaid but hinted at in the unfolding of the plot, but I digress.
The primary protagonist in this film is Makoto Konno, a high school student who is one of those moments of enjoying the bliss of an idyllic summer. Everything is fine in her world, in fact things cannot be better and she wonders if it would be possible for this to last all her life, not so much the particular point in time but the good vibrations as the Beach Boys are want to say. I’m sure we’ve all experienced similar sorts of moments in our own lives where we are at some pivotal point filled with potential and general positivity and we’d just like it to keep on going. Who wouldn’t want that? Alas alack such things are not to be for Makoto, everything is about to take a turn for the, well not so much worse as bizarre and surreal.
If you haven’t already gathered by the title of the film, or previews that you may have seen; the element of time travel plays a pivotal part in the plot of this feature. And it is dealt with in a rather interesting manner, unlike the Time machine of H G Wells or the TARDIS of eponymous Doctor; no it all revolves around a small device that looks rather like a walnut. A walnut you say, is it an implant or something you wear? No and this is where this little nugget ties in nicely with the title, the device in question is a battery that charges a person’s ability to quite literally leap through time. It seems that at some point in the future this device is invented and a person uses it to leap physically through time, nifty eh? This particular dramatic device of being able to physically leap through time means that the director can employ some rather humorous scenes as our heroine attempts to employ her newfound time leaping abilities.
But there is a price to pay for this rather miraculous ability, for starters it is not a limitless capability, a person can only perform a certain number of leaps before they need to recharge their capability. Oh you don’t have another battery to recharge with? Then you are effectively grounded and unable to make any more leaps, which could be disastrous if as a result of all your efforts you inadvertently cause something horribly tragic to happen. So one would think that when granted this ability you wouldn’t just use it willy nilly, you’d husband it and use it only when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately though our cheerful, happy go lucky protagonist is not completely aware of the limits of this gift she has gained, that comes later.
Now as the story of Makoto’s experimentation with her new gift unfolds there is actually another, understated story that is unfolded like an origami lotus flower throughout the main story. This particular tale, no less important than the primary one, concerns a painting called “White Plum and Two Camellias” made at some time in Japan’s turbulent past and is a work of truly evocative artistry but at some point in the future that painting is lost to the world and only records of its existence remain. Only in the era in which Makoto lives is it said to still be in existence, in actual fact her aunt who works at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum is engaged in restoring it. And it is indirectly because of this very painting which is currently being restored that the events that occur in the film actually occur…
If you haven’t already worked it out obviously someone from the future has returned to Makoto’s era to view this painting, for some reason it has some kind of appeal to them although why this would be the case is never fully explained or explored. Instead that particular angle is left to remain enigmatic, much like as the future itself in our own lives is an enigmatic mystery – something to be experienced further on down the road as it were. Now because they have travelled backwards in time they obviously have one of these little batteries and it is a result of that Makoto herself becomes able to leap through her time, although she gains this little ability in a rather slapstick manner and wonders if it’s something genetic as it seems her aunt was also capable of a similar feat back when she was a girl of Makoto’s age.
Now as I’ve mentioned at the start this film is based on a work by Yasutaka Tsutsui, but rather than adhere rigidly to this particular novel the makers of the film have instead decided to draw upon its elements and instead set this up as a continuation of that initial story. So it could be said to be a sequel to the novel but I like to think of it more as an extension of the initial piece, another chapter in an ongoing story. It is hinted that Makoto’s aunt who is engaged in restoring this enigmatic masterpiece painting is thus the original heroine of the novel and thus you initially get the impression that maybe this time leaping thing is a family trait passed on in some mysterious way. It was a real pleasure to finally get to see this film, it’s enjoyable fun experience and very much family friendly which can’t be said of many films these days. Definitely worth checking out and sticking into your DVD machine for an hour and a half worth of easy relaxing entertainment.
Director: Mamoru Hosada
Screenplay by: Satoko Okudera
Producers: Takashi Watanabe & Yuichiro Saito
Starring: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuki Sekido & Sachie Hara
Produced by: Tokikake Film Partners & Mad House
Released by: Madman Entertainment
Running Time: 99 minutes Rating: PG
How to describe this particular feature, well it combines elements of science fiction with the everyday life of three teenage high schoolers in contemporary Tokyo. Thus with this latter component we have elements of young love, humour, the general grist of the students life – exams, what you intend to do with life after graduation etc along with tragedy and pathos. All of these things neatly mesh together to produce a rather touching and very entertaining story that tends to grow on you. Of course like any well made Japanese anime there is a fair bit of depth to its story and there is a lot left unsaid but hinted at in the unfolding of the plot, but I digress.
But there is a price to pay for this rather miraculous ability, for starters it is not a limitless capability, a person can only perform a certain number of leaps before they need to recharge their capability. Oh you don’t have another battery to recharge with? Then you are effectively grounded and unable to make any more leaps, which could be disastrous if as a result of all your efforts you inadvertently cause something horribly tragic to happen. So one would think that when granted this ability you wouldn’t just use it willy nilly, you’d husband it and use it only when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately though our cheerful, happy go lucky protagonist is not completely aware of the limits of this gift she has gained, that comes later.
Now as the story of Makoto’s experimentation with her new gift unfolds there is actually another, understated story that is unfolded like an origami lotus flower throughout the main story. This particular tale, no less important than the primary one, concerns a painting called “White Plum and Two Camellias” made at some time in Japan’s turbulent past and is a work of truly evocative artistry but at some point in the future that painting is lost to the world and only records of its existence remain. Only in the era in which Makoto lives is it said to still be in existence, in actual fact her aunt who works at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum is engaged in restoring it. And it is indirectly because of this very painting which is currently being restored that the events that occur in the film actually occur…
If you haven’t already worked it out obviously someone from the future has returned to Makoto’s era to view this painting, for some reason it has some kind of appeal to them although why this would be the case is never fully explained or explored. Instead that particular angle is left to remain enigmatic, much like as the future itself in our own lives is an enigmatic mystery – something to be experienced further on down the road as it were. Now because they have travelled backwards in time they obviously have one of these little batteries and it is a result of that Makoto herself becomes able to leap through her time, although she gains this little ability in a rather slapstick manner and wonders if it’s something genetic as it seems her aunt was also capable of a similar feat back when she was a girl of Makoto’s age.
Now as I’ve mentioned at the start this film is based on a work by Yasutaka Tsutsui, but rather than adhere rigidly to this particular novel the makers of the film have instead decided to draw upon its elements and instead set this up as a continuation of that initial story. So it could be said to be a sequel to the novel but I like to think of it more as an extension of the initial piece, another chapter in an ongoing story. It is hinted that Makoto’s aunt who is engaged in restoring this enigmatic masterpiece painting is thus the original heroine of the novel and thus you initially get the impression that maybe this time leaping thing is a family trait passed on in some mysterious way. It was a real pleasure to finally get to see this film, it’s enjoyable fun experience and very much family friendly which can’t be said of many films these days. Definitely worth checking out and sticking into your DVD machine for an hour and a half worth of easy relaxing entertainment.
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