'We Made A Beautiful Bouquet' REVIEW: A blossoming romance that blooms at the right time
‘We Made A Beautiful Bouquet’ REVIEW: A blossoming romance that blooms at the right time
Masaki Suda as Mugi Yamane and Kasumi Arimura as Kinu Hachiya in We Made a Beautiful Bouquet. Taken from the film’s MUBI page banner
It’s not often I get entranced by romantic dramas, but when they do, they surely leave something to ponder and linger in my thoughts. We Made a Beautiful Bouquet is a love story that knows its audience well and treats them with care and respect. The film follows the love story between Mugi (Masaki Suda) and Kinu (Kasumi Arimura), and their five years filled with monumental love along with the trials and tribulations of sharing your life, both physically and emotionally, as twenty-somethings trying to survive each day. The story is anchored by the meet-cute premise of the two trying to catch the last train home at Meidaimae Station in Tokyo, and starting a burgeoning friendship right then and there, which eventually leads to something more.
With this premise, it’s a daunting task to maintain the audience's interest in the stale chemistry premise that is built in the film's first act. Fortunately, Yūji Sakamoto, the film’s screenwriter, who also wrote Hirokazu Kore-eda’s critically acclaimed 2023 drama, Monster, allows the audience to understand what makes Mugi and Kinu fall in love with one another.
Mugi and Kinu sitting on the train. Taken from the Japanese Film Festival website
The little moments that are present in the early days of a relationship are there. The awkward moments playfully fall into place and heighten the chemistry between the two, as well as the references to their favorite things that make them who they are separately and collectively, such as the books, movies, and music that seem to hold their love and friendship ever so tightly. The film is strengthened by the screenplay that cares for us to get behind their love, and not feel hastened about the romance the story presents.
Even the moments that may seem cheesy feel earned because right from the get-go, the magic that lies within Mugi and Kinu’s relationship is planted with a steady foundation, thus making the romantic and friendly gestures feel earned.
Mugi and Kinu taking a selfie with a film camera by the shore. Taken from the Japanese Film Festival Website.
It feels like I’m experiencing a relationship that changes and grows over time, through the good and the bad. We Made a Beautiful Bouquet presents a balanced view of the highs and lows of relationships, without making either side feel stagnant or burdensome, further driving the motivations between the two parties on whether to end or stay in the relationship in the long run.
In those five years, we see Mugi and Kinu, as a couple, grow from feeling idealistic as college students trying to make it out alive, and then entering the workforce and sustaining their lifestyles in the little apartment that they have built for two (oh, and also their cat named Baron). A relationship is nurtured with love and care under the direction of Nobuhiro Doi. There is comfort in how this romantic drama takes the basic premise to heart without any pretenses, allowing the film to stand out, rather than getting lost in the shuffle of similar stories.
We Made a Beautiful Bouquet was screened last February 2, 6, and 8 at the Shangri-La Plaza Red Carpet Cinemas as part of the Japanese Film Festival 2024. The film will also have additional screenings in select cinemas. For more information such as screening schedules and venues, check out the Japanese Film Festival website.
