School Radio to Major Tom Review
School Radio to Major Tom is a 2020 short film directed by Chisaka Takuya.
School Radio to Major Tom is the kind of viewing experience that you only get to take in so many times in your life, a true gorgeous embodiment of being young and in love while bottling up the perfect kind of nostalgia into one genuine package.
If the opening paragraph wasn’t an indicator enough that this is a great short film, there should be little doubt as you read on here. The decision to make this short film in what appears to be 16mm film stock, or at least some sort of true film stock, was a brilliant one, for it captures a sense of space immediately.
Turning the piece into a heartwarming and at some moments heartbreaking tale of discovering your first love through the use of a radio drama even further cements the beauty at work.
Everything feels so vibrant and full of life and the instant attachment that you garner toward both lead characters is a masterclass in amazing storytelling. In the moments that lead to the ending, you are sure to have that pit feeling at the bottom of your stomach, hoping for the best possible outcome for these two protagonists.
All of this depth, all of these elements all put together within the span of under ten minutes. Not enough good can be said of the great filmmaking and storytelling in place.
If you get the opportunity to watch School Radio to Major Tom, you certainly should. It is a viewing experience that is full of so much wonderment. It may be overstated in this review but so many pieces just all work here and it will be amazing to see the continued progress for Chisaka Takuya and the entire team that made this vision a reality.
This film was screened as part of Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film presented by Japan Society. You can follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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