River
Ribâ, nagarenaide yo
Japan - 2023
Writing: Makoto Ueda
Cinematography: Kazunari Kawagoe
Music: Koji Takimoto
Produced by: Takahiro Otsuki
Cast: Riko Fujitani, Manami Honjô, Gôta Ishida, Yoshimasa Kondô…
Distributor: Art House Films
All audience
Lenght : 86 min // Ratio : // Format : dcpLanguage : Japanese // Subtitles : English and french
A few snowflakes fall on the cozy Fujiya Hotel in the village of Kibune. There's no time to dwell on this bucolic splendor: staff and guests are trying to extricate themselves from the two-minute time loop in which they are trapped.
Junta Yamaguchi had captured the hearts of festival-goers around the world with Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, a model of delirious high concept, masterfully executed with no budget and enthusiasm. At first glance, River seems to be based on a similar storyline, revolving around the same period of time. The script, once again by Makoto Ueda, deploys a narrative inventiveness that dispels any hint of repetition. The camera exploits every nook and cranny of its fabulous setting, and the rhythm pretends to establish a routine, the better to shake it up. The characters are animated by a contagious curiosity and voluntarism, racing against the clock with gusto. Beyond the temporal gimmick, the duo's films stand out for their total jubilation.