Director Gus van Sant is well known for touching dramas such as the Oscar winning "Good Will Hunting" and this offering is one of his most underrated films. Following a grief-stricken widower who wanders around an isolated forest with a mysterious stranger, the film takes a hard look at what led our protagonist to where he is and also gives insight into accepting death, love and the process of grief.
With only three core players in the cast, the setting of the forest, Aokigahara, in Tokyo we really spend most of the time with the characters of Arthur Brennan (Matthew McConaughey) and Nakamura Takumi (Ken Watanabe) while we are provided with flashbacks that outline the relationship between Arthur and his wife, Joan (Naomi Watts).
Matthew McConaughey's performance as Arthur is an enigma when we first him as we follow him when heading into Aokigahara. We learn early on that Arthur is an academic professor; specifically a science instructor. While Arthur may not have too much trouble applying his intelligence to his students, the same cannot be said of his treatment of his wife, Joan, which is a tumultuous roller-coaster at best. As the story progresses we are given insight into his life with Joan which comes off as loving and happy until we see the two argue when left alone and it's clear there are issues with their marriage. There may have been love in the relationship at first, but the marriage is clearly troubled except in the fate of imminent tragedy we see how devoted Arthur really is to Joan despite how angry he and Joan have been towards each other. McConaughey taps into Arthur's hidden sadness by slowly revealing the reason he has come to the forest, his actions are equally reckless as Arthur wallows in grief; unable to cope with how to process his feelings. The film's climactic reveal of Joan's passing absolutely packs an emotional punch as McConaughey pours his heart out in how Arthur feels that he did a disservice to his wife while she was alive, but learns from Watanabe's Takumi that Joan's spirit is with him despite how upset he had been with her in the past and with himself.
Supporting players Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts also bring their best to the story as they are integral to the Arthur's journey. 1. Watanabe as Takumi is first introduced as a rambling lost soul in the forest, just as lost as Arthur is. As he travels along with Arthur, Takumi begins to probe into Arthur's past though the latter is reluctant to divulge much and just wants to die. Takumi's persistence pays off as Arthur's kindness prolongs Takumi's own wish to die (and begins to undermine Arthur's own death wish). We don't learn until late in the film why Takumi's wistful encouragements about Joan's after-death presence end up so true. 2. Naomi Watts's performance is used sparingly, but provides the film's ending gut-punch. As Joan, Watts is smart and sophisticated as she is an academic like her husband, but she is plagued with demons. Despite her and Arthur's academic education, she is jealous of her husband's past success and to cope with her frustration with Arthur, Joan becomes an alcoholic. Arthur is quick to blame Joan for her behavior while she points the finger right back at his lack of affection or interest in her feelings. When Joan becomes sick, we start to see how little both Joan and Arthur really know about each other. We get to see them banter back and forth trying to learn about each other, but tragedy cuts their potential happiness short. The audience gets to share in Arthur's grief at losing Joan, but also get to see him change and feel a closeness to his late wife that didn't exist while she was alive.
The narrative does take some time to get moving as the camera tracks Matthew McConaughey through the forest and little of the plot is revealed. Once Ken Watanabe's Takumi is introduced and also the flashbacks to Arthur and Joan's marriage commences, the story does get more interesting and gets to the heart of why McConaughey's Arthur is in Aokigahara. It's easy to stay stone-faced for the majority of the run-time, the tears will start to well up as Arthur pours his heart out to Takumi and then learning how Joan died finally hits hard especially for anyone who has had such a tragic loss.
With only three core players in the cast, the setting of the forest, Aokigahara, in Tokyo we really spend most of the time with the characters of Arthur Brennan (Matthew McConaughey) and Nakamura Takumi (Ken Watanabe) while we are provided with flashbacks that outline the relationship between Arthur and his wife, Joan (Naomi Watts).
Matthew McConaughey's performance as Arthur is an enigma when we first him as we follow him when heading into Aokigahara. We learn early on that Arthur is an academic professor; specifically a science instructor. While Arthur may not have too much trouble applying his intelligence to his students, the same cannot be said of his treatment of his wife, Joan, which is a tumultuous roller-coaster at best. As the story progresses we are given insight into his life with Joan which comes off as loving and happy until we see the two argue when left alone and it's clear there are issues with their marriage. There may have been love in the relationship at first, but the marriage is clearly troubled except in the fate of imminent tragedy we see how devoted Arthur really is to Joan despite how angry he and Joan have been towards each other. McConaughey taps into Arthur's hidden sadness by slowly revealing the reason he has come to the forest, his actions are equally reckless as Arthur wallows in grief; unable to cope with how to process his feelings. The film's climactic reveal of Joan's passing absolutely packs an emotional punch as McConaughey pours his heart out in how Arthur feels that he did a disservice to his wife while she was alive, but learns from Watanabe's Takumi that Joan's spirit is with him despite how upset he had been with her in the past and with himself.
Supporting players Ken Watanabe and Naomi Watts also bring their best to the story as they are integral to the Arthur's journey. 1. Watanabe as Takumi is first introduced as a rambling lost soul in the forest, just as lost as Arthur is. As he travels along with Arthur, Takumi begins to probe into Arthur's past though the latter is reluctant to divulge much and just wants to die. Takumi's persistence pays off as Arthur's kindness prolongs Takumi's own wish to die (and begins to undermine Arthur's own death wish). We don't learn until late in the film why Takumi's wistful encouragements about Joan's after-death presence end up so true. 2. Naomi Watts's performance is used sparingly, but provides the film's ending gut-punch. As Joan, Watts is smart and sophisticated as she is an academic like her husband, but she is plagued with demons. Despite her and Arthur's academic education, she is jealous of her husband's past success and to cope with her frustration with Arthur, Joan becomes an alcoholic. Arthur is quick to blame Joan for her behavior while she points the finger right back at his lack of affection or interest in her feelings. When Joan becomes sick, we start to see how little both Joan and Arthur really know about each other. We get to see them banter back and forth trying to learn about each other, but tragedy cuts their potential happiness short. The audience gets to share in Arthur's grief at losing Joan, but also get to see him change and feel a closeness to his late wife that didn't exist while she was alive.
The narrative does take some time to get moving as the camera tracks Matthew McConaughey through the forest and little of the plot is revealed. Once Ken Watanabe's Takumi is introduced and also the flashbacks to Arthur and Joan's marriage commences, the story does get more interesting and gets to the heart of why McConaughey's Arthur is in Aokigahara. It's easy to stay stone-faced for the majority of the run-time, the tears will start to well up as Arthur pours his heart out to Takumi and then learning how Joan died finally hits hard especially for anyone who has had such a tragic loss.