This film will be having a Third Window Films  release in the UK on May 25, 2015. Pre-order the movie on DVD now.

Shown in the 6th Terracotta Far East Film Festival 2014, in the Current Asian Cinema section; this movie was by far the most unique among the list of the films that I saw in the whole film festival.

This movie is the first of its kind that I’ve seen that you can call a ‘Workshop Film’, in which film students come forward and make a movie as their project. It was made in a span of four days in which the Director Hitoshi One was hired, who is widely known in Japan. The Director has made many TV Dramas and including one film other than ‘Be My Baby | Koi no Uzu (2013)’, called ‘Love Strikes! | Moteki (2011)’. Director Hitoshi One was hired to teach a group of actors about film making, who had no preparation and went on to work in this film, quickly editing and bringing it out into the spotlight.

Yuumi Goto, at the 16th Udine Far East Film Festival 2014

Yuki Ueda, at the 16th Udine Far East Film Festival 2014

Shibata Chihiro, at the 16th Udiine Far East Film Festival 2014

Prior to having its UK Premier in the 6^th Terracotta Far East Film Festival 2014, in London, it had its European Premier in the 16^th Udine Far East Film Festival 2014, in Italy. Three of the main casts, Yuumi Goto, Yuki Ueda and Sadaharu Matshushita flew straight from Italy to UK in order to promote their film. Screened in the Prince Charles Cinema, in the heart of China Town, London in Leicester Square, also known as Theatre Land, it got an average number of audiences to watch the film.

The first fifteen minutes of the film are an important part to watch, because the whole story is based on that time duration. Each character is shown and introduced in the that time frame, establishing the base of the film, which later on keeps on building with sudden turns and surprises in the plot. Shot on location in very small apartments, which kind of starts giving you a sense of claustrophobia as the movie slowly goes on, the cinematography was quite well choreographed, which might have been a challenge for the Director of Photography. There wasn’t that much of a music track in the movie, except one main one, and that was a simple drumming among all the other instruments because it played whenever there was an end of a chapter. Although the film does not have chapters, but it is still broken into different parts which shows passing of weeks, days and then hours.

The film was introduced by the two of the main leads Yuumi Goto and Yuki Ueda, who encouraged the audience to express themselves while watching the film by either booing or clapping so that they would know how they performed in the movie. Although no one booed, but there was a bit of a laughter at a few places, and complete silence at other.

The story revolves around nine young high school aged individuals in their twenties. One of them, Kouji (Kenta Niikura) arranges a party at his place along with his girlfriend Tomoko (Naoko Wakai), and plans to make one of his friends, Osamu (Kenta Tsumuraya) meet a new girl Yuko (Yumi Goto), thus they are brought in and introduced to each other. What follows is a series of twists and turns in each individual’s relationships, which slowly and gradually start unearthing the secrets, lies and deceit among them.

Released back in 2013, it was shown in the Yokohama Film Festival 2013, and also got a nomination in the category of Best Film. Being a ‘Workshop Film’, it has quite amazingly made its way into international cinema as it went on to Udine, Italy for its European Film Premiere and then to London, for its UK Film Premier.

Me, with Yuki Ueda (L) and Yuumi Goto (R) at the UK Premiere of ‘Be My Baby’ in the 6th Terracotta Far East Film Festival 2014

I must say that if you want to watch something very unique, different and quite individual, then watch this film. No matter how dark might the theme be or how slow the movie goes on, it will still keep you glued till the end, because I can assure you, you will love the end.

Director: Hitoshi One

Writer:  Daisuke Miura

Cinematographer: Hitoshi One, Yasuyuki  Ohzeki, Fuka Takagi

Starring: Kenta Nikura, Naoko Sato, Chihiro Shibata, Yumi Goto, Takumi Matsuzawa, Kenta Enya, Yuki Ueda, Aya Kunitake, Daisuke Sawamura, Sadaharu Matsushita

Genre: Drama, Experimental, Workshop Film, Romance, Comedy, Satire

Country: Japan

Lanuage: Japanese

Release Date: July 6, 2013

Run Time: 140 Min
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