MY SUNSHINE
(Check out Chris Reeds’s My Sunshine movie review, it’s in theaters now. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.)
A selection of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard slate, Japanese director Hiroshi Okuyama’s gentle coming-of-age drama My Sunshine is restrained almost to distraction, the characters’ feelings barely voiced even to themselves, much less to each other. The result, though occasionally too minimalist for its own good, is nevertheless a sweet exploration of yearning and expression, enhanced by precise compositions (in the tight Academy 4:3 aspect ratio) that communicate the repressed emotional landscape better than any dialogue ever could. The nuanced performances of the three principal protagonists—two of them children—further engage, wrapping us in a tentative embrace that quickly melts upon contact.
The narrative takes place on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, where the cold temperatures of winter bring heavy snowfall. Young Takuya (Keitatsu Koshiyama), playing Little League baseball but barely paying attention in the outfield, marvels at the first flakes of the year as they fall from the sky, announcing the change of season. He is no more focused on his ice hockey, preferring to watch Sakura (Kiara Nakanishi), a girl training to be a figure skater, in the rink next door. Though her movements are not yet as graceful as they no doubt will be one day, he stands, transfixed.
Sakura’s coach, Arakawa (Sōsuke Ikematsu, Ravens), notices Takuya and takes an interest—he’s a former competitive skater and Takuya reminds him of himself as a child—eventually deciding to pair the boy with Sakura as an ice-dancing duo. She’s not too thrilled, at first, but Arakawa explains that the practice will help her get better as a single skater. Soon, they become a lively trio, enjoying the cold outdoors and indoors together as they prepare for an upcoming competition. Given that none of them were particularly demonstrative prior to these moments, the change is remarkable. Takuya’s stutter even seems to lessen.
Unfortunately, this blissful time comes to an end. The reasons are complicated, though sexuality and societal gender expectations play a role. Okuyama (Jesus) never allows any excess verbosity to get in the way of the reserve, but we understand that below the surface lie deep, unarticulated thoughts and passions.
The film often feels like a beautiful still life. Okuyama, acting as his own cinematographer, crafts images of stunning power, including his lovely tracking shots of skaters in motion. He lets the winter sunshine almost overexpose the frame, the light bursting past the images like the fire within our characters that refuses to be spoken. One might wish for a little less sublimation and slightly more promulgation, but the overall effect is still quite moving, like the gorgeous strains of Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” that play throughout.
– Christopher Llewellyn Reed (@ChrisReedFilm)
Film Movement; Hiroshi Okuyama; My Sunshine movie review
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