Family Romance, LLC

Last updated

Family Romance, LLC
Family Romance, LLC.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Werner Herzog
Written byWerner Herzog
Produced byRoc Morin
Starring
  • Yuichi Ishii
  • Mahiro
CinematographyWerner Herzog
Edited bySean Scannell
Music by Ernst Reijseger
Production
company
Skellig Rock
Distributed by Mubi
Release dates
  • May 18, 2019 (2019-05-18)(Cannes)
  • July 3, 2020 (2020-07-03)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States [1]
LanguageJapanese

Family Romance, LLC is a 2019 American drama film directed by Werner Herzog. [2] [3] It stars Yuichi Ishii and Mahiro Tanimoto. [4] The film had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2019. [5] [6]

Contents

Plot

Yuichi Ishii runs a business called Family Romance, which serves as an agency to provide rental people to fill in as husbands, friends or other social roles. In doing so, they aim to fill the gaps in people’s lives helping them through challenging problems.

At the film’s outset, Yuichi is fulfilling a contract where he pretends to be the father of 12-year-old Mahiro. Mahiro, who has no memories of her father, is shy and uncertain of Yuichi but slowly begins to welcome him into her life. As Yuichi gains her confidence, Mahiro’s mother asks for information about what her daughter is thinking and saying. As Yuichi grows closer to Mahiro, he begins to guard her secrets and advocate for more freedoms for her.

In between his visits with Mahiro, Yuichi maintains his business. He accepts jobs and continues to fulfill them without any judgement towards his clients. While he completes his contracts, Yuichi considers the nature of artifice and reality after visiting a hotel staffed by robots. Yuichi confides in a friend that he has been having disturbing dreams of actors portraying samurai committing ritual suicide.

Eventually Yuichi travels with Mahiro’s mother to visit an oracle. During their trip, Mahiro’s mother remarks that she is glad to have him as a friend. This makes Yuichi uncomfortable and after their trip he visits a funeral home where he inquires about the possibility of having actors in coffins.

After another visit with Mahiro where she confesses that she loves him and wants to start spending weekends with him as father and daughter, Yuichi informs her mother that it has become too serious and they need to end their contract. Mahiro’s mother invites him to live with them, but Yuichi refuses and apologizes once more before leaving and suggesting that she rent a funeral for the imaginary father.

Yuichi visits his friend, who consoles him and tells him that he believes Family Romance offers a helpful and meaningful service. Yuichi seems unconvinced and wonders if his own family could be rented people who are faking their emotions for him.

The film closes with Yuichi returning to his own home. As he approaches he hears voices inside and a small set of children’s hands press against frosted glass on the front door. Yuichi hides from the unseen child and slumps next to the door.

Cast

Production

The film casts non-professional actors speaking Japanese. [3] It was shot in the spring and summer of 2018 in Tokyo and Aomori Prefecture, Japan. [7] The production wrapped in August that year. [8] Herzog shot about 300 to 350 minutes of footage in total. [9] The film features music by Ernst Reijseger. [10]

Release

The film had its world premiere in the Special Screenings section at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2019. [5] [6] It also screened at the 46th Telluride Film Festival [11] and the 24th Busan International Film Festival. [12]

In June 2020, Mubi acquired video-on-demand and television rights to the film in North America, Germany, Hispanic America, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. [13] The film was screened for free on the streaming service for 24 hours on July 3, 2020. [14]

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A fascinating exploration of human connection, Family Romance, LLC sees Werner Herzog following an unconventional path to existentialism." [15] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [16]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "A strange, faintly frustrating but diverting film." [17] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "This is minor Herzog, to be sure, but alternately amusing and disarming nonetheless." [18] Peter Debruge of Variety commented that "Not quite 90 minutes, the film might actually be more effective at half the length." [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Werner Herzog German film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and opera director

Werner Herzog is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals in conflict with nature. He is known for his unique filmmaking process, such as disregarding storyboards, emphasizing improvisation, and placing the cast and crew into similar situations as characters in his films.

Hirokazu Kore-eda Japanese film director, producer, screenplay writer and film editor

Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor. He began his career in television and has since directed more than a dozen feature films, including Nobody Knows (2004), Still Walking (2008), and After the Storm (2016). He won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival for Like Father, Like Son and won the Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival for Shoplifters.

