Those who have watched "Kamikaze Girls" and expected "Nana" to be much of the same are in for a big surprise. In "Nana", they will find neither avant garde characters nor black humour, but instead a very mainstream story, told in a traditional way, and wonderfully told, I hasten to add.
Two girls have a chance encounter on a train, and later more chance encounters, are both called Nana (one is actually the pronunciation of a Japanese name). At the first encounter, one is dressed completely in black, the other completely in white. Nana-W, "cute and fluffy", on her way to be with her boyfriend in Tokyo, is also the voice over narrator. Nana-B, a rock vocalist as cool as you can get, has her story told in simple flashbacks. Nana-B comes with a broken heart; Nana-W is going to get one.
Without getting too much into the plot, it suffices to say that Nana-B (in flashbacks) initially did not follow her guitar-player boyfriend Ren to Tokyo because she wanted to prove herself rather than live in his shadows. Three years later, now ready, she heads for Tokyo herself, encounters Nana-W on the train and winds up sharing an apartment with her. Nana-W on the other hand ends up losing her boyfriend but helps Nana-B to regain hers.
I have simplified the stories, which are rich with supporting characters, well played by an ensemble cast that have taken their roles to a perfect length, leaving a firm impression without getting too much into the spotlight. And there is no villain in this movie. Even Nana-W's boyfriend Shoji who falls in love with another girl, and the girl he falls in love with, deserve considerable sympathy. Shoji, by the way, is played by Yuta Hiaroka who is just adorable in "Swing Girls". Ren, Nana-B's guitar-player boyfriend, is played by the Japanese star who many consider to have the most beautiful face, Ryuhei Matsuda and if you have seen "Gohatto", you'll understand why.
In "Nana" we also see a very popular reverse in roles as in "Kamakaze girls". Nana-W starts out as sweet but woolly-headed, helpless cute damsel but ends up not only being able to get over her heartbreak, but also instrumental to Nana-B's mending a broken relationship. Nana-B, so cool and tough, actually has a weak spot in her heart. But in the end, it's the friendship and comradeship between the two girls that gives this movie an uplifting, feel-good ending.
Visually, we are treated with some stunningly melancholic snow scenes, as well as a mesmerising surreal frame from the laced window of the girls' apartment.The sound is equally captivating, particularly Mika Nakashima's rock numbers.
But that's not all. "Nana" has a more subtle sub-text, surrounding the rock musicians' strive for success. Ren's heading for Tokyo is no different from someone leaving everything behind in the home town to seek fame and fortune in The Big Apple. When we see him a few years later, he seems to have got to where he wanted to be, but has he really? He is with a top band, but is obviously not as popular as the other guitarist. He later intimates that he got there by sheer hard work, not talent. That is all very educational but isn't talent what it's all about with music? Seeing Ren's "success" would almost be a disillusion to Nana-B, who firmly believes that SHE has talents. Maybe there is no answer and perhaps asking the question is already taking the movie beyond what it intends to be.
Two girls have a chance encounter on a train, and later more chance encounters, are both called Nana (one is actually the pronunciation of a Japanese name). At the first encounter, one is dressed completely in black, the other completely in white. Nana-W, "cute and fluffy", on her way to be with her boyfriend in Tokyo, is also the voice over narrator. Nana-B, a rock vocalist as cool as you can get, has her story told in simple flashbacks. Nana-B comes with a broken heart; Nana-W is going to get one.
Without getting too much into the plot, it suffices to say that Nana-B (in flashbacks) initially did not follow her guitar-player boyfriend Ren to Tokyo because she wanted to prove herself rather than live in his shadows. Three years later, now ready, she heads for Tokyo herself, encounters Nana-W on the train and winds up sharing an apartment with her. Nana-W on the other hand ends up losing her boyfriend but helps Nana-B to regain hers.
I have simplified the stories, which are rich with supporting characters, well played by an ensemble cast that have taken their roles to a perfect length, leaving a firm impression without getting too much into the spotlight. And there is no villain in this movie. Even Nana-W's boyfriend Shoji who falls in love with another girl, and the girl he falls in love with, deserve considerable sympathy. Shoji, by the way, is played by Yuta Hiaroka who is just adorable in "Swing Girls". Ren, Nana-B's guitar-player boyfriend, is played by the Japanese star who many consider to have the most beautiful face, Ryuhei Matsuda and if you have seen "Gohatto", you'll understand why.
In "Nana" we also see a very popular reverse in roles as in "Kamakaze girls". Nana-W starts out as sweet but woolly-headed, helpless cute damsel but ends up not only being able to get over her heartbreak, but also instrumental to Nana-B's mending a broken relationship. Nana-B, so cool and tough, actually has a weak spot in her heart. But in the end, it's the friendship and comradeship between the two girls that gives this movie an uplifting, feel-good ending.
Visually, we are treated with some stunningly melancholic snow scenes, as well as a mesmerising surreal frame from the laced window of the girls' apartment.The sound is equally captivating, particularly Mika Nakashima's rock numbers.
But that's not all. "Nana" has a more subtle sub-text, surrounding the rock musicians' strive for success. Ren's heading for Tokyo is no different from someone leaving everything behind in the home town to seek fame and fortune in The Big Apple. When we see him a few years later, he seems to have got to where he wanted to be, but has he really? He is with a top band, but is obviously not as popular as the other guitarist. He later intimates that he got there by sheer hard work, not talent. That is all very educational but isn't talent what it's all about with music? Seeing Ren's "success" would almost be a disillusion to Nana-B, who firmly believes that SHE has talents. Maybe there is no answer and perhaps asking the question is already taking the movie beyond what it intends to be.