Twelve options deep right into a filmography now stretching again virtually 25 years, the work of director (and often author) Koji Fukada can broadly be outlined by an curiosity within the phantasm of stability or momentum being overturned by one single choice or occasion altering every part for the core characters, usually a household unit. In his Un Sure Regard prize-winning “Harmonium” (2016), the welcoming of a former acquaintance into a pair’s dwelling units off a devastating chain response. In “A Woman Lacking” (2019), a house nurse for the aged turns into a pariah through a media circus after her nephew kidnaps the granddaughter of her major affected person. And in “Love Life” (2022), a tragic accident early within the runtime crumbles the superficially peaceable existence {that a} couple thought that they had constructed for themselves.
In Fukada’s new movie, “Love on Trial,” a alternative is the catalyst for disruption, however in distinction to many of the director’s earlier dramas, the place the game-changing developments are often devastatingly abrupt, the repercussions in “Love on Trial” are recognized nicely upfront, looming over the protagonist’s life like an axe overhead. A movie of two distinct halves, roughly the primary hour of “Love on Trial” is spent exploring the explanations that somebody may need to throw away every part they’ve been working in direction of, regardless of figuring out all too nicely what sort of issues will ensue. Based mostly on the film’s English title alone, you’ll have already got a way of how easily issues go as soon as the selection is made.
Conventional household items are absent for this specific Fukada drama (which is co-written with Shintaro Mitani), although the continued onscreen absence of referenced mother and father truly proves distracting by a sure level within the runtime. The main target is as an alternative on a discovered household of types: a pop group in Japan’s idol trade.
Our lead, Mai (Kyoko Saito), is a part of the five-member group Pleased Fan. Or Pleased Fanfare. At the least within the English-subtitled model screened for this evaluate, the switching between the 2 names all through the movie makes it unclear as as to if the previous identify is an abbreviation of the latter, or the latter an in-jokey, affectionate extension of the previous. A second late within the runtime appears to lastly verify that Pleased Fanfare is their official title in advertising, however then complicated issues additional is that at one level, a lorry promoting the group’s business breakthrough drives by with the phrases, ‘This Is New Fanfare.’ This may increasingly look like a pedantic tangent concerning the subtitling, nevertheless it does contribute to a basic sketchiness current in Fukada’s realization of this world. Generally the dearth of element in portraying the fictional pop group comes throughout as if budgetary constraints are accountable; different occasions, it appears like storytelling steps have been fudged in favor of shortcuts.
Mai is joined by bandmates Himena, Minami, Risa and Nanako; the latter two she additionally lives with in a Tokyo house. Of their current appearances, together with a fourth anniversary present for choose followers that opens the movie, Mai is positioned entrance and middle of their routines, although on-line suggestions suggests their viewers would far desire for Nanako — the bubbliest and seemingly youngest member of the group — to be given a better focus. Nanako actually appears to be the most well-liked lady within the after-show meet-and-greet, with one grownup male fan telling her he purchased 50 CDs in an effort to assure a ticket for this specific occasion.
Regardless of inspiring sufficient cultish devotion to promote out this intimate present that evidently required followers to seek for golden tickets, Pleased Fanfare continues to be a decidedly small operation 4 years in. With the best way the idol trade works, that’s not essentially unusual for teams who’re that far into their existence. Nevertheless it undoubtedly looks as if being on the perpetual cusp of a wider breakthrough is attending to the more and more disillusioned Mai. And if the truth of being even a C-tier idol already includes a lot scrutiny about what you say and the way you work together with folks, think about how it could be if you happen to truly cracked the large leagues. Enter: That loopy little factor known as love.
An opportunity encounter sees Mai reunite with a former college classmate, Kei (Yuki Kura), who scrapes by as a mime and magician whereas dwelling out of a van. Regularly getting nearer to him however withholding from appearing on simmering romantic emotions, Mai is restricted in pursuing relationships because of her contract. In the actual world exterior of this movie, there have been circumstances lately the place Japanese idols have been sued by their administration firm for violating the ‘no relationship’ settlement, which is meant to protect the ladies’ ‘pure’ photos in order to extend their variety of followers. In a single specific case, the defendant lady was ordered by a decide to pay a number of thousand yen in damages.
Mai’s reticence to deliver up her emotions together with her bosses — performed by Kenjiro Tsuda and Erika Karata — is barely heightened by the net furore that happens when there’s a touch of Nanako being shut with a preferred male YouTuber; a locked burner account on social media proving removed from impervious when obsessed followers are concerned. However when the fallout of that uproar — “She betrayed me,” says one Nanako superfan — results in a fair better violation of the ladies’ security in a public setting, the stage is ready for Mai to comply with her coronary heart as an alternative of her contract. Regardless of the intense nature of the incident in query, administration insists on sustaining their promotional commitments. In one of many movie’s extra chopping moments regarding Pleased Fanfare’s standing, one of many ladies remarks that this menace to their lives being everywhere in the information is the primary time that they’ve ever been on TV.
As beforehand talked about, “Love on Trial” is a movie of two distinct halves, nevertheless it’s greatest to withhold an excessive amount of description of the second hour’s proceedings, together with the precise nature of Mai and Kei’s circumstances in courtroom eight months on from the primary half’s timeline. In execution, this part of the movie is uniformly stronger than the extended setup. That’s true of the writing, with extra nuanced particulars rising with the supporting characters; specifically, Nanako and Risa, whose respective investments in Mai’s potential success in preventing their administration results in some touching conversations.
It’s additionally true of the movie’s basic aesthetic, which higher fits the isolating courtrooms and backrooms of the second half. Fukada’s tendency in direction of muted colour palettes and pretty unflashy cinematography — Hidetoshi Shinomiya (“Drive My Automobile”) is his DP right here — has served him nicely for the milieux of earlier movies like “Harmonium.” However in “Love on Trial,” whereas there could also be an intention to deconstruct the projected glamor of idol pop, the largely drab colours and particular framing selections for pictures as an alternative contribute to that aforementioned sketchiness within the world-building surrounding this fictional group. If not one second of this pop life is ever made to appear glittering and energizing even earlier than issues take a flip for the more severe, it’s tougher to purchase into not solely why Mai needs to keep it up, however why she was truly drawn to the profession within the first place.
That’s no knock on the singing or dancing of the ladies, and as a former idol herself, Kyoko Saito as Mai brings in just a few efficiency particulars which might be palpably drawn from a spot of private resonance. Nevertheless it’s curious that Kei’s work is made to really feel extra enchanting than even a second spent within the popstar world. The movie’s lone temporary flirtation with fantasy over naturalism is available in an early showcase of one in every of his routines that, funnily sufficient, looks as if it would slot in a music video.
Grade: C+
“Love on Trial” premiered on the 2025 Cannes Movie Pageant. It’s at the moment looking for U.S. distribution.
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