Love Exposure (2009-Japan)
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Profile
- Movie: Love Exposure
- Romaji: Ai no mukidashi
- Japanese: 愛のむきだし
- Director: Sion Sono
- Writer: Sion Sono
- Producer: Yutaka Morohashi
- Cinematography:
- Release Date: January 31, 2009
- Runtime: 237 min
- Language: Japanese
- Country: Japan
Plot
"Love Exposure" tells an epic tale of love, family, religion, and sex.
Yu Tsunoda and Yoko meet under the most unusual of circumstances. After Yu loses a bet with his friends he agrees to go into the city dressed as a woman and kiss the first woman he sees. When they go into the city Yu and his friends comes across a young teenage girl named Yoko who is surrounded by a group of thugs. Yu, still dressed as a woman, then helps Yoko beat up the gang of thugs. Afterwards Yu kisses Yoko and runs away. Yu for the first time falls in love with a girl, but Yoko falls in love with the woman in drag known only as Miss Scorpion.
Meanwhile, Yu is being followed by Aya Koike, a member of the cult group "Zero Church." Aya Koike devises a plan to bring Yu's entire family into the "Zero Church," but first she will gain the favor of Yoko by masquerading as Miss Scorpion.
Cast
| Takahiro Nishijima Yu Tsunoda - 17 year old high school student. Yu looks for love from his father (who is a priest) , but his father has become emotionally detached from him. Because of this Yu starts to commit sins to regain his attention. During this time, Yu falls in love with a girl named Yoko. Yoko will later move into Yu's house to become his possible future step-sister. | |
| Hikari Mitsushima Yoko - As a young girl Yoko was emotionally & perhaps sexually abused by her father. When her father brings home a new woman named Saori, Yoko becomes attached to Saori's free spirited ways and follows her when she leaves her father for the Roman Catholic priest Tetsu. | |
| Atsuro Watabe Tetsu Tsunoda - Yu's father and a Roman Catholic priest. After he loses his wife to a terminal disease, he finds love once again with a fee spirited woman named Kaori. But, Kaori eventually leaves Tetsu and Tetsu falls into deep despair. During this time, Tetsu becomes emotionally detached from his own son Yu. | |
| Makiko Watanabe Kaori Fujiwara - Kaori is a free spirited woman who one day appears in Tetsu's church. Kaori then throws herself onto Tetsu and they eventually become a couple. Because of Tetsu's refusal to reveal their relationship to the public at large, she leaves Tetsu to find a new boyfriend who has a teenage daughter named Yoko. Later, Kaori leaves her new boyfriend to return to Tetsu, but brings along Yoko. | |
| Sakura Ando Aya Koike - Aya Koike was emotionally, physically, and sexually abused by her father. She eventually joins a religios cult group named "Church Zero." Saori then comes across Yu Tsunoda and becomes attracted to his unique mannerisms. Saori later hatches a plan to bring Yu's entire family into the Church Zero clan. | |
Additional Cast Members:
- Keisuke Horibe - Yoko's father
- Yuko Genkaku - Aya Koike's friend
- Itsuji Itao - Aya Koike's father
- Hiroyuki Onoue
- Mami Nakamura
- Yutaka Shimizu
- Mitsuru Kuramoto
- Shinji Miyadai
- Nana Nagao
- Koji Ohguchi
- Jai West
- Mitsuru Fukikoshi
- Motoki Fukami
Trailer (english subtitles)
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Image Gallery
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Film Festivals
- 2008 (9th) TOKYO FILMeX - November 22nd-30th - Special Screenings
- 2009 (9th) Nippon Connection - April 15th-19th - Nippon Cinema
- 2009 (11th) Udine Far East Film - April 24th-May 2nd (Italian Premiere)
- 2009 (8th) New York Asian Film Festival - June 19th-July 5th
- 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th (Canadian Premiere)
- 2009 (13th) Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival - July 16th-26th - Strange Homage (Korean Premiere)
- 2009 (29th) Hawaii International Film Festival - October 15th-25th - After Dark
- 2009 (6th) Hong Kong Asian Film Festival - October 15th-30th - Director in Focus:Sion Sono
Awards
- Agnes B. Award (Audience) - 2008 (9th) TOKYO FILMeX - November 22nd-30th
- 2009 Grand Jury Prize - 2009 (8th) New York Asian Film Festival - June 19th-July 5th
- Jury Special Prize - 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th
- Best Female Performance - 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th
- Best Asian Film (Gold) - 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th
- Most Innovative Film (Gold) - 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th
- Netpac Award (Special Mention) Sakura Ando & Hikari Mitsushima - 2009 (13th) Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival - July 16th-26th
- Best New Artist (Hikari Mitsushima) - 2009 (34th) Hochi Film Awards - November 2009
Comments
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Rochelle Says:
Feb 08 2010 6:52 pm
Nishijima Takahiro won the Best Newcomer Awards too.
Raku Says:
Jan 24 2010 1:34 pm
@Sonja
A British R2 dvd by Third Window Films has just been released of this if importing is an option.
