358. Family Romance LLC; movie review
Cert TBA
89 mins
Can it really be that people contract a Japanese company to provide actors to stand in for close family members?
Well, yes and no. Werner Herzog has alighted upon a real firm called Family Romance LLC but his film is neither entirely fact nor entirely fiction.
Herzog flew to Tokyo having been intrigued about the business set up by Ishii Yuichi who he then persuaded to star in his movie.
However, this is not a traditional picture because, while it is filmed as a documentary, the scenes have been scripted by Herzog.
The opening scenes involve Yuichi passing himself off as the father of 12-year-old Mahiro (Mahiro Tanimoto).
Her dad disappeared when she was a toddler so doesn't know that Yuichi, who has been employed by her mother (Miki Fujimaki), is fake.
If this is how Family Romance LLC operate, it is deeply worrying - because the poor child inevitably tries to bond with her newly connected 'dad'.
Indeed, the more he dedicates time and attention to her, the happier she becomes and the more obvious it is that she will be mentally scarred when Yuichi's contract is up and he vanishes.
Nevertheless, her mum doesn't see the danger signs and encourages Yuichi to become even closer to her.
Other clients include another mother who doesn't want her alcoholic husband to give their daughter away so signs up Family Romance LLC to replace him.
Incredibly, the bride-to-be is in full agreement so she can have the dad she wants just for a day.
And then there is the lonely woman who wins the lottery but wanted to rekindle the feeling of delighted surprise - so employs the firm to send actors to knock on her door and celebrate.
Herzog's film has myriad quirks while also giving glimpses of unique Japanese culture such as Samurai reenactments and a robot hotel.
By its end, I longed for a factual documentary about Family Romance because Herzog had left me not knowing where the line between the truth and his imagination should be drawn.
Reasons to watch: Certainly very unusual
Reasons to avoid: Meanders too much
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6/10
Reasons to avoid: Meanders too much
Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Overall rating: 6/10
Did you know? Ishii Yūichi runs Family Romance alongside a talent agency and a tech consultancy, employing about twenty full-time staff members, seven or eight of whom work exclusively for Family Romance. He maintains a database of some twelve hundred freelance actors.
The final word. Werner Herzog: “The actors are so natural and so good that it almost feels like a documentary, but of course it is not. It is highly, highly stylized, highly organised, highly scripted. Even professional movie watchers believe it’s a documentary. Although it’s so evident, it cannot be a documentary.” Deadline
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