Unmei Janai Hito
2005 / 98m - Japan
Comedy, Crime
3.5*/5.0*
A Stranger of Mine poster

Watches

May 20, 2007

4.0*/5.0*

October 29, 2021

3.5*/5.0*

An old favorite of mine that isn't quite as good as I remembered. It's clear enough why I liked it the first time, the novelty plot and cheeky execution are quite fun to watch, but the styling is somewhat subpar, and the narrative isn't that surprising the second time around, which does take away from the appeal.

Miyata is still sulking because his girlfriend left is six months ago. His friend feels sorry for him and sets him up with a nice lady who just got out of a relationship herself. The two seem to hit it off, but when Miyata's old girlfriend suddenly returns the magic is gone. What looks like a trivial meeting hides quite a bit of intrigue.

Director Uchida does well to hide parts of the story, only to reiterate the same scenes later on with added knowledge. It's a nice enough setup, but once the surprise is gone the somewhat dreary cinematography, the forgettable score and decent but basic performances can't pull the weight to make this a true future classic. Good fun, not a masterpiece.