The Knot (Yuichi Onuma, 2010): Japan

Review by Tim Lopez. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival 2011

A look into the life of a kind, but troubled housewife whose past has made it hard for her to identify with the people around her, The Knot is beautifully shot and driven by strong performances from each of the leads. The narrative suffers from a slow moving plot and laughable dialogue but Director Yuichi Onuma demonstrates a clear understanding of small town Japanese life and is able to guide the film in an interesting way.

Trapped in an uneventful and depressing life, Ayako (Mukku Akazawa) spends her days running errands for her hard working husband (Masaki Miura) and taking care of his elderly father. Her past catches up with her one morning when she is sent to drop off her husband’s laundry only to realize later that the owner is her former teacher and lover. From here the story unravels as Ayako finds herself torn between the mundane lifestyle she has built for herself and a man she once loved when she was far too young. The story also dives into the life of Keisuke, the laundry mat owner who finds himself in a tough place as he tries to hold his marriage together with his jubilant wife as his lust for Ayako grows.

Establishing a slow pace early on, The Knot builds itself up with moments strange enough to capture the attention of any viewers lost in the dull dialogue.  Often these moments are defined by intense sex sequences intimately directed by Onuma. These moments are also characterized by several instances between Keisuke and Ayako. The two have an odd chemistry that shines through in their first few encounters but eventually appears believable enough and transforms into a disturbingly interesting on-screen romance. A big part of Onuma’s film is not just the relationship with between Keisuke and Ayako, but the relationship each of them tries to maintain with their respective spouses.

Masaka Miura, who plays Ayako’s husband Taro, does an excellent job in this film as the workaholic husband who has a hard time understanding his wife’s needs. While his role is quiet early on in the film, his character develops into a compassionate and relatable man, played wonderfully by Miura. Keisuke’s wife Akane, played by Sou Hirosawa, is also an interesting character. Hirosawa does a good job of portraying Akane, whose colorful and overly nice personality often rubs off the wrong way.

As mentioned previously, the film’s dialogue is fairly weak, but the performances from each other actors really drive The Knot forward. Onuma’s presentation of the overarching theme of trust also plays a key role in making up for the lackluster screenplay. Overall, The Knot fails to cover any new ground but presents a nice looking film with the benefit of solid performances all around.