User reviews

A difficult subject of the loneliness and desolation of growing old when you are on your own and aggravated by a social & government encouragement of sacrifice any financial burden on the younger generation because you are now not contributing to society (this is not actual circumstances but we may not be far from it yet). It follows the story of 3 main characters (it actually touches much more than 3 different roles/characters in the story) of how this government funded Plan 75 (which because of it success, it is being considered for lowering from age 75 to 65!) is being marketed like a 5-star flan with compensation of money to use before volunteering to die, the gross act of dyibg itself in mass partitioned premises, the disposal of the bodies possessions, mass cremations and ashes lanong in landfills. The main 3 characters include a 78 lady who faces life alone and has to decide to choose the Plan or not, a young guy who markers the solan and a worker who has to handle the dead bodies and their possessions. It's a slow moving story but a hauntingly rewarding one. Remember - if you are lucky, you grow old. Even if you have children, you may be lonely. Even if you have friends, they may die first. A thought provoking story indeed.

'Plan 75', the feature debut of Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa, which premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, is an imperfect and shattering movie, one of those films whose idea and theme will follow viewers long after they have finished watching. The film addresses one of the most acute problems of Japan and many other developed countries - the downward demographic curve caused by the aging of the population, with catastrophic consequences for society and the economy. It is quite remarkable that the film describes this problem in a dystopian setting, but the attention of the script and the director is constantly directed towards the human dimension of the characters and the story.

In the near future or perhaps even in an alternate present, the Japanese government adopts 'Plan 75'. Anyone over the age of 75 has the right to free assisted suicide. Not only is the program funded by the government, but an unconditional bonus of ¥100,000 is also given to each senior who chooses this path. The elderly - many of whom struggle with the hardships of life, the limitations of age and especially loneliness - are also given psychological assistance. The program is excellently organized and enjoying success. After all, sacrifice is in the Japanese tradition, and what is more noble than shortening one's life for the benefit of the common good, relieving the state of the burden of maintenance and thus ensuring an easier future for the young today?

Three main characters are followed in three parallel narrative threads, the connection of which takes place towards the end of the film. Himoru is a government official who convinces the elderly to enroll in the program and helps them fill out the necessary forms. Maria is a foreign worker from the Philippines who ends up being employed in the institution where the final stages of euthanasia take place. Michi is a single woman who at 78 years old struggles with life's hardships, works to support herself and is in danger of being evicted from her home. Enrolling in 'Plan 75' is a desperate solution for her, due to economic and social pressure. All of the acting is excellent, but Chieko Baisho's as Michi is the most impressive. In fact, this part of the narrative is the most coherent.

The film has undeniable cinematic qualities, including some memorable shots. However, the thematic is even stronger than the artistic achievement. It is a very Japanese film in atmosphere, characters, style of interpretation, but the problems it raises are universal. The Western conception that life is more valuable than anything else is being questioned. What is the scale of values of a society that prefers shortening - even in comfortable conditions - the lives of the elderly instead of easing them through care in their final years? How are elderly people dealing with loneliness? How 'humane' is assisted suicide? Isn't the very idea of suicide against human nature? 'Plan 75' manages to trigger these questions in the minds of the viewers without rhetoric or melodrama, by telling the stories of truthful characters, who win the empathy of the viewers. This is a debut film that has already achieved well-deserved international notoriety.

A slow, bleak, and ultimately decent film, Plan 75 apparently belongs in the science-fiction genre, but it's one of those uncomfortably realistic and plausible sci-fi movies that is far from fun or adventurous. It barely even feels like it takes place in the future at all, following several people in Japan who are all involved with a new government program that encourages elderly people (who exceed the age of 75) to end their lives via euthanasia, apparently because of overpopulation concerns.

Not only is the premise bleak, but the slow pace also ensures this is a hard watch. It kind of makes you sit and feel discomfort at the whole thing, and never really suggests that there's much hope for some kind of upbeat conclusion. It's all very muted and quietly sad. I don't think that makes the film boring on it's own, but there was something lacking to make it hit a little harder or feel a bit more engaging. The slowness and uneasiness was definitely intentional, to a certain extent, but I also can't say the approach grabbed me all the time.

But it's decently made and looks at something that I fear could come true, to some extent. It's dark and sad without being a tearjerker, or having much of an emotional release. It's overall probably one of the hardest types of movies to watch, and while I didn't love it, I respect it.

