Sekai no chûshin de, ai o sakebu (2004)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Isao Yukisada

Writers:

Kyouichi Katayama (novel)
Yuji Sakamoto (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 May 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

While searching for his fiancee Ritsuko, Sakutarou rediscovers through flashbacks the void deep within him caused by the events from his high school days.

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Love | Fiancee | Japanese | Leukemia

Awards:

9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Takao Osawa	...	Sakutaro Matsumoto
Kou Shibasaki	...	Ritsuko Fujimura
Masami Nagasawa	...	Aki Hirose
Mirai Moriyama	...	Sakutaro Matsumoto (High School)
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Shigezou Matsumoto
Kankurô Kudô	...	Ryunosuke Ooki
Kanji Tsuda	...	Johnny
Issei Takahashi	...	Ryunosuke (high school student)
Rio Kanno	...	Ritsuko (girl)
Tetta Sugimoto	...	Aki's Father
Katsutaka Furuhata	...	Johnny (high school)
Kenta Uchino	...	Classmate
Aki Nishihara	...	Classmate
Masaru Miyazaki	...	Classmate
Marie Kawaguchi	...	Classmate

Also Known As:

Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World (International: English title)
Crying Out Love, in the Centre of the World (Hong Kong: English title) (DVD title)
Shouting Love from the World's Center (International: English title) (informal literal title)

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG

Company:

Toho Company

Trivia:

Sekai no Chushin de, Ai wo Sakebu, a Japanese romance novel by Katayama Kyoichi, sold over 3 million copies in Japan alone.

Movie Connections:

References Melody (1971)

Soundtrack:

Hitomi wo Tojite

A touching movie

This movie is based on a novel written by Katayama Kyoichi. The first print only limited to 8,000 copies but after Shibasaki Kou (that cast Ritsuko) had read it in a occasion, she was deeply impressed and recommend it on a magazine. Hence the rest is history and it had sold over 3 million copies in Japan which beat the sales record of Norway's forest. Due to the heat of the book, the story had bring into the movie which include the top of the crew in Japan movie industry.

Ritsuko role are only add to the movie and not appear in the original novel and the original "Centre of the world" is not in Australia in the book too. However, this movie still touching my heart as I had a common feeling which as I have pass my youth in the same 80 age like Saku and Aki, where walkman is such a precious thing in that time.

The score is very well done and is emotional moving, the main theme by Hirai Ken is excellently with stirring melody.

I highly recommend this movie but sadly it is not easily available in western country except by internet selling like yes.Asia 9 / 10