Sunday, March 9, 2014

Hana and Alice (2004)

Hana and Alice is a 2004 Japanese teen romance film directed by the multi-faceted filmmaker Shunji Iwai who also dabbles in video art and documentaries. Hana and Alice is about two average teenage girls who like most teenage girls are attached to the hip, goof around, and crush over boys whenever they’re not frolicking in their tutus.  Hana, an impulsive and manipulative girl (Anne Suzuki) falls in love with Masashi, a boy the girls have been teasing about on the train for some time. After one stalking spree by Hana, she witnesses Masashi hit his head and get amnesia. In lightening speed, she ceases the chance to convince him that she was his girlfriend before his “memory loss.” Naturally, a continuing series of lies leads Alice to partake in the deception by pretending to be Masashi’s ex-girlfriend.  Soon enough, all parties are involved in a love triangle, which tests their faith in their friendship, perception of love, and emotional stability.

Read the rest at JapanCinema.net!