Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru (Heavenly Forest)

I love how I ended up watching this movie, because I misread the synopsis and thought it was going to be a cute, sweet, romantic, feel-good film... and it was... if you don't count the bits of lovely angst that were thrown in. But still, it was an excellent movie. Great acting, great story, great characters... great everything. I loved it. ;)

One of my favorite things about this movie, was watching the relationship between Makoto and Shizuru grow and change. And I just have to say, I love the way they first meet. The cross-walk scene really did an excellent job of establishing their personalities right away, while showing just how different they are from one another. Of course, the more we watch them interact, the more we realize that they really aren't that different after all... each has something to offer the other, something they have trouble finding elsewhere.

And I love how Makoto isn't your typical male lead. He's shy and self-conscious, and just really a very sweet guy. And I can't believe how well Miyazaki Aoi was able to transform herself into Shizuru! From the beginning of the movie, to the end, it's really hard to tell that they're the same person--and I adore the fact that she was being honest, and was actually able to carry though with her threat: "You'll regret it." Wow. She wasn't kidding! Poor Makoto...

You can't help but feel for every single one of these characters.

And without giving anything away with the ending: I thought it was beautiful. The twist was a little cliche and has been done to death... but the way they did it was very powerful. And once it's happened, I was hitting myself over the head for not guessing it sooner. They definitely hinted at it enough times throughout the movie... but like I said, I misread the synopsis, and assumed it was going to be a different kind of romance.

But still, you can't deny that the ending is very beautiful just the way it is. I doubt it would have had this much of an impact if it had ended differently. And I love that last little touch with the bird landing on his mailbox. Ahh, great film!

Oh! I also liked the fact that the "other" woman, I think her name was Miyuki, was actually a very likeable character. As was the rest of the group who were nice enough to befriend him--the only way I would have liked them more is if they'd invited Shizuru to join! That scene overall though, was very cute: when they invited him to sit and eat lunch at their table, and he's really nervous, and shy... it's amazing how different he seems when he gains a group of friends, and becomes a little less reclusive and loner(ish). But still, the person he feels most relaxed and comfortable around is Shizuru. ^_^

Plus, I loved the actor who played Makoto, since he also played the main character in the awesome (I gave it 5-stars) drama, Nodame Cantabile. The character he portrayed here is such a drastic change from Chiaki, it took me a while to recognize him!

Overall, another fantastic film. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars, was because the pace was a little slow at times, and because part of the twist was due to a very cliche plot element that seems to be VERY popular in Japanese entertainment. But still, I loved the way they handled it here a lot more than in most dramas, or movies with similar themes. And yes, I cried. But then again, I ALWAYS cry...

My Rating: