The Tears of Malumpati's nature as a Japanese-Filipino collaboration mirrors its true to life story: an international collaboration that managed to bring clean water to a community. It touches on themes of volunteerism similar to past Eiga Sai films like Crossroad, but in this case the end result is far more satisfying.
The film follows Asuka (Miyuu Tsuji) who, for the flimsiest of reasons, goes to the Philippines for some volunteer work. She is immediately smitten by the town and its people and vows to help them at least until the project is completed.
Tsuji, an idol who is perhaps better known for her voice acting work and her membership in the idol unit 'elfin, is capable in this film. The Filipino cast fares a whole lot better compared to Crossroad, a cast that includes Joel Saracho, Sue Prado and Miel Espinoza of Pan de Salawal fame. However, it's clear that some of the Filipino cast are not as comfortable acting in English as they would be in Filipino, perhaps attributable to the occasionally corny dialogue.
That said, what's most interesting about the film is its acknowledgement, however indirect, of Japan's atrocities during World War II. The film posits the idea that the country's penchant to help other countries may be a function of guilt, or perhaps a sense of taking responsibility for Japan's past actions. "Apologizing is a negative action, but (volunteering and helping) is a positive one," a character says. A good number of us would have liked the apology too, but hey, it's a start.
The Tears of Malumpati is a decent enough charmer, full of moments both happy and sad. If anything, it's an interesting exploration of the idea of international volunteerism that approaches the subject in a different way compared to similar films.
Very few films encapsulate the humanist essence of Hirokazu Kore-eda as much as his 2016 work After the Storm. A meditation on familial bonds and regret, the film wafts in like a gentle breeze, only to leave you devastated with quiet, unassuming moments.
Its protagonist, Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) is a novelist currently sidelining as a private eye, working mostly under the employ of suspicious husbands and wives wanting to uncover evidence of their spouse's infidelity. He uses the evidence to play double agent and convince the other party to destroy this evidence in exchange for a generous fee.
It is thus ironic that while Ryota's clients keep their marriages relatively intact, Ryota's own marriage is in shambles, and the blame is mostly on him. He wastes away his earnings on horseraces and gambling, and is unable to pay his divorced wife (Yoko Maki) child support fees for his young son Shingo (Taiyo Yoshizawa). Ryota fears that he is quickly becoming the mirror image of his own father, who pretty much did the same to him.
Ryota's regret forms much of the center of this film, where he spends mulling over faded, past glories and what-ifs. Yet he is either unwilling or unable to change himself for most of the film, leaving him stuck to old ways. Perhaps it is a fear of the future, his elderly mother (Kirin Kiki) says. When a typhoon passes over the city, trapping Ryota and his family, he yearns for a catharsis, a Hollywood-like reunion and a happily ever after.
That doesn't happen, and what we get instead is something equally cathartic, yet something so subtle and gentle that its emotional impact hits one out of left field. Within the film's climax, composed of simple, unassuming moments, there is a sense of letting go, a sense of forgiveness, a realization of having to fight for what you want instead of letting things pass you by. The house still stands after the rain, changed but unshaken.
And finally we have a film that ticks the Eigasai box of a historical epic that is somehow tied to a contemporary ritual, much in the vein of 2017's The Magnificent Nine. From director Bernard Rose, better known for films such as Candyman (1992) comes this period (albeit fictionalized) ensemble piece.
Set in the Bakumatsu period, the film follows the arrival of Perry's Black Ships and the beginning of a significant change in Japanese international relations. Spooked by the arrival of the Americans, some of the samurai clans are understandably nervous. One such clan, headed by Katsuakira Itakura, decides to run a race for all his soldiers and footmen in order to prepare for uncertain times. A spy for the central government, Jinnai Karasawa (Takeru Sato), mistakenly sends out a message, thinking it to be tantamount to rebellion. When he realizes his mistake, he must protect his lord from assassins and correct his wrongdoing before it is too late.
But the story is not Karasawa's alone. Many other characters join the race for their own reasons, as the price of victory is a wish granted by lord Katsuakira himself. Hironoshi (Shota Sometani) is the fastest runner among all the soldiers; he joins the race for his family and to become a true samurai. Tsujimura (Mirai Moriyama) joins the race to perhaps win the favor of the princess Yuki (Nana Komatsu). And Yuki herself joins the race in disguise in order to gain freedom from her father and old traditions.
The stories may have conclusions that feel a little rushed compared to how they were built up, but it's all about the journey (or the race) rather than the finish line. Overall the movie reflects a society on the verge of great change. With change comes the collective anxiety of the higher ups in the face of technological superiority, while the common folk are too occupied with their own concerns to care about the future. Considering that most of the people participating in the race are samurai, there's a level of tragedy in knowing that in only a few years, their entire caste and way of life will disappear.
The film then is a way of showing that in a moment of solidarity, a group of disparate people can and will unite for a common cause and begin a tradition that continues even today.
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