Birds Without Names (2017)

Birds Without Names: Directed by Kazuya Shiraishi. With Yû Aoi, Sadao Abe, Tôri Matsuzaka, Yutaka Takenouchi. Tawako’s boyfriend is not her kind, but she puts up with it in exchange for shelter. Her old boyfriend of almost a decade ago is long gone, and was also not nice, but like most girls she still reminisces about him and is attracted to his bad ways. Enter Mizushima who reminds Tawako of her old boyfriend, but soon more transpires to remind the girl of her old relationship.

“Often, Japanese movies are slightly weird in a good and culturally intriguing way. This one is weird in a not so good way. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBased on a not very good novel, Birds intrigues for the first two reels, but falls away thereafter. The female and male lead, excellent as they are, are forced into too many tight plot corners, and their taut emotionality runs into histrionics. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWorth a watch, sure, but keep your expectations in check.”