You know you've watched a movie too many times when you no longer need subtitles to understand a foreign language film. That's the point I've reached with Makoto Shinkai's masterpiece 'Your Name' aka Kimi No Na Wa.
I don't know what is that keeps me coming back to this movie. It might be the gorgeous visuals, the beautiful soundtrack by Radwimps which blends perfectly with the scenes to get the perfect tone, it might be the lovable protagonists and story. But there must be something more than that, because I have seen movies with better technical aspects than that in Your Name. There is something deeper within this film which helps it attain such a synergy that leads to the sum of all it's parts becoming much more than the individual aspects.
So what is the film about ? you may ask. I'll give you the wiki synopsis of the movie which reads
"A teenage boy and girl embark on a quest to meet each other for the first time after they magically swap bodies."
Yeah not pretty epic I know. But trust me when I say the movie takes what you think might be your typical run of the mill 'Freaky Friday' situation and puts a unique twist on it which I will not spoil for you here.
Shinkai is a master here blending a tale of romance,comedy,coming of age and fantasy with ease. If you are familiar with his works you will see the theme of star-crossed lovers prevalent through most if not all his films. It is easy to assume that Shinkai might have had a 'One' that got away, or a lost love that still pains him to this day. Shinkai's films revolve around relationships. The questions like why do we fall in love ? and why does the person we love not love us back ? and how come relationships some times end ? These are all questions that have gone through the mind of almost every human being irregardless of their cultural backgrounds. Hence the universal appeal of the film. I for one have always been fascinated by these questions and have been at the receiving end of unreciprocated love. So that might also be a reason I'm drawn to this movie.
Another thing that I noticed about the film is that despite handling some seriously grim subject matters ( details of which I won't get into, because spoilers) the film has a relentlessly upbeat attitude to it ( characterized by the songs of the band Radwimps which play during crucial times during the movie) Also if you are familiar with how Shinkai often ends his movies then you will probably enjoy the emotional pay off of the movie - the climax even more.
Have you ever had a sense of having a strange feeling of familiarity to someone you met for the first time like you know them from some where before ? Have you ever felt like you've been always searching for some one your whole life ? Then definitely watch this movie.
I'm beginning to see comparisons saying Shinkai is the next Miyazaki, and while it's great that Shinkai is starting to finally get the recognition he deserves I think one should not over burden him by calling him the next Miyazaki. Because Miyazaki often dealt with mystical and fantasy elements, While Shinkai's films even though they might have a fantasy element to them deal with human emotions and feelings. I think we should just let him be the new Shinkai and look forward to great movies from him while appreciating his master piece 'Your Name'
What this movie does quite masterfully is concentrate and draw attention to what we really need as people. The part of this movie that really surprised me by how much it effected me was the scene during twilight when they both could exist together. Instead of writing his name he wrote something much more important for her to know. Something I didn't see coming. And I think that highlights what this movie has done for so many people. Remind them of what's important.
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