EGOIST -- Sad Days Are Here Again

Review by Joseph Fayed

Egoist doesn't ask its audience how one should process grief, but instead how you live with it when it is all you have known. This heartbreaking Japanese queer drama puts emphasis on personal tragedies. But with its depressing themes comes a great challenge, a script that deserves to be more mellowed out, and with certain rushed plot points, it feels the opposite was happening. 

Mr. Kosuke (Ryohei Suzuki) is now an openly gay fashion magazine editor in Tokyo. Growing up, he lived in fear of his true identity and lost his mother, too. He meets Ryuta (Hio Miyazawa), his new personal trainer, and the two grow very close. He soon meets Ryuta's mom and feels a connection to her, just like he had with his mother. Then, one day, Mr. Kosuke receives news no one expected that puts deeper meaning on the relationships he has. 

One of the best things the film offers is the romance between its two leads. The strong chemistry between Suzuki and Miyazawa is present throughout. Opposites, especially in social classes, rarely attract, contrary to what popular culture has taught you. However, there is sincerity presented between the two main characters that causes sparks to fly and doesn't feel cheesy. Mr. Kosuke's sheer generosity towards Ryuta is not met with any third-party opposition. I could see how one would find this boring, but those scenes of them being cute together carry you through most of their relationship and the best parts of the film. 

What the film doesn't properly address is its mommy issues. Everything centered around Ryuta's mother unleashes chaos — and not the fun, campy kind. Her introduction serves as the moment when the pacing of this queer romance becomes too rushed for enjoyment. Her character as a whole feels shooed in almost. The little buildup in anticipation of her on-screen arrival contributes to this feeling. Her introduction, set over a homemade dinner, needed to happen before the end of the first act as her son's key characteristic, that he had a mom he was very close to, remained an afterthought for far too long. 

Death is another topic this film has absolutely no idea to approach. It's implied Mr. Kosuke has been through hell and back in his life, so when another death occurs in the climax, we begin to see him crack. This film takes the title from most horror films for a most unexpected death. But it's unintentionally hilarious how melodramatic Ryohei Suzuki's acting becomes from this point forward. His reaction to this untimely loss doesn't feel like the cathartic release he's been waiting for. It comes across as constipation with two tears — one from each eye — for dramatic effect. Still struggling to keep up with the pace in the latter half, the grim reaper decides to make a more drawn-out departure for another character. At least this one could be blamed on illness, but Mr. Kosuke and his kiss of death illicit heartbreak one last time.

Egoist is a film that is held back by grief and family. Its romance had strong promises but intertwined with plot devices that are too rushed, everything falls apart. This being a queer romance doesn't mean it's entitled to have a happy ending, but its major shift wasn't even becoming too bleak. It was just too weepy to function — a true ego death. 

Egoist is now in theaters.​

Rating: 2.5/5