Happy Hour
"I've known you for a long time. But it's like I'm meeting you for the first time."
i'm being dead serious when i say these 5 hours flew by, so many beautiful shots and characters and dialogues. i got so invested in the ways these besties slowly unravel around and behind each other that i couldn't pause the movie even when i was incredibly sleepy. after this and drive my car, i love how hamaguchi emphasizes the importance of art. it'll always exist because communication and trying to understand ourselves and others will always exist. he knows when to center and zoom in to force you to reflect.
will we ever truly understand the people we love? is everything really as okay as we say it is? hamaguchi asks these questions through and to every single person in this movie and it leads to awkward dinners, cathartic embraces, even affirming bus trips with strangers. it's amazing how much value is put in every single exchange.
it's impossible to lie to each other, because eventually the truth comes out one way or another, and when it does it'll bring us together. it's bittersweet, but i couldn't be any happier.
ps: it's not even top 10 scenes in this movie but there's a part where they travel to Arima Onsen and like ooggghhhhhh that place looks so beautiful i have GOT to go there