Crying out Love, in the Center of the World

Crying Out Love, In The Center Of The World

Japanese Title: Sekai no Chushin de Ai wo Sakebu
Release Year in Japan: 2004
Release Year in the U.S.: n/a

Director: Isao Yukisada
Cast: Takao Osawa (Sakutaro Matsumoto), Kou Shibasaki (Ritsuko Fujimura), Masami Nagasawa (Aki Hirose), Mirai Moriyama (young Sakutaro Matsumoto)

Cinematicaly-beautiful and impressively-nostalgic pure love story. The original novel sold more than 3 million copies, and they added a few more twists to make the movie version. 20 years ago, Sakutaro's girlfriend passed away with lukemia. Current Sakutaro goes back to his home town to look for his fiance, Ritsuko, and traces his happy and tragic memory, to find out where he stands now and in the future. Two stories in two different time period is told concurrently, wth strong acting by the main cast and beautiful sceneries, and it surely makes you cry.

The movie was a mega-hit in Japan, grossed more than 8 billion yen in 2004, and was nominated in Japan Academy Award Best Picture.