In about an hour of Yujiro Harumoto’s complex and suspenseful moral tale Balance, documentary director Yuko (Kumi Takiuchi) tells an abortionist (Ryo Ikeda) that morality is not necessarily the best. ” argues. It’s already a tried and true cliché for Yuuko, whose life has suddenly become very complicated. But the ordeal is just beginning.
“This is all chaos,” replies the doctor. He doesn’t know half of it.
Over the next 90 minutes of this slow-paced ethical puzzle, Harumoto relentlessly changes the terms whenever he thinks Yuuko has decided “what’s best.” The film’s disturbing denunciations leave viewers in almost a good way (see Challenging and nuanced) to find her anticipation, even if the plot with its many conveniences strains believability at times. May share disorientation.
When we meet Yuuko, she’s struggling to finish a documentary about sexual misconduct in a Tokyo school. As her investigation expands, ethics become more troubling, especially due to corporate pressure and misogyny.
She’s still a player. Her willingness to stretch certain standards to serve “The Truth” hints at trouble to come. After a parallel event involving her father (Ken Mitsuishi), her school teacher, causes Yuko’s world to collapse, she finds herself at a critical distance as a filmmaker, including the camera, her nagging questions, and more. Seek protection in tools that give you It was a nonsense idea.
Yuko Takiuchi alternates between being a mother and being a mercenary, and is bewitchingly mysterious. What drives her and why is she still living with her father? Luckily, there’s very little backstory. Suffice it to say she’s an ambitious woman, suffocated by the ruthless double standards surrounding sex and autonomy. It turns out to be an undeniable luxury.
balance
Unrated. Japanese, with subtitles. Running time: 2 hours 33 minutes. Check it out at Film Movement+.