With the ever ageing population putting considerable pressure on the resources of the Japanese government, they pass legislation that will allow any citizen over the age of seventy-five to apply for an assisted suicide programme. They will get $1,000 and an all expenses paid, group, cremation. "Hiromu Okabe" (Hayato Isomura) is a young man charged with the administration of applications and he encounters "Michi" (Chieko Baishô). This is a lady still pretty sound of mind and body, but who is alone. She feels her existence is a burden, her home is soon to be demolished and it's fair to say that she sees little purpose in continuing to go through the motions. The young man also encounters an elderly gentleman - his estranged uncle "Yukio" (Take Takao) who is of a similar state of mind and although he cannot deal with this case directly, this triumvirate of individuals serve as a potent conduit for some thought-provoking cinema. "Hiromu" treats 'Plan 75" (curious that it is titled and branded in English) as a job. He has little personal investment in any of his clients - until, that is, he faces some personal conflict. Meantime, "Michi" has been chatting to a young lady who is on the telephone for support purposes and gradually their chatting leads to a bond and perhaps she begins to have doubts? As the threads gather together the film starts to become faintly silly - the ending is flawed on quite a few levels for me - practical and philosophical, but this story still offers us food for thought as we consider just how arbitrary age is when we evaluate suitability for things. Society uses it all the time - when we can start doing something and when we ought to stop. It rarely, if ever, looks at the particulars of the individual - it just makes simplistic generalisations. This film goes some way to challenging that perspective and though I was quite disappointed with it's lack of focus and slightly meandering narrative, Baishô and Isomura deliver well and it's certainly something to think about.

I really like the premise of this film. Given Japan's problems with an ageing population this was the perfect country for this movie to be set.

I feel though that it was a missed opportunity. This is because there was no real in-depth conversations about why the country needed to introduce Plan 75. Similarly it wasn't shown how the country was benefiting from it.

No one debated the morals and ethics of it either.

I kept waiting for people to discuss the core issues of Plan 75 but it never came. Instead we see people living depressing lives who consider Plan 75 because living has become so hard.

Why not have someone who is doing quite well but shocks their family by choosing Plan 75 because they see it as doing the right thing for the country?

Or show some young people that need medical attention but cannot get it because all the medical resources have been consumed by the elderly and hence why Plan 75 has become so important.

Anyway I really wanted to like this movie but unfortunately it missed the opportunity to delve into the deeper aspects of what Plan 75 would mean.

By a large margin, Japan is the nation with the oldest population in the world, which has dire economic consequences in the future. Director/screenwriter Chie Hayakawa drew on this burgeoning reality and fashioned this quietly provocative 2022 character drama based on the dystopian idea of Plan 75, a government program that gives people 75 or older the option of euthanized suicide. It's a macabre (though not far-fetched) concept that Hayakawa cleverly turns into a subtle thriller based on the power of mass suggestion. The main protagonist is Michi, a lonely 78-year-old hotel cleaner who suddenly loses her job and her home, making her a prime candidate for the program. There are other key characters - a young, conflicted Plan 75 employee and a Filipina service worker who helps dispose the remains - but the focus is primarily on Michi played affectingly by Chieko Baisho. To its detriment, the film has a relentlessly somber tone. It could've benefited from a few scares or even laughs. There were just too many lengthy silent shots of Michi contemplating her fateful decision.

I enjoyed Plan 75, it's a strong commentary on ageism. Humans are so much more than the benefit or drain they have on a society. The few individuals who took the time to get to know a senior in the film, found this out. Is a society that doesn't take care of its elderly and poor really one worth living in? I personally think assisted suicide should be available for those suffering. At the same time the way the government in the film drove the elderly to death was disgusting. I think the ending gives hope that humanity is not truly lost. We can still wake up and recognize each other's value as humans.

The opening scene of "Plan 75" is very scary. It consists of a suicide attack on a Japanese nusring home to draw attention to the fact that elderly people (in the eyes of the perpetrator) put too heavy a burden on the Japanese economy and the younger generations.

After this shocking opening the film slows down. The Japanese government starts a program in which citizens from age 75 onwards can opt for free euthanasia. The film folows two participants and three employees of this program.

The film deserves high praise for the courage to select such a controversial topic. Speaking of the Dutch context, beginning with a situation in which euthanasia was only possible in the last stage of an incurable illness the scope of euthanasia has grown wider and wider. As a result the judgement of the patient has grown in importance versus the judgement of the physician.

