• エゴイスト (Egoist)

5/4/23 (Thurs)

The handsome, buff and gay Kosuke has left a poor and closeted life in the countryside and become a successful fashion consultant in Tokyo, complete with fabulous wardrobe, a gorgeous condo and a close gay circle where he plays the sophisticate. We come to realize that he’s also terribly lonely; having lost his mother at a young age, he yearns for the human touch.

**Spoilers ahead**

When he hires a personal trainer, Ryuta, he unexpectedly falls for him, and they begin a relationship. Kosuke’s efforts to help – and perhaps, subconsciously, impress – the economically struggling Ryuta by passing him money and gifts only embarrass the latter. One day, Kosuke is shocked as Ryuta suddenly announces that he is breaking off the relationship. Ryuta tells him tearfully that he has a side job as a sex worker to earn money for himself and his mother and cannot continue to lead Kosuke on – basically, he can’t afford to fall in love. Kosuke begs him in despair to stay, offering to pay him ¥100,000 a month to be his exclusive sex hire. He phones him relentlessly in a desperate attempt to change his mind. Ryuta eventually gives in, and they begin an idyllic relationship, though the financial disparity remains – Ryuta works menial jobs washing dishes and such, while Kosuke even buys Ryuta a car at one point. Kosuke gradually becomes close with Ryuta’s mother, albeit introduced as a friend. When Ryuta fails to show up one day for a drive, however, everything changes. The devastated Kosuke tries to stay close to Ryuta through the mother, behaving similarly by passing her unwanted money and gifts. In the end, the mother appears to show an understanding of his good intentions, and Kosuke gains the mother’s love he never had.

The film is an intelligent exploration of serious themes. Egoist (the Japanese title uses the English word) seems an unfair title: it should be Clueless, as Kosuke seems unaware of how his intended generosity to the lowly poor is coming off. The emotionally guarded Kosuke truly wants to help the younger Ryuta, but cash is the only way he knows how. It is unfortunate that this key theme is not explored to its fullest. It’s not even clear at the end that Ryuta gets it at all. In a broader sense, the question could apply to society’s approach to the poor, throwing them money as if that were the only answer.

The director throws in numerous explicit sex scenes to prove, I suppose, that these guys are gay, but I wonder if they are all necessary. Kosuke needs Ryuta emotionally more than physically, and we get the idea after the first go-round – actually, well before the end of that go-round. Sex is not the only part of a gay relationship. The scenes seem gratuitous after a while, especially those involving Ryuta’s escort services. That said, the actors, who I assume are straight (gay actors would be too scared to touch these roles), plunge into it with impressive gusto, a la Cornered Rat.

A bigger problem is Ryuta’s death, which comes out of nowhere. It is never fully explained why a perfectly healthy 20-something would suddenly die in his sleep. It emerges more a plot point than an organic story development. I imagine that Ryuta’s dropping of money earlier was supposed to be a foreshadowing, but that setup was insufficient to make much sense. The mother’s cancer diagnosis was more convincing in context, though the film ends at a strange point with no real resolution.

Still, the film is saved above all by the strong acting. Suzuki Ryohei and Miyazawa Hio as the gay couple and Agawa Sawako as Hio’s mother were all first rate. Ryohei really caught the fey style of a wannabe erudite gay, especially in his conversations lording it over his circle of gay friends. (What a contrast from his equally superb stage performance as the macho ruler in Mishima’s Terrace of the Leper King.) His emotional breakdown late in the film was well handled, and he offers interesting character tics like the way he dresses his eyebrows when he is tense. He was best known in films as the buff star of Hentai Kamen (Masked Pervert), so I wasn’t prepared for the subtlety of his performance here.

Hio also gave a terrific upbeat portrayal without any of the stereotypical gay mannerisms, which I really enjoyed. (I suppose that accounts for the “LGBTQ+ inclusive director” on the staff. Not sure what that + is for.) His character was underdeveloped in the context of the story, maybe to keep the focus on Ryohei, and the film would have benefited from a fuller portrait. But his positive take on the character was refreshing and credible. (It should be said that it was a bit hard to imagine the skinny Hio as a trainer – the muscular Ryohei should have been training him.)

Agawa was best of all as the mother in a wonderfully understated and true-to-life portrayal that adeptly manages to avoid being mawkish, especially toward the end.

While the story would have benefited from being more fleshed out, it is thought provoking and examines highly interesting themes. The stellar performances all around make this worth seeing.