ASAKO I & II

A film by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
2018, 119 minutes
No. 204
Narrative


ASAKO I & II
$375.00
Description
From the Academy Award nominated director of DRIVE MY CAR, Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s mysterious and intoxicating pop romance begins with Asako, a young woman who meets and falls madly in love with a drifter, Baku, who one day drifts right out of her life. Two years later, working in Tokyo, Asako sees Baku again — or, rather, a young, solid businessman named Ryohei who bears a striking resemblance to her old flame. They begin building a happy life together until traces of Asako’s past start to resurface.


Festivals
Official Selection, Cannes Film Festival
Official Selection, New York Film Festival
Official Selection, Toronto Film Festival

Reviews
“Critic’s Pick! Bewitching and sometimes unsettling… Breathtaking… Hamaguchi executes [the premise] with elegantly rendered realism.” — Glenn Kenny, The New York Times

“Exquisite. A playful, haunting drama of love lost and regained.” — Justin Chang, LA Times

“One of the Ten Best Movies of the Year. A beguiling film. An unpredictable study of trust, willfulness, and modern Japan.” — K. Austin Collins, Vanity Fair

"One of the Ten Best Films of the Year." — Hyperallergic

“Asako I & II is a knockout.” — Vadim Rizov, Filmmaker Magazine

"Enchanting... Playful and profound... A truly original riff on the doppelgänger touchstone that is Vertigo." — Dennis Lim, Film Comment

"Beautiful. A fable of love lost and found." — Jordan Cronk, Film Comment

"An exquisite showcase for nuanced performances and a filmmaker in complete control... Hamaguchi is one of the most innovative filmmakers in contemporary Asian cinema." — Eric Kohn, Indiewire