In his debut feature 'Vicissitude,' 27-year-old director Takuro Ijichi uses the story of a high school baseball player in Kagoshima Prefecture to urge viewers to rediscover childhood curiosity and awe. The film shines brightest when it surrenders to pure feeling.
Takuro Ijichi's 'Vicissitude' is a debut feature filmed in his native Kagoshima Prefecture, using the struggles of a high school baseball player as a lens to ponder life's priorities. The protagonist, Gaku (played by Machuri Saigo), is a taciturn and tense teenager aiming for a pro baseball career. He endures a grueling training regimen and bullying from an older teammate, Michizoe (Konosuke Furuya), while sidelining friendships and a classmate's romantic interest.
At 27, Ijichi wears multiple hats as writer, editor, and cinematographer, crafting a ravishing tone poem that evokes golden-hour reverie. The film enchants most when it embraces pure emotion, though it risks faltering in explanatory moments.
Inspirational themes about recapturing childhood curiosity avoid fatuous clichés, striking a right balance unlike some works by Coldplay or Paulo Coelho. This first-time effort invites viewers to reflect on lost wonder.