ALL AROUND US (GURURI NO KOTO)

Japan - 2008 - 35 mm, 140 min.

Director:
  RYOSUKE HASHIGUCHI
Sript: Ryosuke Hashiguchi
Production: Amuse Soft Entertainment Inc.
Cast: Tae Kimura, Lily Franky, Mitsuko Baisyo
Section:
  Competition
Screenings:
Cine Rex - 03/05 - 17:30
Cine Rex - 09/05 - 20:00

While the majority of romance dramas are engineered to be idealistic escapism from the humdrum reality of relationships, All Around Us is the opposite: an unflinching look at a marriage in its entirety, for better or worse. Kanao (renowned illustrator, novelist, singer and designer Lily Franky, in his major film debut) is a man of few words. He runs a small shoe repair shop and has recently married his college girlfriend Shoko, a bossy personality who methodically schedules their sex nights with Xs on a calendar. When a friend offers him a job as a courtroom sketch artist, he accepts willingly, as it offers a better opportunity to express his artistic talent. In the courtroom, a procession of sensational trials parades in front of Kanao's eyes, coming to life on the pages of his notebook – a colourful gallery of faces and emotions that portray the dark side of Japan. Breaking free of the slight claustrophobia of Kanao and Shoko's relationship, Hashiguchi brilliantly frames their marriage against a peculiar historical background, capturing the spirit of the time within the lines of a cleverly constructed script.

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