cute underwear and crying..a lot (love exposure review)

10/10 – love exposure – sion sono

     A lot can be said about this 4 hour long, sacrilegious, tearjerking Japanese movie from the director of “Suicide Club”. First, I have to say that when I had originally heard of this movie, I thought it was your average romance movie which led to my disinterest. Although romance movies that aren’t made in Hollywood are a little better due to the lack of the same old potato-looking white actors and Nicholas Sparks stories, romance movies still hardly peaked my interest. The 3 hours and 57 minutes of runtime also likely made me turn my head. To say my impression filled with ignorance was incorrect would be an understatement.

     Just thinking about the movie makes me want to cry into a jar and send it to the director. The movie has everything from gore to humor to lesbian schoolgirls. It’s long without ever having a dull moment. It’s funny without being cheesy. It’s sad without bumming me out so much that I feel like I need to watch an 80s comedy to bring me back to life. It’s religious without being pushy. It’s romantic without making me nauseous. It’s violent without, again, making me nauseous.

     I went into this movie not knowing what to expect. I came out of this movie with tears streaming down my face, a feeling of accomplishment, a new crush, and a smile on my face, much like the ending of Cry-Baby. After seeing this movie, I feel like nothing else could compare. I’m filled with passion for nearly all of the characters, even ones in the background with no lines. The two real-life musician main actors bring their characters to life in a way I’ve never seen.

     Hikari Mitsushima, a former member of Folder 5 and Folder, plays a man-hating grunge fan with daddy issues and a love for Jesus. Takahiro Nishijima, a member of AAA in his first movie role, plays a religious young boy also with daddy issues, wreaking havoc in the name of his father’s love, much like Shinji Ikari. Anything else I mention would ruin the magic a little bit. And it is just that; magical. This movie is an experience I recommend for everyone, and that includes your child, your future child, and your pet.