Honey & Clover

There’s a part of me that’s thrilled every time I watch a Japanese film that contains neither a ninja nor robot. That part of me is boring and usually doesn’t get invited to parties. The rest of me, however, is disappointed that it’s not watching Mothra eat something. And come to think of it, that part of me gets invited out even less. So maybe I should listen to the first part of me, and enjoy films like Honey & Clover.

Based upon Chika Umino’s manga, Honey & Clover is set in an art school. Unlike their North American counterparts, Japanese art schools teach multi-disciplinary, formalized studies of artist expression, instead of just providing opportunities to sleep with lesbian sculptors after a NAFTA protest. And they’re also breeding grounds for the insecurities of adolescence, which is what’s explored here.

The story follows a group of students, one arrogant, one insecure, and most just aimless. When a supremely talented but emotional unstable painter enters the equations, their lives are thrown, if not into turmoil, then at least slightly off kilter.

The script is amiable enough, capturing the vague discontent of youth with only occasionally saccharine sequences. The film’s a little light on dramatic tension, but the characters and performances are engaging, which carries the film a long way. Director Takada treats his material honestly, without condescension, and the look of the film is bright without being cartoonish. While it feels overlong, it moves nicely, and while I’m not saying it couldn’t have used a robot or killer moth or two, Honey & Clover is worth not getting invited out for.

alkratina@comicbookbin.com