Fuku-Chan of Fuku Fuku Flats (2015) Heartwarming comedy-drama hiding genius casting (Review)

Yosuke Fujita (Quirky Guys and Gals & Fine, Totally Fine), writes and directs his latest film with an enviable simplicity that film is the awkwardly titled Fuku-Chan of Fuku-Fuku Flats. In which the titular Fuku-Chan is a portly 30-something man contented by the simple day-to-day routine of a construction worker and a home life surrounded by his nearest and dearest; a status that sees him with the dual status of carer and friend to some of the more emotionally and mentally challenged occupants of Fuku-Fuku flats. As pleasant an existence as that is, that placidity is a mask that hides his crippling fear of Women. On the other side of this coin is Chiho (Asami Mizukawa), a seemingly unrelated woman who is trying to kickstart a career in photography with the help of the delightful absurd Great Nakamura.

Fujita composes the film with a tone not too dissimilar to Fuku-Chan’s relaxed approach to life, easy-going and with patience. Initially, the film opts for an episodic outlook with Fuku-Chan and his friends moving from one minimalistic set-piece to the next. One or two episodes for Fuku and one for the alternating Chiho.

At around the 45-minute mark, the stories of the two leads form into a whole as a consequence of the fallout of Chiho’s calamitous experience with the aforementioned gonzo photography savant. It’s only when he has a random encounter with a restaurant owner that the full picture is revealed and the question as to why Fuku-Chan constantly sabotages his stuttering love life is drawn into focus. A bridging point with a sequence that wouldn’t be out-of-place in one of Third Window’s satires of the education system.

That injection puts an end to the listless heart of the opening hour, introducing a more potent and consistent sense of humour into Fujita’s third feature. Even without any comedic intent, the dramatic arc develops with a quiet humanism – all of the characters are true to their established story. A world away from other films that would make insincere jokes out of its mentally ill characters, every development feels true to the rules that Fujita establishes for each character, no matter how deep their idiosyncrasies and foibles go. This very same film that owns a panty thief struggling with reform and firmly of the belief that he is being spied on and another whom is lonely to the extent that he bought a snake for company, Fuku-Chan never goes for the easy option.

As is often the case with the hybridization of comedy and drama, drama takes pole position in Yosuke Fujita’s third feature – using the theme of karma to satisfying ends. Be that as it may, that is not to say that the comedic persona is either overlooked or lacking. Fuku-Chan is wickedly funny in a way that will be instantly appreciable to lovers of the absurder end of British comedy. There is one tent-pole scene which got a bigger laugh than countless contemporaries combined, a scene which sees a curry dish at a restaurant escalate in Partridge-Esque fashion to a life or death situation. A scene so perfectly realised that it’s unlikely to be bettered in 2015. While Fujita doesn’t often reach that amazing height, there is almost clockwork precision whereby you are guaranteed a big laugh every 15 minutes.

There is one elephant in the room that has yet to be discussed and it’s featuring so late into this review because of how seamless and subtle it is within the film and that is the titular role of Fuku-chan. Even if Fuku-chan is a male role it is not acted out by a man, female comedian Miyuki Oshima of comedy troupe Morisanchu. Even if it is instantly apparent that the role has been filled by a woman, that is not a thought that lingers long. Forgotten as soon as it’s noticed, Oshima performs with a humble honesty that is disarming and more importantly charming to the point where you fall a little for Fuku-Chan, breathing life into the film beyond its 100-minute run. She is the heart of the film and she beats loud and proud.

A charming, beautiful, simple and endearing film from Third Window in their second role as producer. While not an overly complex or challenging film, and it most certainly isn’t going to win any awards outside of Miyuki Oshima’s loveable and charming turn. To paraphrase the result of Chiho and Fuku’s reunion, sometimes feeling humble, happy and content is enough – in that Yosuke Fujita’s third feature is a heartwarming success.

Thanks for reading our review of Fuku-Chan of FukuFuku Flats

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