Some directors keep making the same movie over and over again. This seems to be the case with Ogigami Naoko. I happen to like the movies she makes, so when a new one is out, I try to see it. It started with one of my favorite dorama series Suika. When I noticed that most of the cast from Suika was present in Megane, I had to check that one out. It turned out to be a wonderfully relaxed and quirky movie with subtle humor. There was no big climax. Just life's little developments. The subtropical Ryukyu Islands seemed quite an exotic place for Japanese city slickers. Kamome Diner had much of the same feel to it. Finland seems quite an exotic place for Japanese. It's tough adjusting, but worth it if you don't give up. Rent a Neko has the same wonderfully relaxed feel to it. It was not an exotic place this time, but an eccentric person called Sayoko. She's a bit of a slacker trying to find her own way in society by renting out cats on her own terms. That way she helps people to find some solace in life. Ichikawa Mikako is utterly convincing in this role. It's great to see her play the lead for once. She doesn't do too much, but has some very funny faces that make me burst out in laughter. Best part for me was her dream with Japon Rent a neko. "Master Utamaru is not class C!" I really love the repetition in the story and then the slow development. In the end it was all about loneliness and adjustment, or lack of adjustment. Just as in Ms. Ogigami's other movies. I'm not mentioning Toilet.
Review of Rent-a-Cat
