▶ Park Heung-jin’s movie story – New movie ‘Egoist’ ★★★★ (out of 5)
▶ The conflict of hurt through the dynamics of love through two men with different backgrounds and personalities.
▶Warm yet heartbreaking treatment
Kosuke, Taeko, and Ryuta (from left) are taking a family photo with a cell phone.
It is a love drama and character exploration that features two young homosexuals and the mother of one of them as the main characters. The directing style of weaving the story in a warm, calm and calm way is very touching. It honestly shows the hearts and bodies of two men in love as they are, and along with the romance between the two men, the mother appears towards the end of the movie, showing another kind of love between a mother and son in a heart-warming way.
Through the relationship between two men with different backgrounds and personalities, the conflict between class differences, capitalism, the dynamics of love, and the wounds they both have is dealt with in a soft, warm, yet heartbreaking way. The emotional empathy between the three people penetrates the viewer’s heart. It’s a refreshing movie.
The film also considers death as a major proposition, and despite this dark proposition, vitality and energy flow within the work. What is especially nice to see is the chemistry and acting that goes well together between the actors who play the two lovers, Ryohei Suzuki and Hio Miyazawa. In addition, Sawako Agawa, who plays the third main character, the mother, is also impressive.
Kosuke (Ryohei Suzuki) is a homosexual who lost his mother at the age of 14, left his hometown for Tokyo at the age of 18, and succeeded as the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine. He lives in a luxury apartment and is a man who cares about his clothes and appearance, but he is not a bundle of vanity. As he hires a personal trainer, Ryuta (Hio Miyazawa), love slowly blossoms between Ryuta, who hides his sexual identity, and Kosuke, who does not hide his homosexuality.
Ryuta is a good son who takes care of his sick mother Taeko (Sawako Agawa) alone, but because he is not financially well off, he earns money by working as a male prostitute. Kosuke, who found out that Ryuta sells his body, suggests to Ryuta that he stop being a male prostitute as he will give him money to live on. And the two share passionate love with their bodies and minds.
Meanwhile, when Ryuta introduces Kosuke to his mother, emotions immediately flow between Kosuke and Taeko, and the three form a warm family relationship. Kosuke has a new mother. The movie looks at the brief meeting and life of these three people in a sad yet beautiful way. The last scene brings tears to her eyes, but it is by no means sentimental and instead lifts her heart. It’s a beautiful movie.
In addition to the acting, director Daishi Machuna (co-screenwriter)’s unhurried, sensitive, gentle and natural directing is excellent, but I would like to point out that there are explicit homosexual sex scenes.
<Heungjin Park editorial committee member>
