One Night in Tokyo Review: Sublime in its Simplicity
Streaming Movie Review - Romance/Drama - VOD
There is nothing quite like spending the entire night talking when you connect with someone for the first time. This is explored in Joshua Woodcock’s debut feature film, One Night In Tokyo, coming to VOD on February 14. In this movie, he gives the audience an intimate look at Tokyo while also telling a unique love story.
Sam (Reza Emamiyeh) went to Tokyo to celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend, only to find that she was breaking up with him. Because his plans fell through, his friend Jun (Shinichiro Watanabe) encourages him to meet up with his girlfriend Ayaka (Tokiko Kitagawa) and some of her friends for drinks. After Sam makes plans to head back to the States the following morning, he agrees to meet Ayaka and her friends. When Ayaka’s plans for the evening fall through, she and Sam spend the night wandering the streets of Tokyo, learning more about one another and maybe falling in love.
The story of One Night in Tokyo is relatively simple, which means that flawless execution is essential, and Woodcock has provided that. The film is beautiful to watch, the performances are lovely, and the script is compelling.
This is a remarkably intimate film, with the bulk of it consisting of a conversation between Sam and Ayaka. What is interesting is the way this conversation is framed. Sam is unable to speak Japanese, and Ayaka speaks limited English, so they use a translation app. It is impressive to watch this conversation happening in two separate languages, but as the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly natural to watch them speak with one another in this way.
Much of this is due to the gorgeous performances of both Kitagawa and Emamiyeh. Listening to one language and then replying in a different language can’t be easy, but they make it look absolutely effortless. They also have a beautiful chemistry between them that lights up the screen. This isn’t a torrid love affair kind of film but rather a gentle falling-in-love story, and they execute that incredibly well.
One Night in Tokyo is also a beautiful tour of some of the city's less well-known parts. Woodcock spent six years in the city and wanted to use this film to introduce viewers to some of its smaller areas. The fondness for Tokyo comes through in the movie, and it adds a spectacular backdrop to the story that we are engaged in. The cinematography and editing, also done by Woodcock, allow us to take a close look at the characters and the city they inhabit, and it is charming in its simplicity.
Quiet romantic films like One Night in Tokyo live and die by their details. If something seems too hurried or the chemistry between the actors seems off, the whole movie can fall apart. Fortunately for us, in this one, everything works together to leave us with one beautiful night. Sometimes that’s enough.