Those expecting Shiota Akihiko's emotionally charged "Gaichu" to end with a happy resolution will be in for quite a shock. "Gaichu" takes a stark, cold look at the life of a 13 year old girl Sachiko (played admirably by a young Miyazaki Aoi of "Nana" fame) and follows her sad life as it spirals out of control. One can only feel a great sense of loss and pain as we watch helplessly as Sachiko makes all the wrong decisions in her young life. The film is a companion piece to Nakashima Tetsuya's recent "Kiraware Matsuko No Issho" which also told the story of a young woman who fate seemed determined to undermine at every turn. While "Gaichu" is a sad film, it is never depressing to the point of being unwatchable. There are brief moments in Sachiko's life where she is happy and finds support (through her lone friend Natsuko--played by fan favorite Aoi Yu) and even finds love. Yet, these moments are crushed by both unfair twists of fate (being almost raped by her mother's lover, having her "street" friend leave her) and bad decisions on her part (mistakenly burning her home, leaving her boyfriend when he questions her about her past).
While it is not as powerful a film as Koreeda Hirokazu's haunting "Dare Mo Shiranai" or Larry Clark's shocking "Kids", "Gaichu" really makes an emotional impact. Sometimes, we are so caught up with our own busy lives that we forget to talk with our children and be there to listen to them. This film acts as a warning for the consequences for not doing so.
While it is not as powerful a film as Koreeda Hirokazu's haunting "Dare Mo Shiranai" or Larry Clark's shocking "Kids", "Gaichu" really makes an emotional impact. Sometimes, we are so caught up with our own busy lives that we forget to talk with our children and be there to listen to them. This film acts as a warning for the consequences for not doing so.