An older man, a much younger woman and a mystery that surrounds their relationship ¡ª for the Japanese, it¡¯s a familiar story. The woman doesn¡¯t say much, letting her youthful allure and beauty do most of the talking. The man doesn¡¯t say much either; he¡¯s more interested in looking at and pampering her, as if she were an exotic orchid rather than a human being. And the story of their mysterious relationship unfolds against the backdrop of a seaside hotel and its pool, a symbol of desire and obsession.
This film, ¡°Onna ga Nemuru Toki¡± (¡°While the Women Are Sleeping¡°) ¡ª a male-oriented story, aptly set in a male-dominated society ¡ª has created a stir here, partly because it is Wayne Wang¡¯s (¡°The Joy Luck Club,¡± ¡°A Thousand Years of Good Prayers¡°) first Japanese movie, and partly because it is the first time in 12 years that Takeshi ¡°Beat¡± Kitano has starred in a film by a director other than himself. Besides Kitano, the film stars Hidetoshi Nishijima who, according to women¡¯s magazine surveys, is consistently ranked among the top five of Japan¡¯s most desirable men.
Though based on a short story by Spanish novelist Javier Marias, the ambience permeating the film feels distinctly Japanese or at least East Asian. The older-man-and-much-younger-woman dynamic feels more at home in this part of the world. It should feel creepy but somehow it doesn¡¯t, even inviting sympathy and, perhaps, envy of the old man who has managed to capture the affections of a woman young enough to be his granddaughter.
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