The Light Shines Only There

The Light Shines Only There (そこのみにて光輝く, Soko nomi nite hikari kagayaku) is a 2014 Japanese drama film directed by Mipo O. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.[1]

The Light Shines Only There
Original Japanese poster
Directed byMipo O
Written byYasushi Sato (original novel)
Ryo Takada
Produced byHideki Hoshino
StarringGō Ayano
Chizuru Ikewaki
Masaki Suda
CinematographyRyuto Kondo
Edited byEtsuko Kimura
Music byTakuto Tanaka
Production
companies
The Light Shines Only There Production Committee
Wilco
Distributed byTokyo Theatres Co., Inc.
Cinema Iris
Release date
  • 19 April 2014 (2014-04-19)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Plot

In a Japanese port town, Tatsuo Sato (Gō Ayano), a traumatized man, spends his days drifting aimlessly and his nights drinking himself to oblivion. Whiling his hours away at a pachinko parlor, he meets Takuji Ohshiro (Masaki Suda), a young man on parole who impulsively invites him to a shabby house on the outskirts of town. There, Tatsuo glimpses Takuji’s bedridden father and callous mother, and meets his world-weary older sister Chinatsu Ohshiro (Chizuru Ikewaki). While immediately drawn to each other, romance is an unaffordable luxury for the emotionally closed-off Tatsuo and the disillusioned Chinatsu, who sells herself to provide for her family and keep her brother out of jail. As Tatsuo and Chinatsu take tentative steps towards a relationship, the happy-go-lucky Takuji latches onto Tatsuo, binding their fates. Each step they take to build a better life sets off a chain of actions that have devastating consequences.

Cast

Accolades

Critical response

The Hollywood Reporter was extremely positive about the film, singling out the director, lead actors, screenplay, and cinematography for praise and noting, "talented director Mipo Oh plunges into a fierce character study of three young people on the way down".[6] In her roundup of films nominated for Best International Feature at the UK's Raindance Film Festival, Becca Spackman of Critics Associated wrote, "An exploration into humanity and dependent tendencies, streaked with heartbreak and loss, this beautiful entry from Japan will definitely strike a chord with both audiences and critics alike."[7] (The film later won the award.)[8]

The film received positive responses from Japan's English-language newspapers. In his first review, Mark Schilling of The Japan Times singled out Chizuru Ikewaki's performance, noting, "As Chinatsu, Ikewaki’s performance is at once complex and transparent, drilling down into the essence of her character’s longing and self-loathing, her capacity for love and her longing for oblivion."[9] In a second review for The Japan Times, Schilling wrote, "this romantic drama has deservedly been named as Japan’s nominee for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film."[10] Meanwhile, Don Brown of The Asahi Shimbun wrote of director Mipo O, "With her third and latest feature, [The Light Shines Only There], she has earned her spot as one of Japan’s most promising directing talents."[11]

See also

References
  1. "Japan Switches on to 'Light' as Foreign-Language Oscar Contender". Variety. Variety Media, LLC. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  2. AWARDS OF THE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL - MONTREAL 2014 THE MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL
  3. Raindance Awards and Nominations Raindance Awards
  4. "第6回 TAMA映画賞". Tama Cinema Forum. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  5. "映画鑑賞記録サービス Kinenote｜キネマ旬報社".
  6. "'The Light Shines Only There': Cairo Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Eldridge Industries, LLC. 3 December 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  7. "Raindance Line-up: Best International Feature". Critics Associated. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  8. "Raindance Awards and Nominations". Raindance Film Festival. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  9. "'Soko Nomi Nite Hikari Kagayaku (The Light Shines Only There)' Seeking oblivion in brutal sex and pachinko". The Japan Times. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  10. "Soko Nomi nite Hikari Kagayaku (The Light Shines Only There)". The Japan Times. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
  11. "ONE TAKE ON JAPANESE CINEMA: Mipo Oh 'shines light' on Hokkaido with artful direction". The Asahi Shimbun. The Asahi Shimbun Company. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015.
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