W no higeki

Japan has produced a lot of very good movies, but W's Tragedy is not one of them. I really cannot see what the other reviewers see in this simpering non-drama. Perhaps it is that I was not taken by the star's (lack of ?) cuteness, nor by the support cast of pretty-much unknowns.

Had W's Tragedy lacked English subtitles, I may have been tempted to cut it a bit more slack, citing lack of understanding of the nuances lost in lack of translation. But the story was clearly spelled out and explained, and it revealed ... nothing of consequence. One is tempted to snipe that the Tragedy is that this movie was released.

An obscure movie, and deservedly so.

This is the seventh movie Hiroko Yakushimaru has done for Kadokawa.

Suzuka Mita (Hiroko Yakushimaru) is an aspiring actress. She auditions for stage play "W's Tragedy" but only gets a supporting role. During her stay at the hotel where the casts are staying, she gets called into the room of Sho Hajima (Yoshiko Mita). She has her older boyfriend dead in bed. He died of a heart attack while trying to make love. Sho asks Suzuka to pretend it happened in her room in exchange for a favorable casting position in the play. She complies, and in return Sho gets her the position of the lead actress.

You can see the maturity of Hiroko Yakushimaru as an actress in this movie compared to her previous movies, but also it marks the end of her career just to be able to sell on cuteness alone. This out of all the movies done by Yakushimaru for Kadokawa is probably the best, but it lacks impact, as the formula has gotten somewhat predictable which detracts from the viewing experience. Yoshiko Mita puts in a great acting as the veteran in this movie. A movie to watch if you're a neo classic Japanese movie fan.

The lead actress in this movie, Hiroko Yakushimaru, was highly popular in Japan in the 80's. Here she proves herself at least competent, and perhaps a bit more than that, as an actress.

The plot involves a number of college-age drama students auditioning for a part in a play, where they will act together with famous professionals. It is a career-making chance, and one girl nearly gets the coveted part, but soon stumbles upon a chance to snatch the part away from another by compromising her principles a bit (...no, we're not talking about sleeping her way into the cast, or at least not in this case). The real-life drama gradually comes to mirror the story of the play being performed.

Not too bad overall, tho Yakushimaru does overact in places, and there are some painful cliches, particularly toward the end. This story has a lot in common with both All About Eve (some actors will do whatever it takes to become a star), and the musical Chicago (notoriety brings fame, which can be parlayed into stage fame).

6/10

This is a great vehicle for Hiroko Yakushimaru, who plays Shizuka, an aspiring actress. For the play The Tragedy Of W she hoped for the coveted role of Mako, but instead was relegated to being a stand in, script girl, laundress etc. One of the lead actresses has a rich, married lover and he dies of a heart attack in her hotel room, she begs for Shizuka to act as if the deceased was really her patron. Shizuka finally agrees and as a result is given the plum role of Mako, who in the play murders her grandfather. This very dramatic film is unusually quite good, I did not find a dull moment in it. Ms. Yakushimaru is wonderful in this role, but by then she had already established herself, especially with "Sailor Suit And Machine Gun", so its not surprising she admirably carries this film. This story of actors and the choices and compromises they make is gripping. If you're a film student, this is a must. If you like drama, I highly recommend this film. Every word rings true.