Sayonara itsuka (2010)

Sayonara itsuka: Directed by John H. Lee. With Miho Nakayama, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Yuriko Ishida, Chaiwat Ajwichai. Higashigaito Yutaka is transferred to the Bangkok branch of Eastern Airlines. In three months, he will marry Michiko, a relative of the airline’s founder, and though he doesn’t love her, he knows he could be CEO one day if they wed. In Thailand, Yutaka meets Touko at a bar and is instantly drawn to her. His relationship with her only intensifies as his wedding date approaches. He eventually decides to break up with her, and he phones Michiko in front of her. Touko is disappointed, and the next day she leaves for New York. Yutaka and Michiko reunite in Thailand and proceed with their wedding. 25 years later, Yutaka and Michiko are married with two sons, but Yutaka still harbors memories of Touko in his heart. Yutaka visits Bangkok on business and goes to the Oriental Hotel where he had stayed with Touko–and finds she is now in charge of VIP guests there. They realize that they still love each other, but reality pulls them apart once again.

“As my title implies, this is a kind of a complicated movie with an extremely simple plot. A man marries one woman but loves another. I suppose itu0026#39;s how it happens that makes or breaks the movie. Korean director Lee became known in Japan for his Korean-made film hit, u0026quot;The Eraser in my Head,u0026quot; a story of a young woman with a case of early-age Altzheimeru0026#39;s and her lover-then-husband who is always there for her. In both movies, one is strongly encouraged to not think about the details, but rather the dynamics between the characters involved. In u0026quot;Sayonara,u0026quot; most of which takes place in Bangkok in 1975 among a small Japanese community and their Thai friends, one gets the impression that we are not supposed to think about the why or how, but the what. Who is Touko, the mysterious older woman who seems to have an unlimited amount of money at her disposal? Why does Yutaka, working as an expat for an airline, live in a apartment seemingly for lower income Thai folks when he should be rich by local standards? How old is he, for cryinu0026#39; out loud? He is obviously over 30, but just got engaged and is a freshman employee. Why does he have a body like Bruce Lee?? Why does Touko fly back to New York merely at Mitsukou0026#39;s (Yutakau0026#39;s fiancée) bequest? And what business does she have in New York? Why should Yutakau0026#39;s son become a rock star?? None of the above is ever explained, but it all makes for a sumptuous and sexy movie, obviously Leeu0026#39;s intent. It starts out rather slowly, but the superb acting of the well- known actors draws the viewer in rather craftily. Surprisingly we are taken 25 years into the future to be shown that Touko and Yutaka havenu0026#39;t forgotten each other, but the movie would just have well ended in 1975. But with Nishijima as Yutaka and Nakayama as Touko, nobodyu0026#39;s complaining.”