Sonja Says:
Oct 07 2009 7:11 am
Hei!
I thought somebody could help me to find this movie with english subtitles in Europe!
I saw it in Germany even with german subtitles but i can´t find it with english ones;-(
If somebody knows where to buy...thanks!
Mike Says:
Sep 29 2009 1:05 am
I saw Love Exposure at the Melbourne International Film Festival this year, was absolutely entranced - an amazing experience I won't forget for a long time. And now I'm searching frantically for some way to see it again (with English subtitles).
Canberra Film Festival in October? Fingers crossed...
Japanese Film Festival in Sydney? Fingers crossed...
I will travel interstate if I have to. Or do I have to wait for the UK DVD release and order it from overseas? I'm hoping instead an Australian film distributor will look past the 237 min running time and see it as a beautiful, funny, engaging, moving, engrossing cinema experience which will surely get a cult following.
Fingers crossed...
skoubri Says:
Sep 23 2009 8:34 am
I bet everyone happened to choose a movie just on a whim and get surprised by it in the end. This is what happened with this film. I was mesmerized by the characters, the simple yet powerful plot, the combination of image and sound. I found myself laughing, crying, being furious, desperate, frustrated. I caught myself hoping for the characters' happiness. A movie that can give birth to so many feelings is definitely a must-see movie. Unfortunately I'm not an expert to talk with the right words about it, but I can say that this is a treasure. One of those movies you watch once and remember your whole life. One of those movies you watch once and the next day can watch it again. Once of those movies you want to share with the people you admire. One of those movies that give you something even though you are unconscious about it. One of those movies that can describe through simple words the substance of a human being. One of those movies that land in the depth of our heart.
priska endl Says:
Sep 18 2009 4:29 pm
hey!
i just watched the movie! great!
the soundtrack was amazing!! DOES SOMEBODY KNOWS WHERE TO GET THE SOUNDTRACK??? OR THE NAMES OF THE ARTISTS??
would really love to get the information. didnt find anything in the www.
thanks a lot.
great movie : ) cheers priska
lunapark6.com Says:
Sep 12 2009 6:13 pm
Well, there’s epic films (think “Red Cliff” and “20th Century Boys”) and there’s epics of the unexpected kind that leaves you with the feeling of seeing something profound. Without a doubt “Love Exposure” lies in the latter category. The movie is ambitious, at times gratuitous, but always mesmerizes with a labyrinth like story that also has this yin and yang like simplicity to it. From the get go, you’ll know “Love Exposure” isn’t your run of the mill film with its mammoth 237 minute runtime. While some of the runtime could have been trimmed if absolutely required, the movie in its final form doesn’t seem to have many wasted moments. The film’s pacing is swift and able to become more intriguing as the story progresses. With “Love Exposure” you can’t help to note the film director, Sion Sono, making a Takeshi Miike like quantum leap from indie cult film director (”Suicide Club,” “Strange Circus,” “Hazard”) to a maestro able to take on all comers.
“Love Exposure” is broken down to individual chapters and to summarize the film its easier to understand if broken down into two main parts. The first half (pre “The Miracle”) deals with 17 year old teenage boy Yu Tsunoda (Takahiro Nishijima) and his relationship with his father Tetsu Tsunoda (Atsuro Watabe) – who becomes a Roman Catholic priest. Their relationship becomes fractured after the introduction of a care free woman named Kaori (Makiko Watanabe). Kaori doesn’t beat around the bush in her desire for Catholic Priest Tetsu Tsunoda. It also doesn’t take Tetsu Tsunoda long to succumb to Kaori’s temptation and they quickly fall into a heated relationship. Eventually Tetsu, Kaori, and Yu move in together as family. Unfortunately, Tetsu must hide their relationship from the Church and public at large – which means they have to live in secrecy. This becomes a huge turn off to Kaori and she leaves Tetsu because of this. After Kaori leaves, Tetsu becomes a shell of his former self and falls into deep despair. Tetsu’s disillusionment with himself then becomes projected onto his own son Yu. Yu sensing the growing distance between himself and his father does everything he can to regain his father’s favor. Eventually Yu realizes the only way to get Tetsu’s attention is by committing sins and confessing these sins to his father.
Now a full fledged bad boy, Yu looks for any means to commit sins. He then takes up the odd preoccupation of snapping panty photo’s of unwitting girls walking down the street. He becomes incredibly proficient at snapping these photos and even trains two of his new friends. One day, Yu accepts a bet from his friend on who took the best panty picture. Yu is then blindsided by a near perfect picture taken by his friend. Having to fulfill the bet, Yu now goes into the city dressed in drag and attempts to kiss the first girl he comes across.
Once Yu and his friends enters the city they find a feisty high school aged girl surrounded by a group of thugs. The girl is about to take them all on and Yu jumps in to the fray to help her. After Yu and the girl obliterate their opponents, the girl thanks Yu and reveals her name, which is Yoko. At this moment, Yu receives an erection for the first time in his life and he falls instantly in love with Yoko. For Yoko, she also falls in love, but not with Yu per se. Yoko is in love with the tall women she sees whom Yu calls “Miss Scorpion”.
