Be with You (2004)

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Just a short amateur Review of this Movie: First i'd like to say, that i'm not a really big fan of Lovestories, but when i was watching this Movie (please! watch it in original Language (Japanese!!)), i just thought it is worth every single Cent! On the Movie itself: It has a slow build-up (don't know if this is the correct English term) but speeds up more and more till the end, where i was just overwhelmed.I can recommend this Movie to everyone! It's one of the best movies i've seen in the last 10 years, and i truly can say that i saw a way too much Movies! Also those who only pretend to watch Actionmovies and Thrillers like "The Expendables", "Blow", and "Lord of War" should take a look on this one.

I never thought this film would pull me through! But I got to develop the faith right from the beginning for this film. From the start I never get that instantly pulled. I thought of the preliminary portions to be weak, dense and unconvincing. Surprisingly, while the film progresses it gave me a pinch to watch it more thoroughly. I saw Takumi's (Nakamura Shidou) character unfold. He was weak, careless and looks dumb-witted, but his love for his only child and wife is unquestionable. I saw his son Yuji, whom I thought in the beginning, was a different person (considering he's already 18 during that time—I got temporarily confused). He was an innocently, kind-hearted child who loves his father very much and yearns for his mother's care. Mio (Yuko Takeuchi) was the wife of Takumi, whose character seems complicatedly mixed in the life of the father and son. I found the story really interesting. I never imagined there are lots of stories in Japan as beautiful as this. I love the simplicity and uniqueness of the story. How it begin, how it progressed, how it elevated and unraveled all the lingering questions about the characters and the situation. I love the characters, the life they've created. I also didn't expect Nakamura Shidou to play the part. He was for me a stiff character, playing the roles of serious man, but this changed my viewpoint to him as a potential actor capable of playing well any role given to him. This is the first time I saw Yuko Takeuchi. I wouldn't really consider her acting here superb, but nevertheless she played her part very well. I can see well how she acted the mother she would be for Yuji. Overall the film is indeed very good. I have to admit it touched me deeply. I didn't even expect I have all those tears rolling in my face when Mio said her goodbyes to Takumi in the near end! Gosh since "The Notebook" and "A Walk To Remember" this story made my heart jerk and let my eyes cry till it subsided. I recommend this to anyone who loves unique, though not that very captivating, simple but beautiful story to watch and seat how the story unfolds. One may not like the characters as how they played their part, but the story is worthy enough and may change your mind about the characters.

This film, like most other Japanese human dramas I've ever watched, is somewhat slow paced but I like its poetic representation. What I liked the most was its brilliant plot that told audiences the greatness of love through surprising turn-over. This film is really deeply touching and heartwarming. Although the story of this film is unrealistic fantasy, I'd like to recommend this film to everyone and even to those who love the realistic human dramas.One thing that bothered me a little was the casting of Shido Nakamura as Takumi, the male lead. In fact, what bothered me was not his performance but his aggressive images that I happened to built from my previously watched films where his role was a scary karate fighter (in Fearless) or a tough general (in Red Cliff) or a cold blooded lieutenant (in Letters from Iojima). It was a little shock for me that Shido Nakamura was playing Takumi who tended to be so gentle, shy and even wimpy. Despite Shido Nakamura's good performance, I couldn't stop his aggressive Yakuza-like images being overlapped on Takumi and it eventually made the beginning part of the film the Beauty and the Beast-like-fairy tale for me. However, I think all the actors in the film including Shido Nakamura, performed fairly well and it went well with the story. If you had not yet watched Shido Nakamura's acting performance other than in this film, you would surely be surprised by his drastic change in his other films from a shy office clerk to a cold blooded fighter who throws deadly karate chops. ;-)

Doi Nobuhiro began his career directing a string of successful Japanese TV melodramas such as the poignant student-teacher romance "Majo No Joken" ('99) and the emotionally charged "Beautiful Life" ('00). Doi's beautiful storytelling style easily won over audiences and it was just a matter of time that he would bring his skillful talents to the big screen.Based on the tearful novel by Ichikawa Takuji of the same name, "Ima Ai Ni Yukimasu" (Lit. I Will Go To You AKA Be With You) was Doi's first foray into movies and is a deeply touching and romantic film that is a definite winner.As many here at IMDb have noted, while the story does seem somewhat sentimental and melodramatic at points, the story is beautifully told and will have you believing in the power of love and destiny."Ima Ai Ni Yukimasu" pulls at the heart strings with its slow and methodical presentation at showing the developing love between the two lovers, Mio and Takumi.Nakamura Shido (Yamato, Letters from Iwo Jima, Ping Pong) and Takeuchi Yuko (Ring) are fantastic and enchanting as the destined lovers and have a magical chemistry on screen. Takei Akashi is a bit overly cute as young Yuji but is likable.The supporting cast is also superb with the talents of 'You' (the derelict mother from "Dare Mo Shirenai" AKKA Nobody knows) and Ichikawa Mikako (Natsuko Aki from "Cutey Honey").Not surprisingly, an American remake is being planned (2007) entitled "Be With You" and is set to star Jennifer Garner in the role of the "Mio" character. Whether it will have the same emotional impact as the original remains to be seen. For now audiences should seek this gem of a movie out. A perfect film for lovers especially on Valentine's Day.