Melancholic is a wonderfully crafted, dark thriller that cost a mere 3 million Yen.

 

Sometimes, a drama or a movie exceeds all expectations. This can be the case for hidden gems, projects that often fly under the radar for a variety of reasons. Today, I wanted to highlight a movie that succeeded on a shoestring budget of 3 million Yen with a first time director and a star that helped raise the funds necessary to complete it. And no, I'm not covering a movie based on a novel or manga for once this time! 2019 saw the release of the underappreciated movie, Melancholic and that's what I'm covering in this post. 

Melancholic tells the story of Tokyo University graduate, Kazuhiko Nabeoka. Kauzhiko is an awkward, frail and somewhat timid man who has had no luck in finding a decent job following his graduation. Fortunately for our protagonist, he runs into an old classmate from high school, Yuri, who suggests that he work at the bathhouse in which they reunited. He succeeds in getting a job following an interview which also saw him meet his new co-worker, Matsumoto. After working at the bathhouse for a few days, he suddenly gets the feeling that something is not quite right. Upon returning to his workplace through a side door, he happens to witness a cold blooded murder taking place with one of his co-workers, Kodera, performing the kill whilst, bathhouse boss Azuma keeps a watchful eye. Naturally, Kazuhiko is caught snooping and is coerced into becoming another kind of cleaner. This event brings Kazuhiko into the world of the Yakuza as he learns the true nature of the bathhouse and eventually must find a way out. 

Despite the movie being his first time directing a full-length feature, Seiji Tanaka did a wonderful job at crafting the plot and definitely got the most out of a small, yet talented cast. His direction was so competent that it felt like he was a veteran who had been directing movies for years! He also deserves the credit for the tight, well written script. There's a lot of substance packed in and no unnecessary filler as every scene serves a purpose. 

The small budget could be felt a few times with the movie not having many different locations and the camerawork was a little shaky most of the time. These aren't necessarily all bad however, as the movie didn't require too much in terms of locations as much of the movie takes place around the bathhouse. The camerawork also isn't that bad as the movement sometimes makes it feel as if the viewers are in the scene with the characters. 

A case could be made as far as the movie's themes and messaging being about change and also societal expectations. For example, the fact that Kazuhiko  graduated from a prestigious university would likely mean that everyone around him would expect him to be like Tamura, with a fine well paying career. Instead of meeting society's expectations, Kazuhiko finds it incredibly difficult to find such a job and instead ends up taking what he can get. This is a harsh reality lived by many unfortunate souls. 

Then there's also the generational clash of the old heads, Azuma and Tanaka, versus the younger men, Kazuhiko and Matsumoto. Azuma and Tanaka are set in their ways, preserving what they have and not doing anything that would change it even slightly. Conversely, Kazuhiko and Matsumoto represent something different, a younger generation of men that take value in family and friends and will seek to change situations if required in order to better their future. This also helps the fusion of various genres as a romance story becomes entwined with the violence of a gangster movie. 

Performance wise, Yoji Minagawa is brilliant in the leading role of Kazuhiko Nabeoka. He expertly handled the timid, socially awkward nature of the character to the point where I felt his awkwardness through the screen. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy and it made me root for him. He also showcased some chemistry with co-star, Mebuki Yoshida, as their on-screen romance didn't feel forced. His friendship with Yoshitomo Isozaki's Matsumoto was a joy to watch as Yoshitomo also delivered a solid performance and excelled in the action. 

Overall, I thought Melancholic was a solid genre fusing movie that is worth a watch if you enjoy dark stories. It's easy to see why Seiji Tanaka won 2 separate awards for his direction.