Continuing my Japanese Film Festival Ireland adventure this year is Your Lovely Smile. Described as a loving ode to indie cinema, Your Lovely Smile stars Hirobumi Watanabe as a fictionalised version of himself. He is an aimless man-child who was an up-and-coming director at one point. He even won an award at the Tokyo Film Festival. Unfortunately, it has been many years and he has fallen into something of disrepair. Living at home and painting unimpressive posters, he doesn’t know what to do with his life, until a friend of his puts his name forward for a film.
Thinking this is finally his moment he meets those involved and is tasked with writing a script within a week. Events unfold poorly for Hirobumi, so he decides to go from the South of Japan to the North, trying to find a cinema to show his films. Along the way, he meets a menagerie of people in charge of arthouse cinemas around Japan.
Your Lovely Smile has a fascinating structure. With a fictionalised narrative at its centre, it is an interesting take on a documentary about a subjective matter. By the end of the film, it is clear that this was a love letter to arthouse cinemas and the independent films they showcase. Each cinema that Hirobumi visits has its own intimate story, and its own unique design that is different from more mainstream cinemas. When I was watching the film I couldn’t help but be reminded of our own arthouse cinemas, the IFI and the Lighthouse are my own locals.
It is this backdrop that makes Your Lovely Smile so interesting. As a narrative though, it is much like its lead, somewhat aimless. I did enjoy his journey and Hirobumi is a decent actor, but if I’m honest I would have enjoyed a more traditional documentary about this subject matter. What clinched the film for me though was its credits. Watching the stories of each arthouse cinema and its owner as the credits rolled was an excellent way to end the film.
Director Lim Kah Wai has crafted a unique look at the state of cinema coming out of COVID and I really enjoyed my time with Hirobumi. Your Lovely Smile is a suitable film to showcase at the Japanese Film Festival Ireland.
Ticketing links and full listings are available at www.jff.ie. Ticket sales information for screenings are also available from each participating venue.
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