Notable Cast:
Rei Hirano, Ryo Sato, Mikio Tayama, Ayako Ito
Intimacies is a 4-hour multimedia docufiction journey
through the creation and delivery of a stage play called 'Intimacies'. As a
person who enjoys lengthy, slow-moving films, I assumed this would be an easy
sit for me. Admittedly, I felt the discomfort the characters felt during some
of these meetings leading up to their performance while watching the film
unfold. It really felt like it was dragging its feet at times, even though I
got the point and intention behind it. I know, for a fact, that Hamaguchi masters
this exact concept and feeling with Drive My Car, nearly a decade later,
but this definitely acts as a prototypal piece to that staggering work.
Here the experimental element is what sets it apart. That
may appeal to a certain type of filmgoer, but for me, it just fell apart at
times. While you certainly get very familiar with characters and spend a lot of
time with them, by the end some of them felt just as distanced as they were to
me in the beginning, but again, that very well may be the point. I do think the
standout characters, however, will stick with me for some time to come,
including the leading couple that creates the play themselves. Their arc is so
satisfying, but in ways, I wish to keep a secret for whichever curious reader
may not yet know themselves.
Hamaguchi's style is certainly present here presented in a
more lo-fi way here. I feel like this was a workshop film, although I could be
wrong about that. The film switches between many qualities of cameras and
incorporates slides similar to the silent film era that show the characters’
text messages back and forth to one another throughout. I liked the different
textures that the various cameras provide in Intimacies and it gives the
film a very handmade feeling, a reminder that not all cinema feels like it is
put through a machine and rather that each and every one of us is capable of
getting out there and making our filmic dreams a reality.
In the end, Intimacies was a mixed experience for me.
Sometimes I was completely enamored by what was on screen, and at others, I
would find myself really wishing I was nearing the journey's end. With that
said, when the ending finally did get to me, I was blown away and moved to
tears. It's a very sentimental ending that is beautifully crafted and extremely
heartfelt which felt earned by that point. It is, honestly, one of the best
endings to any film I've ever seen, and even if the work getting there was
daunting at times, the reward was oh so great. Hamaguchi fans should seek this
out, but others may want to approach it with caution. The film is certainly not
without merit and still comes recommended.
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