In "Plan 75" there is no judgement of a physician at all. Everybody above 75 who wants an euthanasia can get it for free. It then becomes crucial that the free will of the participants really is their free will, and in this respect the film succeeds in sowing the necessary doubt. The main motives of the two participants are poverty, loneliness and a feeling of guilt towards the younger generation. The first two may result from cuts in government spending on social welfare, the last one has more to do with social pressure than with free will.

Maybe even more interesting than the participants are the employees of the Plan 75 program. In the film there are three of them: a recruiter, a call center agent and someone sorting out the belongings of the already dead participants. What is it like to recruit someone for his own dead? What sort of people have 5 minute conversations with participants with the explicit assignment to prevent withdrawals (to which participants are legally entitled) at all costst? The disturbing answer is that the employees are normal, even nice, people doing their job and earning a living. It nearly reminded me about what Hannah Arends had to say about the banality of evil.

Only when they are confronted with an ethical complication the employees wake up and begin to ask themselves questions. In the film the recruitment employee gets his own uncle as one of his clients and the call center agent meets with her own client in real life (what the program strictly forbids).

As I said at the beginning of this review, after a scary opening scene the tempo of the movie slows down. One can even ask the question if it doesn't slow down too much. I am not a fan of movies going in the overdrive, but this movie presents a very controversial topic in a way that makes it almost natural. On the other side one can also argue that this is precisely a strong point of the movie. It is for everybody to decide for oneself on this issue. I have not made my final judgement on this point yet.

In my reviews I like to make comparisons with other movies. For "Plan 75" a comparison with "The ballad of Narayama" (1958, Keisuke Kinoshita & 1983, Shohei Imamura) is very obvious. These films are about the Japanese mythical custom of "Ubasute" in which an elderly person (in the films of age 70) is carried to the top of a mountain to die. The elderly people in these films are putting pressure not so much on the social welfare system (the films are situated in the middle ages) but on the food supply.

Given the above comparisons one can wonder if "Plan 75" is a film specific to the Japanese context. I am afraid it is not. Yes, Japan is one of the most aged countries in the World, but it certainly is not the only aging country. Yes, the Japanese people do have a collectivist culture with a tradition of self-sacrifice for the group. Remembering the discussions around old people occupying an intensive car bed during the Covid crisis also this sentiment is not only applicable in Japan.

"Ten Years Japan" (2018) was a film that had some interesting ideas, but largely felt like a collection of pilot ideas to be explored further; quite predictable and obvious in its themes. "Plan 75" by Chie Hayakawa was the opening short in the collection, looking at a euthanasia solution to Japan's ageing population problem. And it was a good enough short, that didn't dig too deep or offer a huge amount in terms of new ideas.

Fast forward four years, and Hayakawa has developed the idea further in a feature film, that while exploring the difficulties of such a solution in practice, perhaps feels a little light in its exploration of the idea.

Michi (Chieko Baisho) signs up to the Plan 75 programme, a government scheme to financially reward the elderly if they agree to be euthanised on turning seventy-five in a bid to help reduce Japan's ageing population problem. Approached like signing up for a life-insurance policy, it is more of an admin-heavy process than a deep emotion decision.

Receiving regular, fifteen-minute calls from her assigned counsellor Yoko (Yuumi Kawai), the pair develop something of a bond and meet against the programme's rules. Michi starts to lament the choice she has made, as anyone would, though appears happy to continue with her original choice, as if too much of a burden to change the situation now.

Much like the short before it, this is a very slow-paced film, using minimal movement, dimly-lit and with a sparse soundtrack. As such, it is a slow and largely silent film. Hayakawa's use of silence is perhaps the most impactful element of the film, allowing the audience to reflect on this possible future scenario.

The problem with this lack of action, however, is it does allow the audience to drift into their own thoughts, some scenes flying-by without notice. There is some good filmmaking here, but perhaps better suited to a shorter runtime. Over its whole length, it doesn't do enough to fully engage the audience.

It highlights many of the challenges of such an idea: the possibility of changing your mind; employees having to handle their own relatives; not growing attached to those who are soon to die, but these are presented more as administrative challenges, and while handled tactfully, not with any great depth. Most of these are problems you would have naturally considered yourself when posed with the idea, and so don't particularly challenge your thoughts on the situation. Its relative objectivity and slow-pace doesn't pose enough questions or offer enough answers to a controversial idea and social problem.

