danjakubik "Midnight Sun" 2006 JapanViewed: July 25, 2007***.5 Very GoodThis film falls into the category of "pure love", which is all the rage, now in Japan. Though the film lacks some realism and details, it is emotionally convincing. A 16 year old girl in Japan has a rare disease where exposure to sunlight can prove fatal. "Midnight Sun" is both a family drama and adolescent romance. The film moves at a very leisurely pace. I was impressed with this film, though not perfect, gets all the emotions right. Plenty of time is allowed for character development and story. The sense of isolation of the girl is quickly established. Unusual for the genre of adolescent romance, we see the involvement of the parents. The director is in touch with real feelings and situations and knows how to express them in a natural way. I felt early on in the film, it would be unique and special. The leading character role is played by a real life musician. This is Japan, so parts of the song lyrics will not quite make sense, but somehow feel right for the individual expressing them.Emotionally, the film succeeds very well, expressing the melancholy and isolation of the girl. The parents and best friend character are well written and acted. The use of humor is effective and helps to balance the film from becoming too sad. Near the end, the film takes a narrative leap, perhaps to save time, but I felt this weakened the film a little. If you're a romantic and feeling based person, you will definitely enjoy this film. I know some will be cynical to this film, which is all about characters, situations and emotions, and lacks a little in realistic details. Overall, this film is better than usual for an adolescent romance-family drama story. I took this film seriously, because it realistically expresses the characters, situations and emotions. Recommended for romantic at hearts of all ages.

kefahuchi Overall I thought that the cinematography stole the show. The story is very moving if you allow yourself to get drawn into it; though I should say I watched it in two sittings and I imagine many will find it too much of a drag to watch all at once.I thought that the father's part made it quite interesting and elevated is above TV movie status. There is a nice balance between the older/younger perspectives which gives the film some much needed depth. Sometimes this was rather laboured (the beach scene near the end) and sometimes it worked perfectly (when he was talking with the doctor).I'm not sure what the target audience is, it seems to be a vehicle for YUI but the incidental music is a lot better than her songs!

filudg90 I got bored the first 30 minutes of the movie...to be frank, I could let myself finish this movie. It would be a waste of my time. I actually tried finishing this movie because it got such good reviews, but the better part of me kept me from it. If you don't get bored easily and are persistent watch this movie. She sings so much that basically it could be her concert. Ever notice that all her music videos are like this...yeah, not hard for her to do this movie. The guy that was supposed to be her love interest was so UGLY. He even had wrinkles he was so old. There are minutes of silence at a time. I began skipping parts during the first couple of minutes. Sometimes, it just shows her staring off into space and thats about it until four minutes later she starts moving her arm or something. Anyway, in short this movie sucked.

Sandpiper-N121PP If you love a nice silly/serious romantic movie... you will probably love this movie. It is all about a young girl with a rare skin condition that will not allow her to go out into the sun. Instead she is left with a life of being awake in the night and staying in the dark corners of her house during the day. At night she will go and play her guitar out in her favorite spot to enjoy being outside for awhile. Sometimes she just stays in and watches this young man from her window. When she finally gets the up the courage to go and see him... both her and his world are changed forever. True romance blossoms but there are changes that must happen to make it work. If you get the chance to see this movie... do not turn it down for it is so very beautiful and romantic. Even though it is short by modern day standards... it will leave a great impression on you for years to come! :)