Original Title: 日本語 自分自身になる方法 | How to Become Myself
Release: 2007
Country: Japan
Director: Jun Ichikawa
Running Time: 97 Min.
Cast: Riko Narumi | Atsuko Maeda
Written by Miguel Douglas
Published: 12.14.07
How to Become Myself is a fascinated film that delves into the outwardly perceptible tendencies we all suffer from. Director Jun Ichikawa is quite the mastermind behind creating exceptionally thought provoking films such as Tony Takitani and Tokyo Marigold and his latest cinematic excursion promptly continues this tradition.
Chronicling the life of two teenage girls and their constant struggle with their exterior performances, How to Become Myself is a very intimate examination of adolescent (adults as well) behavior measuring how we regard ourselves to be perceived by our peers and the outside world. Juri Oshima (Riko Narumi) and Hinako Hanada (Atsuko Maeda) are two junior high school students who could be quite the opposites; Hinako is seemly the most popular girl in her class while Juri deems herself an “in between” individual—neither popular nor unpopular. When an unfortunate occurrence arises with the end result involving Hinako losing her social status, she is forced to become a scorned individual within her class. When both Juri and Hinako are separated due to attending different high schools, Juri reminiscences about her fellow peer and decides to text her through the use of her cell phone. When Hinako unexpectedly responds, the two begin to form an unlikely friendship through the use of cellular technology.
How to Become Myself is a very engaging film that tackles issues that are very apparent to anyone who has ever had the “honor” of attending high school. For one, it takes a look at the class hierarchy that is so prevalent in the Japanese (really universal though) educational system. We witness the tremendous stress and perpetual discrimination that students such as Juri and Hinako face in their every day life, and how they must cope with it. In order to adjust to these hardships, the two protagonists detach themselves from their true identities, thus creating new ones to fit the mold of their current situation. For example, with the divorce of Juri’s parents, she is distraught and torn, yet she creates a cheerful identity to mask her true feelings regarding her relationship with her mother and father. It is these examples of character examinations and development that make How to Become Myself a truly genuine film.
Director Jun Ichikawa, as always, delivers a visceral film experience. He directs How to Become Myself with such sufficient detail so apparent in each scene, it’s a beauty to behold. Of the films many highlights, the cellular text scenes are a standout: Ichikawa bridges the visual responses of this scenes so well one becomes encompassed by the shear intimacy in which he constructs them. No doubt the painstaking detail is what essentially complements “How to Become Myself” and raises it above current films that deal with similar subject matters. Jun Ichikawa delivers a subtle and engrossing visual experience.
Overall, How to Become Myself is a truly enthralling film. The two lead protagonists, played by Riko Narumi and Atsuko Maeda, are absolutely convincing in their portrayal of the teenager angst filled high school students who are trying to find their way through life, desperately depending on one another for guidance. It’s this engaging plot, brought forth so subtly by director Jun Ichikawa that makes How to Become Myself a film to watch.