<i>Grizzly Man</i> 2005 documentary film by Werner Herzog

Grizzly Man is a 2005 American documentary film by German director Werner Herzog. It chronicles the life and death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell. The film includes some of Treadwell's own footage of his interactions with brown bears before 2003, and of interviews with people who knew or were involved with Treadwell, as well as professionals dealing with wild bears.

<i>My Best Fiend</i> 1999 German film

My Best Fiend is a 1999 German documentary film written and directed by Werner Herzog, about his tumultuous yet productive relationship with German actor Klaus Kinski. It was released on DVD in 2000 by Anchor Bay.

<i>Woyzeck</i> (1979 film) 1979 film

Woyzeck[ˈvɔʏtsɛk] is a 1979 German drama film written, produced and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski and Eva Mattes. It is an adaptation of the unfinished play Woyzeck by German dramatist Georg Büchner.

<i>Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans</i> 2009 film by Werner Herzog

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans is a 2009 American crime drama film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Tom Bower, Jennifer Coolidge, Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner, Val Kilmer, and Brad Dourif. Though the film's title and story loosely resemble that of Abel Ferrara's 1992 film Bad Lieutenant, according to Herzog, it is neither a sequel nor a remake; its only commonality is a corrupt policeman as the central character. Nonetheless, the director of the original Bad Lieutenant film, Abel Ferrara, expressed dismay that the Herzog film was being made. Both Bad Lieutenant films were produced by Edward R. Pressman.

Giulia Marletta

Giulia Marletta is an Italian-born film producer, television producer, director, and entertainment executive. She has been instrumental in establishing international financing for films in both the US and Europe. The films that she has preferred to produce have been director driven with complex and dark subject matter. During her career as a producer and executive producer, she has worked with directors including Dario Argento, David Lynch, Werner Herzog, and Al Pacino.

<i>After the Storm</i> (2016 film) 2016 Japanese film

After the Storm is a 2016 Japanese family drama film edited, written, and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and was released in Japan on May 21, 2016. The film received acclaim from critics.

<i>For Loves Sake</i> 2012 Japanese film

For Love's Sake is a 2012 Japanese musical romance film directed by Takashi Miike based on the manga series Ai to Makoto by Ikki Kajiwara and Takumi Nagayasu. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2012, where it was presented out of competition. Previous adaptations of the manga series had been titled Love and Truth in English but this 2012 film version was alternatively titled For Love's Sake in English.

<i>Before We Vanish</i> 2017 film

Before We Vanish is a 2017 Japanese science fiction film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. It is based on a stage play by Tomohiro Maekawa's Ikiume Theatre Company and the novel adaptation written by Maekawa. It stars Masami Nagasawa, Ryuhei Matsuda, Mahiro Takasugi, Yuri Tsunematsu, and Hiroki Hasegawa.

<i>Shoplifters</i> (film) 2018 film

Shoplifters is a 2018 Japanese drama film directed, written and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. Starring Lily Franky and Sakura Ando, it is about a family that relies on shoplifting to cope with a life of poverty.

<i>Matthias & Maxime</i> 2019 film

Matthias & Maxime is a 2019 Canadian drama film written and directed by Xavier Dolan. It stars Dolan, Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas, Pier-Luc Funk, Samuel Gauthier, Antoine Pilon, Adib Alkhalidey, Anne Dorval, Micheline Bernard, Marilyn Castonguay and Catherine Brunet.

<i>Meeting Gorbachev</i> 2018 film

Meeting Gorbachev is a 2018 biographical documentary film directed by Werner Herzog and André Singer about the life of Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and last leader of the Soviet Union. The film features three interviews between Herzog and Gorbachev, conducted over the span of six months, and had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 1, 2018.

<i>Bergman Island</i> 2021 film by Mia Hansen-Løve

Bergman Island is a 2021 romantic drama film written and directed by Mia Hansen-Løve. It stars Vicky Krieps, Tim Roth, Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielsen Lie.

