Hanging out w/Hikari

hanging out with Hikari, writer/director of the wildly entertaining, deeply moving, truly transcendent Rental Family, after last night's Film Independent screening at AMC Century City, which resonated with SO MANY of the themes of my debut memoir Killing Justice, especially Abandonment, Belonging, & Forgiveness...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pqP6ClcE8...Hikari’s Rental Family is an ode to all the people out there who are lonely, grieving and in pain, a lesson on how healing comes from within, and a reminder that we are alive. It’s irresistibly human, and it’s the best film of the year. Japanese filmmaker Hikari and her cowriter Stephen Blahut create remarkably honest characters, each with their own issues and specific journeys through a narrative that is thoroughly engaging. “Rental Family” is a touching story of respect, love, aging and the addictive need to be connected to others. Brendan Fraser, as a sad man who finds his own joy in bringing it to others, continues his bravura third act. One of the most endearing and heartwarming movies to come along in quite a while, RENTAL FAMILY, starring Brendan Fraser as an American actor living and working in Tokyo, reminds us of the importance of human connection. RENTAL FAMILY finds the perfect balance of comedy & drama, but its real strength is the authentic human joy that permeates the entire story. A beautiful and meditative film on connection, family, and culture. Not once does it approach any of its characters with judgement. HIKARI's lovely script and directing helps continue the Brenaissance! We all just want to be seen. This movie fundamentally understands, with clear eyes, why that’s true of all of us, no matter our age, our experiences, or where we come from. And for that reason you should see Rental Family… it does things exceedingly right in funny, touching and vital scenes of actors learning the value of teaching empathy in performance and in life. My reaction: Godspeed. Anchored by the perfectly cast Brendan Fraser, "Rental Family" is a sweet tale that packs an unexpected emotional punch. Fraser, through Phil’s sympathetic eyes, helps us see beyond our Western aversion to such high-stakes cosplay and ultimately embrace a culture’s mechanism, however convoluted, that endeavors to scatter the stigma of loneliness and rejection. Rental Family is one of the most heartwarming and humane films of the year, with wise and touching insights into the connections that make life meaningful and the fear of being hurt that holds us back from trusting each other. Rental Family is a beautifully executed and heartfelt story of finding family where you least expect it. HIKARI continues to cement herself as one of the most empathetic filmmakers working today. Brendan Fraser’s sweet crowd pleaser packs an unexpected, poignant punch. Hikari delivers an entertaining and moving film that benefits, to some extent, from Brendan Fraser's superb performance to reflect on loneliness, the acting job, and what it truly means to belong when human empathy still exists. Rental Family has more layers and bite than the marketing material suggests, as it’s an effective melodrama about cultural loneliness, authenticity, and ethics. The ending is profoundly cathartic in the kind of restrained way that resonates far beyond the final moments. Come for the intriguing premise, stay for the lingering insights…there are many intriguing and thorny moments where it's as if a fantastic Fraser is playing the chaotic good version of Nathan Fielder from The Rehearsal. It's this that ensures it cuts a bit deeper. “Rental Family” shines as a love letter not just to the nature and culture of Tokyo, but also the people there, who collectively face extreme stigma around mental health and therapy. Hikari doesn’t shy away from some of the moral thorniness. How do we know that our actions will represent our intentions, when so much of what we feel is deeply internalized instead of being communicated out loud?.. wholly unique and utterly refreshing in scope...a dramedy that proves a charming surprise balancing poignancy and humor with rare delicacy.