©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
The intricacies of human connection in an ever-evolving technologically-driven society is a fascinating case study in the sci-fi genre. The movie, The Real You, explores how that bond impacts not only their own emotions, but also society’s overall development.
Filmmaker Yuya Ishii based the feature on the 2021 novel of the same name by Akutagawa-Prize winner, Keiichiro Hirano. Ishii wrote and directed the screen adaptation. The drama tells its story in Japanese with English subtitles. Sosuke Ikematsu, Ayaka Miyoshi, Yuko Tanaka, Koshi Mizukami and Satoshi Tsumabuki star in the movie.
Set in a disturbing near-future, The Real You follows government leaders who have instituted an elective death program. The incentive benefits participants and their survivors. But factory worker Sakuya Ishikawa (Ikematsu) discovers that the world has advanced beyond the simple culling of aging citizens.
During a troubling experience, Sakuya attempts to rescue his mother, Akiko (Tanaka). He tries to save her after she was swept up in a rainstorm that was caused by the climate crisis.
©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
During the rescue attempt, Sakuya slips into a coma, and awakens a year later. When he regains consciousness, he discovers that his mother has died, as she became another elective death recruit. He’s also devastated to learn that he was replaced at his job by automation.
In order to find purpose again, Sakuya’s criminally inclined friend, Kishitani (Mizukami), offers him a new opportunity. So Sakuya becomes a real-life avatar stand-in for a variety of clients through digital gear. But malicious clients can ultimately threaten his livelihood if he’s unable to complete unethical and illegal acts on their behalf.
To help protect his life, Sakuya becomes acquainted with Masato Nozaki (Tsumabuki), who works with virtual figures. He decides to reanimate his mother. That way, he can find out why she decided to end her life without telling him.
Much like its source material, the new film combines classic sci-fi apprehension over the rise of artificial intelligence with realistic worries over dark family secrets. Under Ishii’s direction and adaptation, Ikematsu infused his portrayal of Sakuya with a realistic desire to be reunited with his beloved mother. The actor also highlighted his protagonist’s admiration for his mother unease over virtually resurrecting her in a world overpowered by artificial intelligence.
Besides Ikematsu’s performance, The Real You combines the near-future–set science fiction with a melodramatic sense of satire. The story explores how society diminishes the value of elderly citizens. The screen adaptation also explores the negative effects of how technological advances and virtual reality replace workers.
©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
While heavily based in the sci-fi genre, The Real You grounds itself in realism through details that are also reflective of modern culture. When the protagonist visits the AI company, he’s initially wary of their technology. The company, like modern artificial intelligence, thrives on altering the details of a photo. That way, the company can present a seemingly happy moment between Ishikawa and Akiko, which differs from the protagonist’s memory. The photo’s editing blurs the authenticity of the happiness in the mother and son’s relationship, in an effort to prove that they were happy together.
The drama also uses AI as a way for Ishikawa to reconsider the complexities of love, in both a familial and romantic sense. Not only does the protagonist respect and miss his mother, he also becomes drawn to the character of Ayaka. She takes on the looks of one of Ishikawa’s high school classmates, who he was romantically interested in. Ishikawa views his new journey as not only a mission to seek vengeance for his mother, but also offer him a second chance at romantic love.
The Real You screen adaptation captures the novel’s poignant sense of character development and storytelling as it explores how AI skews society’s sense of honesty and identity. The technological advances in the film also magnify the gap between classes, which contributes to the loss of human connection.
Ishii and Ikematsu infuse the movie with an authenticity that was first captured by Hirano in the novel. Both the book and its screen adaptation succeed in taking a nuanced stance on technological advancement. They both grapple with – and provide insight on – the fundamental question of whether technology can bridge or widen the gap in human connection.
©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
The Real You had its North American Premiere on July 11 during Japan Cuts.
Overall: B+
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Here’s the trailer of the film.