<i>Summer of 85</i> 2020 French-Belgian drama film

Summer of 85 is a 2020 French-Belgian drama film written and directed by François Ozon, partly based upon the 1982 novel Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers. It stars Félix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin.

The Client (<i>Star Wars</i>) Star Wars character

The Client is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise who appears in the first season of the Disney+ television series The Mandalorian. He is a mysterious, unnamed leader in the former Galactic Empire and subordinate of Moff Gideon, who plays a key role in setting the show's story into motion by hiring the bounty hunter known as "The Mandalorian" to retrieve a "50 year old", yet infantile alien dubbed "The Child".

Cow is a 2021 British documentary film by Andrea Arnold, revolving around the life of a female dairy cow.

Werner Herzog filmography Filmography of filmmaker Werner Herzog

Werner Herzog is a German filmmaker. Part of the New German Cinema, Herzog's films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unique talents in obscure fields, or individuals who are in conflict with nature.

<i>The Worst Person in the World</i> (film) 2021 film by Joachim Trier

The Worst Person in the World is a 2021 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Joachim Trier. It is the third film in the director's "Oslo Trilogy", following Reprise (2006) and Oslo, August 31st (2011). The film premiered in competition at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim, with Renate Reinsve winning the award for Best Actress for her performance in the film. At the 94th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay. The score for the film was written by Ola Fløttum.

<i>Return to Seoul</i> 2022 film

Return to Seoul or All The People I’ll Never Be is a 2022 drama film directed and written by Davy Chou. A French-German-Belgian coproduction, the film revolves around Freddie, a 25-year old French adoptee, who goes to South Korea to find her biological family. The film premiered on 22 May at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival under the Un Certain Regard section.

References

  1. ↑ "Family Romance, LLC". AlloCiné . Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  2. ↑ Pulver, Andrew (April 18, 2019). "Cannes 2019: new films from Terrence Malick and Ken Loach – but no Tarantino". The Guardian . Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Kohn, Eric (April 18, 2019). "20 Shocks and Surprises From the 2019 Cannes Lineup, From Werner Herzog to Xavier Dolan". IndieWire . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  4. ↑ Nordine, Michael (May 10, 2019). "'Family Romance, LLC' Trailer: Werner Herzog's Secretive Japan Project Is Here". IndieWire . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Cannes festival 2019: full list of films". The Guardian . May 6, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  6. 1 2 Trumbore, Dave (May 10, 2019). "'Family Romance, LLC' Trailer Reveals a Fascinating Film from Werner Herzog". Collider . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  7. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (May 10, 2019). "Cannes: Trailer Unveiled for Werner Herzog's Japanese Movie 'Family Romance, LLC' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ Kohn, Eric (September 11, 2018). "Werner Herzog Says He's Acting in 'a Big Franchise Film' and Shot a Secret Movie in Japan — Exclusive". IndieWire . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ Clarke, Stewart (May 17, 2019). "Werner Herzog on Funding His New Film: 'The Only Thing I Haven't Done Is Bank Robbery'". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  10. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (April 23, 2019). "Film Constellation Boards Werner Herzog's Japanese Film 'Family Romance, LLC' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  11. ↑ Hammond, Pete (August 29, 2019). "Telluride Film Festival: 'Ford V Ferrari', 'Judy', 'Motherless Brooklyn', Weinstein-Inspired Drama 'The Assistant' Among Premieres Headed To 46th Edition – Full List". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ Brasor, Philip (October 11, 2019). "Hirokazu Kore-eda talks politics as Japan flexes its movie muscle in Busan". The Japan Times . Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (June 10, 2020). "MUBI Acquires Werner Herzog's 'Family Romance, LLC' for North America, Multiple Territories (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  14. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (June 29, 2020). "Werner Herzog's 'Family Romance, LLC' to Launch in U.S. on MUBI With Special Event (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Family Romance, LLC". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Family Romance, LLC". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  17. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (May 18, 2019). "Family Romance review – Herzog's 'fake family' film is fascinating but fishy". The Guardian . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  18. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (May 18, 2019). "'Family Romance, LLC': Film Review | Cannes 2019". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  19. ↑ Debruge, Peter (May 18, 2019). "Cannes Film Review: 'Family Romance, LLC'". Variety . Retrieved May 21, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.