Love my Life

Original Title: ラブ マイ ライフ
Release date: December 9, 2006
Director: Kawano Koji
Manga by: Yamaji Ebine
Screenplay by: Kanasugi Hiroko
Cast: Yoshii Rei, Imajuku Asami, Ira Ishida, Issei Takahasi

Based on the popular manga by Yamaji Ebine, Love My Life is the story of quirky Ichiko and solemn Eri who are secret lovers. One day Ichiko decides she wants to tell her father about her relationship with Eri and she receives quite a shock when her father confesses he’s also homosexual. From there on a chain of new discoveries unfolds. Both girls begin a journey to explore what true happiness is from the inside out.

Love My Life would seem like a compilation of ideas. Although it does have a general sense of coherence and continuity, at some points it feels more like a collage of discourses. On the forefront we have the theme of homosexuality, which is widely discussed throughout the film via a variety of characters and situations. Then there’s the underlying theme of freedom, which comes to be the second biggest discourse in the movie.

There’s a scene when Ichiko and Eri discuss the unorthodox relationship that Ichiko’s parents had before her mother passed away.  With it the director seems to play around with the idea of what is, or should be, ‘normal’. Ichiko couldn’t quite understand why her parents had decided to lead the life they led, thus came one of my favorite lines from the movie when Eri tries to explain: “No. It’ doesn’t make sense.(…) But maybe it made their lives that much richer. With more flavor than a life limited to always making sense.”

The film in itself has an indie production sort of feeling, with odd angles at times. First person points of view and shaky sequences are also a small part of the cinematography. The characters are all very interesting; their journey, quite revealing.The first time I ever saw this movie, I confess, I picked it up at Blockbuster for the sole reason that it was both Japanese and LGBT themed. That particular day I took all movies with lesbian couples. This one though took a little piece of my heart when I gave it back. Not because it was an exceptionally well done movie, but because of its charming simplicity and the abundant introspective lines on life, love, freedom and happiness.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

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ROXY

A Caribbean Islander who wants to fly. Criminal Justice graduate with a lot to say about social injustice. An eternal scholar. I want to know everything. I blame Disney for making me a total dreamer. My head is mostly in the clouds and I have background music in real life.

8 Responses

  1. yam magazine says:

    Oh, you should’ve saved this for a possible LGBT blogathon. LOL My bad. Anyway, I was thinking of adding an “genre: lgbt” tag to the site, what do you think?

    • ROXY says:

      @yam magazine, Oh there’s plenty of LGBT to review for a blogathon >D It’s probably one of my fave genres so I say DO IT! I might abuse that sweet little tag a little~

  2. amy says:

    The girl in the poster has an uncanny resemblance to Ruka from afar. LOL Or I guess since this is 2006, Ruka has an uncanny resemblance to her. xD I wonder if Juri Ueno picked up the movie for research or something.

    I don’t know why, but LGBT-themed films are always… indie, right? Reminds me of this film called TOPLESS (aka. TOPURESSU, otherwise a lot of other things come up in searches), both different films, but also indie. Little known actors and all. I guess that’s why Juri Ueno in Last Friends was such a big deal. It’s like… Nodame is freaking playing a girl in love with another girl.

    • ROXY says:

      @amy, I’m not sure what Ruka you are referring to :/ The only Ruka I know is from the Visual Kei band Nightmare hehehe Eri -does- remind me of the vocalist of Girugamesh though xDD It’s so distracting at times.

      LGBT are most of the time very indie/independent cinema type of movies. I guess the world isn’t ready for all the awesome. The only one I remember being slightly more ‘big production’ is Bad Education. And people really do make a big deal out of it when someone known plays a homosexual role. I bet a lot of Twilight fans don’t know Robert Pattison played Lorca’s lover, Dali, in Little Ashes ;D and did a great job at it.

      • julili says:

        @ROXY, She means Ruka from the jap drama Last Friends. If u haven’t seen it, me and Amy would say: WATCH IT!
        Best Jdrama in a while!

  3. amy says:

    I finally, FINALLY!, watched this LOL.The scene where she comes out to her dad, and her dad spins it around- that was hilarious.

  1. March 19, 2011

    […] Oh, did we forget to send this one? […]

  2. March 20, 2011

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