If
Colson Whitehead can write a zombie novel, why not Masaru Sakumoto? Perhaps
because he is written out. The once promising new novelist hasn’t written
anything readable in years, so his publisher demands he introduce zombies into
his low-rated serial. Hoping to spark his stalled creative process, Sakumoto
retreats to a sleepy provincial town, but he finds a whole bunch of cats
instead in Masatoshi Kurakata’s Neko
Atsume House
(trailer here),
which screens during the 2017 Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film in New
York.
Apparently,
NA House is based on a smart-phone
game. Considering the number of cats slinking through it, the game must be a
first-person shooter, but the film is nothing like that. After his brief
initial grouchiness, Sakumoto is actually happy to have all those flea and
rabies carrying strays around. In fact, he even tries to attract more.
Remarkably,
Sakumoto’s dedicated editor Michiru Towada has not given up on him yet. She
keeps schlepping out to beat his latest installment out of him. Despite her shy
demeanor and her sentimental attachment to his prize-winning debut, she is
honest about the quality of his current work. He basically knows it too, which
is why he would rather be the neighborhood’s crazy cat lady. At least, trips to
the local cat specialty store provide a little bit of social interaction with
Yoko, the owner.
Frankly,
NA House must be the best film based
on a video game ever, but we’ll still accept Mortal Kombat as an answer for nostalgic reasons. Regardless, NA House has sensitive and complex characters
as well as an unhurried but purposeful narrative, which certainly set it well
apart from the field. Although the film eschews traditional romance there is
something quite endearing and ultimately poignant about Sakumoto’s relationships
with Towada and the intimidatingly alluring cat store proprietor. You rarely
see these sorts of smart, platonic interactions in movies to any real extent.
That’s another reason why NA House is
so refreshing.
Atsushi
Ito is quietly understated as Sakumoto, which is indeed a virtue. As Towada,
Shiori Kutsuna sneaks up on viewers with the power of her performance. However,
Tae Kimura’s Yoko outshines everyone, even including the cats.
