Doushitemo Furetakunai (Don't Touch Me, Whatever You Do)
As soon as I started watching Doushitemo Furetakunai I realised I'd seen it before. It was about a year ago, a Japanese friend had messaged me with a link to the movie, with English subtitles. He said he recommended it but didn't really say why. I remember being moved by it back then, so I thought watching it again couldn't be a waste of time.
Summary: Young and gentle Shimo resigns from his job after enduring harassment and bullying from co-workers, after a rumour circulates that he's gay. He finds work in a new company, and is soon attracted to his boss Togawa. Togawa however is crass, vulgar and inconsiderate to everyone in the office, which everyone tolerates in a friendly way, but Shimo sees a softness underneath the surface that intrigues him. The two men eventually become closer and connect through their painful pasts. Shimo, however, is very hesitant to take things beyond a certain point. When work circumstances suddenly change, Shimo is forced to make a decision about what he wants.
Watching it for the second time, I was struck by how quiet this movie is to begin with. Japanese movies generally tend to be quiet, with long silences and - most importantly - the almost unbearable weight of everything that remains unsaid. This movie is so still sometimes, I jumped in my chair when someone raised their voice.
This quietness is due to Shimo. He prefers being alone, his demeanour is shy, and when he is out with co-workers socialising, he has very little to say. At times I found his manners and excessively polite conversation to be way too uptight and prim. He makes it a point of pride that he hates cigarette smoke and doesn't drink alcohol, and he sourly dismisses the chain-smoking beer-loving Togawa a number of times for it. You definitely get the sense he's trying to efface himself from visibility so that he doesn't have to deal with potentially difficult situations at work again and with Togawa. He is looking for total control over every aspect his life. When he senses that he is attracted to Togawa, he reproaches himself for letting his feelings get away from him again so easily.
Togawa, however, isn't having any of it. He increases the volume, he rails and teases, he complains and gets angry. He even thinks Shimo's sourpuss prim face is 'cute'. He knows instinctively that Shimo is hurting and tries to protect him and be kind to him. He's the force that pushes the movie forward into a romantic drama.
I liked the way this movie keeps things simple. The scenes at work are kept to a minimum and give the audience just enough background to be able to learn about Togawa and see how his behaviour changes in relation to Shimo. When the two men are alone together, the chemistry is a little hit and miss, but in general they work well together. I was surprised by the amount of dialogue the two men share, it's very unusual for a Japanese movie to be this explicit in the way characters express their feelings. Shimo in particular just opens up in one scene and says everything he's feeling and afraid of (although to be fair, the scene I am thinking of is a diversionary tactic on Shimo's part, you'll know what I mean when you see it). There's a particularly good scene in the street, snow falling, where the two men vent their feelings at each other in the most unJapanese of Japanese ways. I'm still not sure they are a believable couple though.
This film easily slots into the BL genre. The dominant / submissive character tropes are certainly there, and the romantic gloss gives the film a lovely sheen that hides the some of the more forgivable cliches it uses. Its original edge comes from the knowledge that two people who have experienced such pain in their lives can try to set it aside when the chance for new love presents itself. It's quite moving to see it happen in this movie and how the characters react to it.
Rating: 13 out of 20. Worth watching.
Ending: Quietly happy
Summary: Young and gentle Shimo resigns from his job after enduring harassment and bullying from co-workers, after a rumour circulates that he's gay. He finds work in a new company, and is soon attracted to his boss Togawa. Togawa however is crass, vulgar and inconsiderate to everyone in the office, which everyone tolerates in a friendly way, but Shimo sees a softness underneath the surface that intrigues him. The two men eventually become closer and connect through their painful pasts. Shimo, however, is very hesitant to take things beyond a certain point. When work circumstances suddenly change, Shimo is forced to make a decision about what he wants.
Watching it for the second time, I was struck by how quiet this movie is to begin with. Japanese movies generally tend to be quiet, with long silences and - most importantly - the almost unbearable weight of everything that remains unsaid. This movie is so still sometimes, I jumped in my chair when someone raised their voice.
This quietness is due to Shimo. He prefers being alone, his demeanour is shy, and when he is out with co-workers socialising, he has very little to say. At times I found his manners and excessively polite conversation to be way too uptight and prim. He makes it a point of pride that he hates cigarette smoke and doesn't drink alcohol, and he sourly dismisses the chain-smoking beer-loving Togawa a number of times for it. You definitely get the sense he's trying to efface himself from visibility so that he doesn't have to deal with potentially difficult situations at work again and with Togawa. He is looking for total control over every aspect his life. When he senses that he is attracted to Togawa, he reproaches himself for letting his feelings get away from him again so easily.
Togawa, however, isn't having any of it. He increases the volume, he rails and teases, he complains and gets angry. He even thinks Shimo's sourpuss prim face is 'cute'. He knows instinctively that Shimo is hurting and tries to protect him and be kind to him. He's the force that pushes the movie forward into a romantic drama.
I liked the way this movie keeps things simple. The scenes at work are kept to a minimum and give the audience just enough background to be able to learn about Togawa and see how his behaviour changes in relation to Shimo. When the two men are alone together, the chemistry is a little hit and miss, but in general they work well together. I was surprised by the amount of dialogue the two men share, it's very unusual for a Japanese movie to be this explicit in the way characters express their feelings. Shimo in particular just opens up in one scene and says everything he's feeling and afraid of (although to be fair, the scene I am thinking of is a diversionary tactic on Shimo's part, you'll know what I mean when you see it). There's a particularly good scene in the street, snow falling, where the two men vent their feelings at each other in the most unJapanese of Japanese ways. I'm still not sure they are a believable couple though.
This film easily slots into the BL genre. The dominant / submissive character tropes are certainly there, and the romantic gloss gives the film a lovely sheen that hides the some of the more forgivable cliches it uses. Its original edge comes from the knowledge that two people who have experienced such pain in their lives can try to set it aside when the chance for new love presents itself. It's quite moving to see it happen in this movie and how the characters react to it.
Rating: 13 out of 20. Worth watching.
Ending: Quietly happy
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