Areas such as Filipino employee Maria (Stefanie Arianne) being told that taking the recently deceased's personal items home - as they've now passed and it means less waste - is presented at face-value and not explored as a moral dilemma. And Okabe's (Hayato Isomura) wanting to give his uncle a proper funeral is only started at, but never furthered.

This, therefore, has ideas that have been tackled before and doesn't offer a huge amount in new perspectives. The only real protest shown to the idea is the faceless throwing of objects when setting up a sales stall. It's met with a routine response. There is social comment in this, living in a society where such a scheme would be met with such a lack of emotion. We have perhaps all become too detached from one another in a world determined by statistics and targets. But overall, this doesn't offer enough of a voice to those involved.

But the silence does hang heavy in some scenes and is where the most impact is gained. On conclusion, it is something of a deafening silence, allowing us a moment of reflection. Perhaps what this offers most is the opportunity to contemplate at length what we already know: that one day, we will die.

Politic1983.home.blog.

As a longtime and avid consumer of Japanese media, I have noticed over the years the decline of good storytelling in movies and television. I don't know why, especially when the subject matter is interesting or thought-provoking. This is the problem with "Plan 75", which had so much potential and could have been told as a biting social-commentary drama or a horrific dystopian sci-fi tale (think Soylent Green).

The twin challenges of dealing with an aging population combined with low birthrates are nothing new to Japanese audiences or even in other Western countries. And so the premise that a government would resort to a drastic measure to manage the problem, on the face of it, doesn't seem all that much beyond the realm of possibility. That's the underlying idea of "Plan 75", and precisely because it is plausible makes it all the more intriguing.

Unfortunately, the execution of the story was very flawed. The screenplay is the main culprit - it fails in many ways that an experienced script writer would have noticed or avoided. For one, most of the characters - despite all around good performances by the actors - are too shallowly painted to allow the viewers enough time to empathize with them. There were also some strange choices to focus or not focus on certain character backgrounds that really did not help to relate them to the audience.

Another problem is the narrative flow of the movie, with multiple threads that merge at the end but did not result in any meaningful pay-off. "Babel" (2006) did this much better, and I would suggest viewers watch that to see how weaving different story lines into a cohesive conclusion is done right. Unfortunately for "Plan 75", instead we get disjointed subplots that could have been much better explored and which at the end feels forced and unearned.

And finally there's the overarching logic of the story - there does not seem to be any. On too many occasions, characters inexplicably do things that do not make sense. Yes, people can and do make irrational decisions. That's not the issue here. The problem is that in the movie, without some kind of logic that viewers can relate to (even flawed logic), key actions are simply head-scratching and we the audience are left simply either guessing or confused in a bad way. That's not an artistic or provocative technique; it's just not very good storytelling.

I would normally give this movie at best two stars, but I added another two stars only because of the actors and the timely issue being addressed.

Science fact often follows Science fiction, so Chie Hayakawa's 'Plan 75' could be a useful warning! The subtly-told Japanese drama is made to look like a documentary, about a government scheme offering senior citizens the option of being euthanized to re-balance the ageing population. The story is set at some undefined point in the future, but tbh could easily be now!

The story is told ingeniously through 3 main character arcs. Mishi (played by Chieko Baisho), recently turned 75, has been invited to join the scheme, Himoru (Hayato Isomura) is one of the bureacrats involved in administering it, and Maria (Stefanie Arianne), an immigrant in Japan, takes a job preparing corpses for cremation in order to pay for her daughter back in the Philippines to have heart surgery. Their lives inevitably cross paths, and Hayakawa's film shows the moral dilemma each faces.

Practices on 'Plan 75' quickly become normalized, quite chilling! For example, "interviews" are conducted in a government office that could easily be a job centre. Everything is 'voluntary' of course ... but is it, really? It was also clever that in at least 2 parts of the film, there were sporadic protests, objects hurled "off camera" at posters advertising the scheme. AI robots will run the world, but there may be things humans just won't do!

Hayakawa shows that decisions don't exist in a moral vacuum, so the film's protagonists kick back, eventually though. And wonderful Mishi remains defiant and optimistic to the closing shots of the film ... highly recommended!

