122. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman; movie review

BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN

Cert 15

108 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex, nudity, violence, sexual threat

Several times during Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman there is a reminder to use one's imagination.

The references are aimed at the movie's characters but could as easily be an instruction to the audience because this is a very strange film.

Pierre Földes has directed an animated adaptation of five short stories by Haruki Murakami, set in Tokyo, a few days after the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

It shows the disaster's fall-out, both consciously and sub-consciously on two people and those around them.

Its opening chapter doesn't tax the brain too much - a thoughtful bank worker struggles to communicate with his wife who hasn't moved from their living room couch for days as she watches news broadcasts from the earthquake site.

He then arrives home from work to find that she has left him.

The two characters re-emerge in other chapters as he tries to make sense of what has happened and find a way forward.

Much more bizarre is the experience of his colleague, a debt collector and loner who returns home to find a two-metre-tall frog asking for his help to save Tokyo from impending destruction by a giant subterranean worm. 

And the weirdness certainly does not end there - evil willow trees, mysterious boxes and a restaurant owner who can grant wishes are among the strange offshoots of the main narrative.

There is no doubt that Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman looks good - its animation is akin to watercolour and varies between subtle and arresting.

Meanwhile, the characters face big themes - loneliness, purpose and humanity.

I think those with art in their hearts and a penchant for self-reflection will get it - I have to admit I was only half way there and it was a little too off the wall for my taste.

Reasons to watch: Strangely captivating

Reasons to avoid: Off the wall

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: Cartoon nudity

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? More than 19,000 people died following the earthquake and tsunami off the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island in 2011.

The final word. Pierre Földes: "It’s a film about how people too often spend their lives not quite living up to their expectations and then, suddenly, after something happens, realizing they need to wake up." 

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