[Review] Something Like, Something Like It film (2015)

‘Something Like, Something Like It’ is a sort of sequel to a film called ‘Something Like It’ hat was released way back in 1981 and directed by Yoshimitsu Morita. ‘Something Like, Something Like It’ was directed by none other than Morita’s Assistant director in ‘Something Like It’, Mr Sugiyama Taiichi.

Something Like, Something Like It working poster (Pic Cred: eiga.com)

This film brings the art of comic story telling of Rakugo and the effort that is being poured behind it. The importance of familial (not only immediate family) support in all that you do. Sometimes those little wise crack would be taken in as a serious matter when being said by a person who matters too much to you. Then there are times that you just need to trust your own judgement with regard of social acceptability and also tradition. 

Vid Cred: SHOCHIKUch YouTube

I am a huge fan of comedy especially stand-up comedy in the west and my choice of poison in in the east is rakugo. Rakugo is an art where the story teller sit in a seiza (Japanese way of sitting) and act a few characters with comedic moments in them. Most if not many of these Rakugoka, are extremely talented and would have made an amazing actor if they wanted to but they would prefer a more traditional way of expressing themselves. 

This film started off quite slow and rather cliche but it picks up in the middle as when the main character was beginning to actually write his own material and beginning to practice it. The character Matsuyama Kenichi was playing is rather straight and vulnerable, and the older guy who he was trying to get back on stage was somewhat like him with a little more experience because of the life he has had.

Matsuyama Kenichi (Pic Cred: Yam-mag)

I could not really say if the acting was good or bad or average because I do have a little bias on Mr Kenichi as he is one of my favourite Japanese actor for the time being and he is mostly marvellous in most of the characters he played. He do not have the typical Japanese boy good looks or even the macho man look, but there is something about his expression in most of the characters he played made it all believable. He is virtually the most versatile actor in Japan of this generation. 

On to the film, the filmography was average at best but they did show some scenic spots in the seaside of Japan and what good food Japan has. Also the unique Japanese culture was perfectly captured. The hectic-ness and the rush in the dialogue and daintiness in the speech depicts Japanese people perfectly. The only contrast in the culture that I did see was the daughter. She was more chatty, more of like one of the boys. I must say that she might just be the character that actually connects the real world to the film itself. Not to say that the film is entirely disconnected from reality but there are times that most of the characters might not be abel to function in normal society. Of which the daughter perfectly fit in. 

Though there are parts that I could not make sense of and could not understand, just because of the language and also the cultural differences from he once that I am used to. It was interesting that the director made it a point to exaggerate almost all of the character to a point of which they were almost cartoonish. If that was the intention of the director, then he did a splendid job. 

Like any other Japanese film I have seen in the past, the emotional redundancy was appalling and the obviousness of the male and female lead was almost to the point of annoyance. But hey, who am I to complain? Classic chick flicks lover would love this film very much.

As far as story telling goes, this story might not have the most epic story to tell, but it did have some amazing values that the younger generation should really keep close to their heart. One line that stuck to me was ‘Sometimes the wrong road needed to be taken in the path to find the right one’. Our generation now is so obsessed with perfection that we sometimes forgot that the challenge of the imperfection is what makes the goal perfect. Perfect even if it comes with flaws. Flaws that decorates the perfection. 

The phrase was directed to the young lead actor but not being told to him in a normal straight conversation. It was uttered to him in by the manner of a new comic script called ‘The Pop Eyed Goldfish’ which the older comic who decided to run from the comedy world promised their patron years earlier. Instead, this new comic script became the debut script for the young apprentice (the young lead) and as beautifully crafted as it was, it tells the audience about the flaw and the lack of human connection between human in the world today.

So in all honesty, there is not much flaw in the film, but the little blandness here and there and the predictability sort of put me off a little. Yet there are some redeeming quality as well, so all is not lost. I would rate this film a soft six out of ten (6/10) for the sole reason of good acting but the leads and the inspirational story behind it. I would highly recommend this film to chick flick lover, comedians and comediannes, fellow culture lover and simply those who love Japanese crack.

I had the pleasure of watching this film at the 28^th Tokyo Film Festival at Roppongi Toho Theatre free of change by the way of Co-Festa. For the general public, this film will be released nationwide in Japan on the 16^th of January 2016. At the same time, I also had the pleasure of watching the cast answer some questions from the moderator (who miss pronounced Mr Matsuyama’s name as Matsushima at least three times through out the translation), of which must I say that these casts were more than happy to just act in the film. Which probably was the reason why this film was an amazing product as it is. 

Love and Kisses,

GWRL