Plan 75: A future Japan where the elderly are offered voluntary euthanasia to deal withe strain of an ageing population. They'll even throw in free cremation and interment. As the narrative unfolds though we see there are subtle pressures placed on older people, they are still working into their 70s, even at manual outdoor jobs, they lack security of tenure in their homes. They are not made into Soylent Green but even their last moments lack the dignity which was offered in that film. They also face violence, the opening scene a middle- aged man shoots his wheelchair bound parent and then commits suicide. The widespread nature of the threat is subtly alluded to. While senior citizens are seen as disposable, immigrant Filipino workers are used as cheap labour as caregivers. Some deeply personal stories are related as characters challenge roles which seem preordained. It's a plausible scenario as Plan 75 also offers a kind of Anti-Samaritans talkline where lonely old folk may discuss their woes. A disturbing film which ypu will mull over long after the credits have rolled. Directed and co-written by Chie Hayakawa. 8/10.

I swallowed it as a pure social literature. However, the frequent use of metaphor is now a direct metaphor, and I had the impression that the film was not very good at all. I recommend this film to those who like movies that make you think. MAYBE.

Moving capitalist nightmare!

You have to watch this. It is playing at festivals.

By grounding itself in Japan's reality of an aging population and low birth rate, "plan 75" quickly and effectively departs from its so-called fantasy genre (i.e this is not actually happening) which is rooted in a right-wing government for 70 years into a full-fledged capitalist right-wing future (or is that now? Because the right-wing government is already discussing this) which makes watching it so emotionally engaging.

Anyone who watches this and does not despise the right-wing must be blind and deaf (a.k.a. Capitalist).

Fascinating theme: Euthenasia and can you offer people to end their lives at the age of 75 for financial reasons? I had hoped for an understanding of Japanese thinking on the problem of ageing, but I was presented with a film that was extremely slow. A lack of depth did not compensate for this. The fixed position of the camera man in a shot is starting to irritate, to say the least.

The lead actress is the only bright spot in the film, her doubts fueled to the last by the positive human contacts are endearing and beautiful. Nice theme but poor technical elaboration. The cinematographer received a special mention in Cannes, but for what exactly is completely unclear to me, if the mention ensures that more films are filmed in the same way then I fear the worst. Finally, I was pleasantly surprised by seeing Japanese culture and behavior, it gave me insight into the way Japanese deal with complex issues.

Where the only thing that matters is money, income, profit, material productivity and of course a work force that is available for exploitation by corporations (cheap able bodies).

This film from Japan is a cautionary tale.

It is really good to see a film that addresses humanity and depicts a story that shows humans are more than a right-wing function of GDP and GNP' They are a resource just by virtue of their experiences and not because they can pay taxes.

The acting is serene and pensive. Overall, a contemplative movie and a successor to An...............................................................................................................

The film disappointingly overlooks the opportunity to delve into the underlying reasons and consequences of the growing ageing population in its failure to address the crucial issue of the increasing demographic challenge faced by Japan - the fertility rate is below the replacement level. This critical concern could have been thoroughly examined within the film's narrative. Understanding the complex factors contributing to Japan's low birth rate is crucial to comprehend the social and economic implications that stem from an ageing population. By delving into the societal pressures, cultural shifts, and economic challenges that influence reproductive decisions, the film could have shed light on a pressing issue contemporary Japan faces. A missed opportunity indeed.

Moreover, exploring the far-reaching repercussions of this demographic shift would have added depth and relevance to the film. The burdensome strain on the healthcare system, pension funds, and social welfare programs are all real-world consequences of a rapidly ageing society. The film had the potential to address this social fallout and project a cautionary tale for real-world Japan, underscoring the urgency for policies and initiatives to tackle the impending crisis.

Intertwining these themes within the film's narrative, could have prompted viewers to contemplate the intricate relationship between demographics, societal dynamics, and the future well-being of a nation. Unfortunately, the filmmakers overlooked these critical aspects. The film's failure to address the underlying reasons and consequences of Japan's ageing population leaves a void in its narrative. By delving into the causes of Japan's low fertility rate and exploring the resulting social fallout, the film could have offered valuable insights and stimulated meaningful discussions. Regrettably, it falls short of fulfilling its potential and leaves audiences craving a more thought-provoking and socially aware exploration of this pressing issue.

By grounding itself in Japan's reality of an aging population and low birth rate, "plan 75" quickly and effectively departs from its so-called fantasy genre (i.e this is not actually happening) into a full-fledged real future which makes watching it so emotionally-engaging.