River
Issue
11
- Director:Junta Yamaguchi|
- Screenwriter:Makoto Ueda|
- Distributor:Third Window Films|
- Year:2023
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Few movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different. It’s less grim than Groundhog Day is when you really stop to think about it; the Bill Murray classic apparently lasts eight years and features an entire montage of its protagonist trying to kill himself in order to escape the time loop.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different. It’s less grim than Groundhog Day is when you really stop to think about it; the Bill Murray classic apparently lasts eight years and features an entire montage of its protagonist trying to kill himself in order to escape the time loop. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi and written by Makoto Ueda, River is never less than cheerful as it slowly morphs into a romantic comedy between two of the ryokan’s employees.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different. It’s less grim than Groundhog Day is when you really stop to think about it; the Bill Murray classic apparently lasts eight years and features an entire montage of its protagonist trying to kill himself in order to escape the time loop. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi and written by Makoto Ueda, River is never less than cheerful as it slowly morphs into a romantic comedy between two of the ryokan’s employees. The soft-focus cinematography makes it a visual treat as well as a whimsical one; by the end, River is as similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as it is to Groundhog Day.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different. It’s less grim than Groundhog Day is when you really stop to think about it; the Bill Murray classic apparently lasts eight years and features an entire montage of its protagonist trying to kill himself in order to escape the time loop. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi and written by Makoto Ueda, River is never less than cheerful as it slowly morphs into a romantic comedy between two of the ryokan’s employees. The soft-focus cinematography makes it a visual treat as well as a whimsical one; by the end, River is as similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as it is to Groundhog Day. At just 86 minutes, it also defies its premise by flying by rather than dragging on — the only thing endless about it is its charm.
River is a time-loop comedy in which the same two minutes repeat dozens of times. Each iteration is slightly different as the characters — the crew of an idyllic ryokan near Kyoto — adjust to their recursive circumstances. Not a lot of movies belong to this genre, presumably because, as with the premise, it would seem that, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. But River is different. It’s less grim than Groundhog Day is when you really stop to think about it; the Bill Murray classic apparently lasts eight years and features an entire montage of its protagonist trying to kill himself in order to escape the time loop. Directed by Junta Yamaguchi and written by Makoto Ueda, River is never less than cheerful as it slowly morphs into a romantic comedy between two of the ryokan’s employees. The soft-focus cinematography makes it a visual treat as well as a whimsical one; by the end, River is as similar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as it is to Groundhog Day. At just 86 minutes, it also defies its premise by flying by rather than dragging on — the only thing endless about it is its charm. “I don’t want this to end,” one of the guests says after everyone’s realized what’s going on; “I want to stay longer in this loop.”
So will you.