Topless (2008)

The ever-lively and upbeat Natsuko tries to mend a broken heart by carrying on with a string of short-lived affairs after her break-up with Tomomi. But when Tomomi announces her plans to ... See full summary »

Director:

Eiji Uchida

Writers:

Pudding Watanabe (based on a story), Eiji Uchida (screenplay)

Stars:

Mina Shimizu, Erika Okuda, Aya Ohmasa

Cast

Cast overview:
Mina Shimizu	...	Natsuko
Erika Okuda	...	Tomomi
Aya Ohmasa	...	Kana (as Aya Ômasa)
Sô Sakamoto	...	Koji
Hako Ohshima	...	Noriko
Ryûnosuke Kawai	...	Kenta

Storyline

The ever-lively and upbeat Natsuko tries to mend a broken heart by carrying on with a string of short-lived affairs after her break-up with Tomomi. But when Tomomi announces her plans to marry - a man - Natsuko becomes inconsolable. While all this is taking place, Natsuko's straight male roommate is grappling with his own feelings for her, and a young high school girl comes to Tokyo searching for the mother that long ago left her for a female lover. Each character - queer, straight, male, female, young, old, and in-between - struggles to make peace with him/herself as all their lives overlap. This story captures the power of young love, and the web of the city

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Plot Keywords:

lgbt issues | break up | gay parent | lost love | activism | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The director, Uchida, lived in Brazil as a child. The title "Topless" comes from his experience of often going to the beach with his mother, where she (and all the other women) took her top off. It is meant as an invitation to lesbians to breathe more freely, which is more or less also the attitude of the main character.

User Reviews

Lively, sensitive, true to life, happy little film

The ever-lively and upbeat Natsuko tries to mend a broken heart by carrying on with a string of short-lived affairs after her break-up with Tomomi. But when Tomomi announces her plans to marry - a man - Natsuko becomes inconsolable. While all this is taking place, Natsuko's straight male roommate is grappling with his own feelings for her, and a young high school girl comes to Tokyo searching for the mother that long ago left her for a female lover. Each character - queer, straight, male, female, young, old, and in-between - struggles to make peace with him/herself as all their lives overlap. This story captures the power of young love, and the web of the city.

I didn't know what to expect when I got it, the sleeves looks like a pinkish movie, but the story on the sleeves sounds more serious. After watching it I was really glad I did. I didn't know the director, and I wondered..is it a she? Feels like a she, but it's a he: the writer is a she, and a lesbian: They worked closely together. But as a director he has a real nice touch of approaching the subject. Mending your life, coming to terms with you feelings, coming to terms with the way you are, who you are, a little lesbo-emancipation mixed in to it. And no pinkness involved. Lovely little film all in all. A real life story, opening your eyes for Japanese Lesbian life, told with liveliness and wit, with serious undertones without disturbing the feel good touch

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

7 June 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

TOPLESS

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scarecrow, Tokyo Sakura Print

Technical Specs

Color:

Color