Blue Hour (2019) User Reviews

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[Hombredelfuturo · 6/10 · 28 April 2022]

A story about a gal that is indifferent to all; no matter if is the Husband; the lover; a friend; her job; her Family; etc.

Not deep feelings in anything; just living the moment but only on the surface.

Is showed that since childhood; when played with her brother, she killed insects, without any feelings instead the brother cried about that.

Suddenly, she returned to her village and subsequently many images of her childhood running free and talking alone at that Blue/r hour appears in her mind on and on.

No empathy between the Family members as mentioned by the Mother at some point.

Even she commented that "I do not like people who like me" but she do all the road trip back home with a best friend. How is that? Well; very possible that is an imaginary friend; kind of an alter ego (the other gal is lively; with empathy; cool; more feminine; open; etc) and at the end only Suna San appears in the car...

-Seems trying to escape from herself pictured into Life; however, at some point after a phrase mentioned by her grandma and a response to a cell phone text to the Husband she figures out that now is part of the crowd.

---Very nice colors and good photography.

Specially those moments where faces; sounds; silences; colors; interacted to say things without words.

Then all that rural area is let behind and the city (Tokyo) the neighborhoods; the buildings; the lights appear all between that blue hour and the evening with a great song all over.

Pretty good.

Lots of Talk, Little Said.

[net_orders · 4/10 · 19 December 2021]

This slice-of-life photodrama mulls over mistakes in life (realized or suspected) made by two best friends--who seem to be successful Tokyo business women--as well as the coping strategies they try on for size. Unfortunately, the story line sounds much more interesting than what shows up on screen which is mostly in the form of talking heads endless delivering lines that appear to be improvised and stretched to inflate scenes. It is hard for the viewer to bond with these lead characters, since most of the talk is simply boring. Diversionary subplots of humor and sadness also fall flat. In a way, almost all of the rest of the characters also seem to be working on overcoming mistakes in life. The Director (who is also credited with writing the script) seems to be driving home the old saying that you can run but you can't hide. Aside from a few interior scenes that are under lighted, cinematography is okay. Subtitles seem close enough. The song under the closing credits is a bolted-on misfit, but lyrics are translated (not that it matters). For those wondering, the title refers to the hour just before dawn when (at least in this movie) the sky is blue. Probably a good time to be sleeping. Same applies to this film. Viewed at Japan Society (NY) Flash Forward Film Event. WILLIAM FLANIGAN.