From here we get the second act of the film known as “The Miracle” which covers Yu and Yoko’s mistaken identity relationship. Yoko is so smitten with “Miss Scorpion” that she becomes convinced she is a lesbian. Meanwhile, Yu is unable to reveal his real identity to Yoko because Yoko has moved into his house as his future step sister! This occurs because Kaori (who left Tetsu earlier in the movie) comes back to Tetsu and brings along Yoko, the daughter of her prior lover.
Things become even more complicated by a stalking woman named Aya Koike who is a member of the cult group “Church Zero”. She has eyes for Yu and devises a plan to get Yu’s entire family to join the Church Zero.
As the scenario unfolds (which just may be the scenario of the decade), Sion Sono embellishes his mind boggling tale with charm, violence, perversity, romance, and questions of faith. Visually, the film isn’t as special with its nondescript HD camera work. The film really shines because of its script and the more than capable performances by all five main actors. Takahiro Nishijima as main protagonist Yu Tsuonda has the looks to become a huge star and he does everything right to become one in “Love Exposure”. Sakura Ando also turns in a head turning performance as the main antagonist in the film. She easily evokes the disparate emotions of hatred and pity from the audience. Lastly, Hikari Mitsushima as the sailor moon like character with karate chops provides the needed edge to balance out Yu’s more good natured personality.
With Sion Sono’s background as indie cult director and his propensity for shock, “Love Exposure” also contains moments of shock value which will appeal to a certain group and put off other groups. The panty snapping vignettes (having a Stanley Kubrick “A Clockwork Orange” like feel with its well laid out choreography aligned to tranquil classical music), the kung fu elements (a nod to all the foreign film goers who soaks up “The Machine Girl” and similar films), and the running erection gag with Yu are all examples of this. With all of these moments I held a sense of ambivalence and opted to take in those moments as bit parts to the larger puzzle of “Love Exposure.” One group of scenes that I did feel could have been entirely stricken out of the film was “Chapter 2″ and its background on Aya Koike’s early life. The sadistic nature in which her father punished Aya almost seemed to invite snickers from the audience with its repeated chants of “give it to me”. Sono’s goal with these scenes were most likely to lay the seeds of Koike’s sad state of affairs in the movie’s second half, but this could have been as easily accomplished with just a few words. This is only a minor quibble as those scenes only takes up a fraction of the movie’s runtime.
Make no doubt it, when watching “Love Exposure” you’ll likely encounter feelings of awe from its all encompassing story. You’ll also find bits and pieces of Sono’s earlier work from “Suicide Club,” “Strange Circus,” and “Hazard” within “Love Exposure” – but there’s also that extremely rare feeling of watching something truly unique unfold in front of yours eyes. With all that said, Sion Sono also lays the simplest of love stories within its epic story that all teens can relate with. To think of it another way, how often will you come across a four hour film that’s fun, fast paced, and beefy enough to satisfy the art house crowd? None that I can recall.
Phil Says:
Aug 19 2009 12:01 pm
It was screened at the Fantasia film festival here in Montreal in July....but I was too late. Oh well, i'll watch it eventually !!
Raku Says:
Aug 16 2009 8:37 pm
Alex there's been no screening of Love Exposure in any English film festivals yet, it has it's English premiere in October which I'm definitely attending!
stalker Says:
Aug 15 2009 8:51 am
how come it's not shown in other parts of Asia? i'f it has been release on theaters even for a short while i'll definitely watch it even if i have to read the subs the whole time. it's hottie Nishijima Takahiro for crying out loud! >_<
Alex Says:
Jul 23 2009 10:15 pm
I saw this movie at the NY premiere of it. Definitely worth buying~
You can purchase the Japanese version, but it will without a doubt have no subtitles (though there will be some great extra features that won't be available on any Western version of the DVD).
There have been a few people saying the film won't be released in the USA, but I'm pretty sure it will come out on DVD here--the film proved popular in the Australian, English, Canadian, and American film festivals, and the film was subbed for those. Without a doubt though, if it IS released on DVD, the DVD won't come out until at least a year after it has been shown at the festivals. =/
(Let's wait for it anyway!)
Pierre Says:
Jul 15 2009 6:04 pm
I saw this movie at Fantasia Festival a few days ago. It's simply a terrific movie.
The DVD is being released in Japan at the end of july 2009 but there are no subtitles on the discs.
Leah Says:
Mar 30 2009 3:14 pm
OMGOMG MUST SEE! TAKAHIRO-SAMA IS MY FUCKING LOVE! BUT I DONT WANT TO SEE HIM FUCK ANOTHER GIRL!
And Howard, I highly doubt it will come out anywhere in the states. You'll have to wait for a subbed version online or buy the original copy and see if it has english subs.
Howard Says:
Mar 24 2009 12:26 pm
Where can I purchase the film from in the United States?