How To Become Myself

HOW TO BECOME MYSELF

Directed by: Jun Ichikawa
Writen by: Kaori Mado (novel)
Cast: Riko Narumi, Atsuko Maeda

Instead of story revolving around Mat Rempit or Bohsia and other local clichés, why not try youth drama that involves identities, school problems and family issues? This is more down to earth teenager dilemmas which could be watched and understood by all audience. This is what ‘How To Become Myself’ excels at the silver screen.

Based on a novel by 30-year-old Kaori Mado, tells the tale of two girls faced with that typical adolescent choice: fit in or be cast out. Juri is an attractive high school student but not the most popular girl in class, the title belongs to Hinako Hanada. There’s a fine line drawn when audience was introduced to the school outcast Kubota Manami. She empathizes with both of those students but didn’t attempt to communicate with them, it’s that feeling we have in school: if I talk with the outcast, people will find me ‘uncool’ but I’m not good enough to talk with the popular. Hinako suddenly falls from grace and becomes shunned an object for bullying. On the last day at school, Juri and Hinako have a brief chat in the library but viewers can felt the distance as they were separated by tables.

The two girls go their separate ways because they attend different high schools. Juri faced problems when her parents frequently quarrel, while Hinako became depressed at having to move to another school. Juri trying to write for her first high school novel but draws to a blank and was advised by her teacher to create lies since that is fiction writing is. Juri sends a well-wishing text message to Hinako (but it was pronounce e-mail on subtitles) and Juri pretends he didn’t know who’s the sender. Juri apologize but Hinako can’t resist writing back and later depend on every Juri’s messages as her guide to her everyday life. They’re messages become the story of Juri’s novel ‘The Story Of Hina & Kotori’. Unknowingly Juri helps re-build Hinako confidence but until what point? This is where to Kaori Mado beautifully plays with her reader: who’s actually living in a happy and joyful life and who’s actually fantasies to have one? Which of the girls is having the identity crisis?

The only problem with ‘How To Become Myself’ is it’s slow pacing and as the first movie to watch at Japan Film Festival marathon, I need to drink Red Bull to keep awake before next movie. Director Jun Ichikawa also gives an arty variety to some scene with extreme close-up to show emotion, split screen to create distance and fade to black every time to show their sms reply. A human brain couldn’t take too many fade to black on the big screen, which for me more to flickers and this technique somehow really annoying.

Back to the earlier clichés I mentioned, there is no romance, no sex, no drugs, no violence, no terminal illness and no lesbian kiss scene between the girls to make this movie a success. This is a fine example of a bully victim cry for help and if you read school bully reports in newspaper, a friend is still an effective way to help the victim to ease the pain or being suicidal. I’m not giving out public service announcement but this is an effective way to make a teen film pure and simple by using two girls and their hand phones.

~ESK