Love Life (2022 film)

2022 film by Kōji Fukada

Love Life

Japanese theatrical release poster

Japanese| LOVE LIFE[1]
Directed by| Koji Fukada
Screenplay by| Koji Fukada
Based on| "Love Life"
by Akiko Yano
Produced by|

* Yasuhiko Hattori
* Masa Sawada
* Yuko Kameda[2]

Starring|

* Fumino Kimura
* Kento Nagayama
* Atom Sunada
* Hirona Yamazaki
* Tetta Shimada[2]
* Natsume Mito[3]
* Misuzu Kanno
* Tomorowo Taguchi[4]

Cinematography| Hideo Yamamoto
Edited by|

* Sylvie Lager
* Koji Fukada

Music by| Olivier Goinard

Production
companies

* Nagoya TV
* Chipangu
* Comme des Cinémas[2]

Distributed by|

* Elephant House (Japan)
* Art House (France)[5]

Release dates

* 5 September 2022 (2022-09-05) (Venice)
* 9 September 2022 (2022-09-09) (Japan)[1]
* 14 June 2023 (2023-06-14) (France)[5]

Running time

| 123 minutes
Countries|

* Japan
* France

Languages|

* Japanese
* Korean Sign Language
* Korean[2]

Box office| est. US$685,331[6]

Love Life (stylized as LOVE LIFE)[1] is a 2022 Japanese–French drama film written and directed by Koji Fukada. Set in contemporary Japan, the film is inspired by a song of the same name by musician Akiko Yano, originally released on the album of the same name in 1991. In 2000, the singer Hitomi had released an eponym album on AvexTrax records. It revolves around Taeko and her husband Jiro facing "love" and "life".[7][8]

The film was selected 'In competition' section of 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for Golden Lion award and had its premiere on 5 September 2022.[9][10][11]

## Synopsis

[edit]

The film follows a married woman, Taeko, who lives happily with her husband, Jiro. She decides to care for long-lost Park, father of her son Keita, when Park reappears deaf, ill, and homeless.[7]

## Cast

[edit]

* Fumino Kimura as Taeko Osawa[12]
* Kento Nagayama as Jiro Osawa[7]
* Atom Sunada as Park Shinji, Taeko's ex-husband and Keita's father
* Hirona Yamazaki as Risa Yamazaki, Jiro's ex-girlfriend[13]
* Misuzu Kanno as Akie Osawa, Jiro's mother[2]
* Tomorowo Taguchi as Makoto Osawa, Jiro's father
* Tetta Shimada as Keita Shinji, Park and Taeko's son[2]
* Mito Natsume as Yoko Kondo, a staff member who works in the same place as Taeko[14]

## Release

[edit]

The film had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on 5 September 2022,[9] and competed for Golden Lion in 'In competition' section.[15] It was released in Japan on 9 September 2022,[14] and held its North American premiere at 2022 Toronto International Film Festival in 'Contemporary World Cinema' section on 12 September 2022 at Scotiabank Theatre, Toronto.[16] MK2 Films have taken the distribution rights of the film for Europe in February 2022.[8] It also made it to 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section of 27th Busan International Film Festival and was screened in October 6, 2022.[17]

## Reception

[edit]

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 85% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 6.50/10.[18]

Guy Lodge of Variety wrote: "While it's impossible not to be affected at some level by its characters' hellish plight, the predominant softness of tone here tends toward the wispy."[19] David Ehrlich of IndieWire graded the film with B+ and wrote, "An enormously poignant melodrama told at the volume of a broken whisper, Kōji Fukada’s Love Life represents a major breakthrough for a filmmaker who's found the perfect story for his probing but distant style."[20]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

47th Hochi Film Awards | Best Picture  | Love Life | Nominated  | [21]
Best Director  | Koji Fukada  | Nominated
Best Actress  | Fumino Kimura  | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Eiga LOVE LIFE kōshiki saito" (in Japanese). Stardust Pictures. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
2. ^ a b c d e f "LOVE LIFE press notes". Oscilloscope Laboratories. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
3. ^ "Natsume Mito" (PDF) (in Japanese). Asobi System. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
4. ^ "「LOVE LIFE」ポスタービジュアル". Natalie. Natasha. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
5. ^ a b "LOVE LIFE" (in French). Art House Films. Retrieved 8 September 2023. "14/06/2023"
6. ^ "Love Life (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb.
7. ^ a b c "Love Life". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 July 2022.
8. ^ a b Elsa Keslassy (22 February 2022). "Japanese Drama 'Love Life' From Cannes Prizewinning Koji Fukada Boarded by MK2 Films (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
9. ^ a b "La Biennale di Venezia 2022 - Love Life". La Biennale di Venezia. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
10. ^ Vivarelli, Nick; Ravindran, Manori (26 July 2022). "Venice Lines Up New Movies From Darren Aronofsky, Laura Poitras, Olivia Wilde, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Florian Zeller – Full Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
11. ^ Roxborough, Scott (26 July 2022). "Venice Festival Picks Marilyn Monroe Drama 'Blonde,' New Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Wilde, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
12. ^ "木村文乃、矢野顕子の名曲「LOVE LIFE」から着想を得た深田晃司監督作に主演" [Starring in the director Koji Fukada, inspired by Fumino Kimura and Akiko Yano's masterpiece "LOVE LIFE"]. Cinema Cafe (in Japanese). Retrieved 28 July 2022.
13. ^ "新キャスト発表！＆場面写真公開！" [New cast announced! & Scene photo released!]. Love Life official website (in Japanese). Comme Des Cinemas. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
14. ^ a b "公開日決定＆追加キャスト発表!" [Release date decided & additional cast announced!] (in Japanese). Stardust Pictures. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
15. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (26 July 2022). "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Aronofsky, Inarritu, Field, Dominik, Guadagnino, Hogg, McDonagh, Panahi In Competition". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
16. ^ "Toronto International Film Festival; Contemporary World Cinema: Love Life". Toronto International Film Festival. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
17. ^ "Love Life". Busan International Film Festival. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
18. ^ "Love Life (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
19. ^ Lodge, Guy (6 September 2022). "'Love Life' Review: Koji Fukada's Life-After-Loss Drama is Full of Tragedy But Strangely Lightweight". Variety. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
20. ^ Ehrlich, David (7 September 2022). "'Love Life' Review: Kōji Fukada Hits New Highs with a Terrific Melodrama". IndieWire. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
21. ^ "「第47回報知映画賞」各賞ノミネート決定". PR Times. Retrieved 12 November 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Love Life at Venice Film Festival
* Love Life at IMDb
* Love Life at Metacritic

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Koji Fukada

* Hospitalité (2010)
* Sayonara (2015)
* Harmonium (2016)
* A Girl Missing (2019)
* Love Life (2022)

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