MovieChat Forums > Chanto tsutaeru (2009) Discussion > The problem with it being anti-Sono.

The problem with it being anti-Sono.

posted 11 years ago by mitch_north
2 replies | jump to latest

As one of the few reviews of this film stated on here (the one that happened to be on the front-page for me) the film is very anti-Sono in being less over-the-top and obscene in its content. I don't have a problem with the deviation from the norm merely on the basis of things but instead, Be Sure To Share seems to highlight a particular issue with Sono's downfalls when diverges from what he's clearly good at. Sono's films are, at least to me, clearly interesting in their subversive qualities which lend to their criticisms (usually of society and cultural life in Japan). There's clearly substance in his stylistic choices and this extends to what he typically portrays throughout the narrative.

Be Sure To Share is clearly Sono in restrained-mode but in almost all ways it ends up shallow. It's got a misplaced made-for-TV vibe about it coupled with a story that too is more befitting of daytime TV. In being anti-Sono, the film ends up very dry and lacking in any style at all to the point where it is awkward. The story has a message it wants to convey - which is kind of the only thing that makes it feel Sono-esque at all - but it's a very dull film all things considered.

Himizu showed that Sono can make social-dramas which don't end up in fever-dream madness or eclectic idiosyncrasy so he doesn't have to be one-dimensional all things considered. Perhaps it is best compared to that film then rather than any others then and Be Sure To Share still stands out as feeling pretty uninspired. At times Be Sure To Share seems like an exercise in Sono showing how uninteresting his films can be. Almost like somebody got pissed off at the weirdness of his movies and dared him to make a film which could be as lacking in Sono-esque tropes as it could be.

This isn't an attempt to belittle anybody who liked the film but I wonder if anybody felt anything similar.

[–] Grethiwha 10 years ago

Sono has often positioned himself in opposition of the Yasujiro Ozu tradition of family drama/slice-of-life type movies, but this movie is exactly that. I read an interview with him recently where he said, basically, he just wanted to try making a 'normal' movie for a change, like a 'punk band covering a Frank Sinatra tune' (he also joked that the Japanese critics, who typically always hate his movies, started writing that he'd finally become a 'mature director').

But I think the reason he made this movie, is it was well worth making. I have to disagree with your assessment; I thought it was quite inspired, and very touching – a simple Ozu-esque movie with very little of what I love about Sono in it, true, but a damn good one, and I love that Sono has such range in his filmography.

--- grethiwha -------- My Favourite Films:
http://www.imdb.com/list/Bw65XZIpkH8/

[–] BadHorse7 9 years ago

I'm sorry but I couldn't disagree with you more. Honestly I think it's his best film yet and his only true masterpiece so far. It's the only film of his so far that maintains a consistant high quality throughout and doesn't veer off into ridiculous plot lines or delve into excess. It also seems to be his most personal film, which would explain why it touches on some of the most compelling and profound themes of anything he's put out. I truly love works of art that reach for something ineffable. Why do we hold in our feelings so often? What is it that's keeping us from sharing even though we really need to? How can be around someone for so long without having any real connection with that person? I loved the ending where the dad realizes he needs to share more right before going unresponsive. The film touches on the fragility of human beings and the futility of life, but all the while being more moving than depressing. Idk I just thought it perfectly captured the human condition. I also love it when an artist has variety and is able to show range. The only criticism I have of this movie is that rigormortis would have set in on his dad's corpse at the end lol.