It Feels So Good (film)
| It Feels So Good | |
|---|---|
| 火口のふたり | |
| Directed by | Haruhiko Arai |
| Screenplay by | Haruhiko Arai |
| Based on | Kakô no Futari by Kazufumi Shiraishi |
| Starring | Tasuku Emoto, Kumi Takiuchi |
| Music by | Itaro Shimoda |
Running time | 105 min |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
It Feels So Good (火口のふたり, Kakô no Futari) is a 2020
erotic drama written and directed by Haruhiko Arai, based on the novel by Kazufumi Shiraishi. It was named Best Film of 2019 in the 2020 Kinema Junpo Awards
Plot
Kenji (Tasuku Emoto) receives a call from his father asking him to come home to
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster on their lives. The film is primarily a two-hander
, with the only other characters appearing incidentally or offscreen.
Reception
Critical response
James Hadfield of The Japan Times praised the actors' "convincing chemistry" and found the film managed to be "explicit without being gratuitous" with "a welcome frankness in the film’s depictions of sex," noting "a common theme of people surrendering to private passion in the face of more momentous events beyond their control" with Arai's previous work.[1] James Marsh of the South China Morning Post was less kind, calling the film "an interminable bore" and stating "Nothing remotely arousing is created during the numerous sex scenes, which are interspersed with dollops of pseudointellectual gibberish."[2]
Awards and nominations
| Award | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eiga Geijutsu | Best Film | Haruhiko Arai | Won | [3] |
Kinema Junpo Awards
|
Best Film | Haruhiko Arai | Won | [4] |
| Best Actress | Kumi Takiuchi | Won | ||
| Mainichi Film Awards | Best Film | Haruhiko Arai | Nominated | [5] |
| Yokohama Film Festival | Best Film | Haruhiko Arai | Won | [3] |
References
- ^ Hadfield, James (August 21, 2019). "'It Feels So Good': An explicit escapade, artfully told". Japan Times.
- ^ Marsh, James (August 21, 2019). "'It Feels So Good' review". South China Morning Post.
- ^ a b "It Feels So Good". Japan Cuts.
- ^ "2019 Kinema Junpo Awards". japanesefilmfestival.net.
- ^ "74th Mainichi Film Competition (2019)". Mainichi.jp.