Okay! I usually take time to judge a film, i try to think about it watch it over and over, because i have figured that there are few films that you start liking once you start thinking about them, they tend to grow on you, also i have realized that the first opinion that you usually form about a film are mostly prejudiced, because you already know what you are going to watch-be it due to trailers and teasers you get to see on Television or internet or due to reviews that you read somewhere its hard now a days for a film to catch you off guard and say GOTCHYA!!
AUDITION(Odishon) does this for me,especially because this is a lesser known Japanese film that has fortunately managed to evade the Hollywood radar for such a long time, otherwise a remake would have been out by now.Its a sweet and heartwarming lovestory that works on various level,its a family drama and a equally effective comedy as well..its starts with the Ayoma (Ryo Ishibashi) loosing his wife ,who leaves behind a son and then the story jumps to few years later when the son has grown up and is 17, and he is worried about his father who have buried himself under tons of work and his professional commitments in order to deal with his grief and loneliness, the son wants his father to start dating again, fall in love and get married and manages to convince his father,well almost.
Ayoma works for a production house and his colleague device a plan to help him choose the right girl, the plan is to hold mock -audition for a film. Ayoma takes liking for mysterious Asami (Eihi Shiina) ,he is enchanted by her beauty and of the fact that she has lead a very difficult life but still haven't given up on it, at some level Ayoma starts to identify with Asami and fall in love with her. Asami is oblivious to the fact that the auditions were fake and looks at Ayoma as just another producer trying to exploit her but since she is aware how important that film is to her ,she leads Ayoma on instead of declining his advances,but the more time they spend together the more they get to know about each other and eventually end up falling in love, Ayoma confesses that the Audition were fake and Asami forgives him only on one condition that he (Ayoma) will love her and only her..
Its hard to find a film these days which is so simple and modest, a film that juxtaposes loneliness with true and unconditional love and how much are people willing to sacrifice for it- The son wanting his father to start dating again and ready to move out of the house once his father gets married, the colleagues of Ayoma who are taking efforts to hold mock audition just to get Ayoma a partner, Ayoma himself who has enough courage to confess to Asami that audition that meant so much to Asami, were actually a ploy and above all Asami who forgives Ayoma stating she doesnt needs the part in a film because she has got much more in the bargain(love of Ayoma).
The film takes its own time in establishing its characters, one good thing about the characters here is that they are not fairy tale good people, they are all gray ,they all make mistakes,they all feel the pain and guilt,the film also attempts to explain how complicated is the emotion called Love and how the interpretation of love is different for different people.
Watch this film before a remake of it comes out in America,watch this film because its so simple and straight forward and watch it with your family (errrrr..or maybe just watch it yourself and then decide if you want your family to watch it) .
GOTCHYA........!!!!!
