Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2010

©2010「ふたたび」製作委員会

This film mixes two trusted Japanese genres—shakai mondai (“social issues”) and namida chodai (“tearjerker”)—for an over-the-top tableaux. The social issue is Hansen’s disease (a.k.a. leprosy), specifically how those afflicted by the illness in Japan were deprived of their civil rights and forcibly relocated to sanatoriums. The surviving ex-patients were only allowed back into society in 1996, long after other countries had encouraged reintegration. Futatabi revolves around 78-year-old Ken (Ichiro Zaitsu), who comes to live with his son’s family after being in a hospice since age 21. As a young man, Ken was a promising jazz trumpeter with a band and a pregnant fiancée, Yuriko (Minji). Upon arriving at his family’s home, he sets out with his college-age grandson Hiroto (Ryouhei Suzuki) to find his old mates and play the one gig that got away. Well acted and paced, the story carries the film until the final scenes, which turn up the sentiment a little too high. Still, Futatabi is a worthwhile watch. (111 min)