No English subtitle
On the day of his university entrance ceremony, shutterbug Makoto (Tamaki) meets a fresh-faced, quirky girl named Shizuru (Miyazaki). He has a complex which causes him to shy away from contact with other people, but she succeeds in getting him to open up to her naturally. All Shizuru wants is to be with Makoto, so she takes up a camera too. The two spend their days together taking photos in the forest behind the campus.
However, Makoto has feelings for another student named Miyuki (Kuroki Meisa). Shizuru decides that if Makoto likes Miyuki, she wants to like her too. She wants to like everything that he does. One day, she tells Makoto that she wants to take a photo of them kissing in the forest for a competition. He obliges for her sake, and they kiss in the forest for the first time. However, from that day on, Shizuru disappears from Makato’s life…
Derived from a novel written by Takuji Ichikawa—who also wrote the novel “Be with you” (that later became a hit movie), his latest novel to be adapted into a film, “ Heavenly Forest”, is yet another tragic tale that deals with loss. Ichikawa’s approach to these types of topics are what make his novels so memorable; his ability to take generic plot devices and make them his own, through his subtle touches and creative set-ups, are what make his novels so poignant and thought-provoking. No doubt his perspective outlook on these subjects is translated quite well onto celluloid. “ Heavenly Forest” tells the story of love triangle between 3 university students. The first student, who is also the main protagonist, is Makoto Segawa (Hiroshi Tamaki). He is a shy and timid young man who has an appreciation for photography. On his way to his first day in school, he runs across another student, Shizuru Satonaka (Aoi Miyazaki). After a strange exchange that finds them walking to school together, they develop a friendship. As their relationship continues to grow, another student, Miyuki Toyama (Meisa Kuroki) comes into the picture…which leads to the inevitable dispute for Makoto’s attention.
The look of the film is beautiful. Director Takehiko Shinjo ecompasses the film with gorgeous backdrops and alluring lighting that are very easy on the eyes. Perhaps the aptly title of the film fits the cinematography perfectly. As with “Be with you” (which directed by another director), director Shinjo’s handles Ichikawa’s material with precision and faithfully recreates the visually descriptive nature of the novel.
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