Heavenly Forest

Yet another fantastic Japan movie!

Also known as Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru or Just, I Love You, Heavenly Forest is yet another artistic approach to the beauty of love. Directed by Takehiko Shinjo, the predictable storyline took on a twist that makes it both refreshing and engaging.

Makoto is a lone ranger for almost his entire life because of his complex inferiority. He thinks that people would shun him out of their lives because of his secret. So he has been keeping a distance from crowds and spends most of his time on his own in the world of photography.

On the first day of university, as he walks to the campus, he meets Shizuru. She dresses funny, talks funny and acts funny. Perhaps it's for the very same reason that he finds himself slowly opening up to her and they become friends.

Also from the very first day, Makoto has a crush on Miyuki whom is the beauty queen of the class. However, he doesn't approach her. He is afraid that he might be rejected. To his surprise, Miyuki invites him to join her group of friends for lunch one day. And so, their relationship begins.

There's something about having two girls and a guy in a love story. We, as the audience, could almost always guess who the guy ends up with. But that's beside the point. The whole idea of watching a movie is to find out how the story unfolds till it reaches the conclusion which we sometimes already have in mind. The process is the beautiful thing to be watched and admired.

Heavenly Forest is rich with colours to bring out the passion which both Makoto and Shizuru share in photography. The photos which accompany this movie are superbly beautiful. It's no wonder that character Shizuru as a professional photographer is believable in the story; She who fell in love with photography through Makoto also realised that she is in love with the guy himself.

Another rich element is the dialogues. Keep close attention to the words spoken by the characters. The director did a good job in making sure that the visual doesn't work too hard in engaging audience by choosing really powerful words for the characters that bring out their expression and emotions without coming on too hard. Somehow, you'll know that Shizuru is in love without having her to say that.

This adaptation from the novel is truly a must-watch. It would leave you feeling all the love in the world. And suddenly, you will find yourself craving for true love. Suddenly, you would believe in the power of love. Suddenly, you will feel empowered to love even more. That's the power of this movie. Besides the handsome actors and beautiful actresses, of course!

Highly recommended!