Love Exposure

JUST finished love exposure and i can confidently say that this is a five star movie for me. this movie is one of those that make you sit there and think about what you just watched .. this movie was incredibly song but it felt shorter than it really was. the movie doesn’t drag and the length of the movie really brings out the detail in everything. what really stood out to me was how insane this idea sounds on paper compared to how genuine it actually feels while watching it. a lot of the movie revolves around yu and the way he’s been raised by a priest father and the idea of sin and confession, which ends up tying into everything he does in the movie. another thing I found interesting was how the movie was also focused on upskirt photography and how yu used it as a way to connect with his semi absent father by using it as a sin so he could confess something. the concept of that in the movie is so absurd but the movie treats it seriously enough that it ends up fitting into the story. instead of coming off as weird, it ties into the bigger themes of the movie of religion, love, and identity. one scene .? sequence .? that really stuck with me was when yu was out in public taking those photos when everything turns into almost a training montage. it’s shown as very over the top and exaggerated, but at the same time it shows how far he’s come with it and how normal all of this is to him. it’s funny at first, but as the movie keeps showing his progression and even when he starts doing it with his friends and mentoring them how to do it, it gets more uncomfortable, especially when you realize what he’s actually doing and why he feels like he’s obligated to do it.  another thing I liked in this movie was how committed it was to the characters. the 4 hour duration of this movie really helped as well as it allowed me to really analyze the character more than an average movie would have done. yoko especially stood out to me due to her strong beliefs on everything and how they clash on everything going on around her. her idea of love is super intense but it never feels fake or forced, which made her character interesting to watch as the movie went on. Yu’s character was also interesting, especially as the movie showed his backstory and how he got to where he is at that time. koike’s character was also cool .. something else that stood out to me was how powerful this movie felt, although I’m not sure how to explain it. the movie was so intense in everything. The emotions, the performances, the situations that the characters were in were all intense when sometimes it had no reason to be. even the weird or funny scenes of the movie felt like there’s still something real or important about them. as the movie started to end, it hit a lot harder than I expected and made everything really come together and feel more meaningful. visually, this movie is super appealing and interesting. there’s a lot of energy put into how it’s shot and I really appreciated it. during the chaotic scenes, the camera work and the editing feel really fast, which adds onto how overwhelming is, but then it’ll slow down and sit with the characters when needed. Nothing really felt random in this movie, everything felt like it belonged.  this movie really did a lot and made it work. it was super enjoyable, probably the longest movie I have ever watched, yet still felt put together. overall great watch. would recommend.