Ootomo is a young married guy, too eager to please and gets easily seduced by women. One day he is confronted by Imagase, a university classmate who is now a private investigator hired by Ootomo's wife to uncover his infidelity. Rather than expose him, Imagase agrees to remain silent in return for a kiss, revealing that he has been in love with Kyoichi for years. Slowly this relationship turns sexual since Ootomo doesn't change his philandering ways. IT turns out that it was actually his wife who was having an affair , so she separates regardless. When Ootomo movies in solo t o anew place, Imagase stars spending more and more time together creating Avery unique bond between the two. Ootomo gives into Imagase sexually but still considers himself straight. Things get complicated when his ex girlfriend from university shows up and Imagase thinks the two are having an affair. Despite Ootomo telling Imagase that he can never chose him over any girl, he does eventually come back to him and they actually become a happy couple. But Imagase is always worried about him dating other girls. They briefly break up after that because of these insecurities. At work, Ootomo's assistant is interested in him and after her father's death, the two start a relationship. Although Imagase initiated the breakup , he begs Ootomo to let him be part of his life somehow, but he rejects saying that their relationship has always been dysfunctional. But he is also not sure about his assistant. He tells her the truth and breaks up with her. In the end we see Ootomo and Imagase spending time together. I wasn't very sure whether they are back together or have decided to give it another try, but it seems they decide to be there for one another unsure of what future will bring for them.
The film is based on a manga (surprise! Surprise!) and to be honest I was quite weirded out by the title , but having seen the movie now, it all makes sense. Imagine what happens when a cat who fell in love with a promiscuous mouse long ago decides to back it into a corner? Both are from different worlds and both come with their own personal baggages. Can they make it work? The circumstances under which Imagase corners Ootomo is exactly that. He is left with no choice. Artistically also, it was very interesting, how they always showed Imagase sitting on a stool like a cat with folded legs watch over Ootomo sleeping on a the bed in a corner of the room. It was so metaphorically correct. The characters like I said before, are flawed. Imagase has loved Ootomo forever and is ready to do anything to have him, even forcing himself on him. And similarly, even though Ootomo was always cheating on his wife, now that he misses love and affection, gives into his sexual urges and also companionship but still an't bring himself to get seduced by any woman show shows slightest interest in him, point being his ex girlfriend and his office assistant. He is confused and that's what happens with people in real life. Sometimes you want things from life, or multiple people in life but only if that could have been possible. As an audience, you are never sure of how you feel for the characters. I found myself sometimes feeling for them, but other times also despising them for the way they would treat the other person. But if you think from the character's perspective, it all made sense and that where I found this film quite engaging and interesting. This is the first time having watched so many films and TV series from Asia, That I felt I wish I had read the book before. I feel I would have engaged with the movie even more. The actors do a good job of what's ask. I only wished the film was a bit shorter in length. They is a lot happening in this 2 hour plus film.
Its a film where the characters are deeply flawed and relationship is toxic. But its a realistic approach of how badly your dishonesty with yourself can hurt other people around you and vice versa. The is not a romantic film, but a film about accepting your flaws and doing that your heart says, right or wrong, is something that others can judge. A uniquely different perspective on relationships where no one is perfect yet no one is villain either. I doubt this film will be everyone's cup of tea since there are a few meta and symbolic elements here, but definitely worth your time with some focus. (7.5/10)
Comments
So its like, you love a man so much that you let him go because that person can never be truly yours. And since, you gave all of you in the relationship/love, you will never be able to love anyone ever again.
I enjoyed this movie, I was looking for the metaphor of a cornered dreaming mouse being watched by a cat on the stool you had described. I squirmed seeing how creepy and shameless Imagase was. I also felt perhaps Ootomo was truly closeted, he was shattered by his own indecisiveness and dishonesty breaking hearts on the way. I was also looking for the metaphor of the jumping carp twice from the manga, perhaps it had to do with Ootomo saying to Okumura that the relationship with his ex (Imagase) was worth reconciled.
wrt Ootomo, I still don't think he was gay or even closet gay. At best he was open to experiment. The thing is, after his divorce, his life suddenly came to a point where thinks that he took for granted suddenly became important including being loved to and then care of from his wife. So when Imagase shows him love, cooks for him, takes care of him, I feel he feels obligated to give him something in return. It starts with his body but yeah at some point he does eventually fall in love with Imagase. Now does that make him gay? I don't think so. I believe Imagase is the only man he will ever love. Everyone else is still girl and he is still very much attracted to women sexually.
Again, these are all our individual interpretations. Who knows how the makers intended it to be?
My personal opinion is they went a little too far in the "I'm not gay, I just love him" BL trope in the movie. While it's still beautiful as a romantic perspective, I find it more questionnable in the end here.