Tonight, At Romance Theater (2018)

Visually speaking, this is a gorgeous movie. Vibrant colors in walls, clothes and scenery. The contrast between the black-and-white princess and the colorful real world. Miyuki's clothes, every one of them. Ayase Haruka as a princess, Kenji as a poor director's assistant. The shots of the camera. There is one scene at the beginning of the movie that was filmed from above, and it shows the little made-up town and all the actors in their clothes, and it was simply beautiful.

As for the story, it was a nice, clean romance, with a bit of mystery and heartbreaking moments. I watched it twice in a week and I cried in both occasions. However, it could also be because of Ayase Haruka's tears... she almost always manages to move me with her tears. And she looked amazing as a princess. She had a nice chemistry with Sakaguchi Kentaro (she almost always has a good chemistry with whatever actor she works with), BUT as always, she is terrible in love scenes. She is a like an unreachable princess, cold and stiff in regards to hugs and kisses. Thankfully, it wasn't properly show in this movie, so it didn't bothered me so much.

I though at first that the movie had some plotholes. Like, she has to put make-up on her entire self to disguise her black-and-white self. But she remains colorful even under the rain. However, I noticed that it only rained when she was upset or sad, so maybe the rain was magical like her and couldn't affect her. It isn't explained how she comes to this world, but since it is a fantasy, there is no need for that. And as for all her wardrobe, it could be because they are in a movie set, and there are a lot of clothes.

SPOILER...

The ending was very sad. I couldn't live like them at all, without touching the one you love. And when they finally do... :(( so sad. Why??? The final scene was just a way to calm our broken hearts :((

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A romance on, and about, the reels.

THE PLOT:


I am a huge fan of classic cinema from the 1930’s through 1950’s, so the beautiful heroine of a black/white film coming to life to have an adventure in the modern world (the 1950s, but still considered modern in reference to the movie) was brilliant. It brings fresh life to all my favorite tropes. We have the rich chaebol princess looking for a change in her life. Forced cohabitation and work-related stressors. We have the fight between succeeding in a career or choosing love. All the basic plot points are there but it seems completely different when you add the whimsical elements into the mix.

CINEMATOGRAPHY:


The contrast of color with the black and white of the princess, Miyuki, was BRILLIANT! I especially appreciated how all the color seemed to be intensified whenever Kenji and Miyuki were together. It felt like the color was a character in itself with the way it was used to progress the plot.

CHARACTER OBSERVATIONS:


There was not a ton of side characters that took my attention away from our OTP (One True Pairing). The one exception is Shundo, the superstar of the movie company where Kenji works. Shundo’s character is exactly what they mean when using the term “scene stealer.” There was something about Shundo’s confidence that was charming and I couldn’t help but fall in love with this character. Who wouldn’t love a guy who wanted to create a horror musical about reincarnation on a whim? Is it too much to ask for a sequel based on Shundo and his ginormous ego?

FAVORITE SCENE:


I loved so many various moments in this movie. However, I had two that really stood out. My first favorite scene was Miyuki ordering Kenji to take her out into the world so she could explore all the colors. Her being black and white and sneaking around the movie studio was delightful.



My other favorite scene was the final ten minutes or so of the film. I won’t give details since that would spoil the story. But I did tear up multiple times–tears of joy from watching such a poignant and romantic movie.

OVERALL REACTION:


I give this movie a 8.5/10 for its creative plot, amazing cinematography and two characters that will stick with me for years to come. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who loves watching a sweet romance. The relationship between our two leads was delightful from beginning to end, and engaging the whole way through.

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