In 2022, Makoto Shinkai released his 8th feature film Suzume. Suzume follows the titular character who encounters a handsome, somewhat older, stranger, named Souta Munakata, who is looking for old ruins in her town. After directing him to the ruins, Suzume follows him only to find a strange door whereupon she can see another world though she cannot enter said world. Once back in her high school she gets an earthquake warning, and sees a strange red plume that only she can see. After chasing the plume she re-encounters the man who is struggling to shut the door. They close the door but Suzume accidentally sets in motion a chain of events, including an unfortunate curse on Souta, that causes the pair to go on adventure to save the world and perhaps heal Suzume in the process.
Per usual, Makoto Shinkai is able to elevate any story with gorgeous visuals, and once again he’s done that with striking images of the city, an increasingly common feature in his films, and of course the countryside Shinkai so loves to depic. Alas though the imagery is top notch as always, this film doesn’t quite ring like his previous works.
Perhaps what was lacking most for me, and this is key for any Shinkai film, was a true development of clear chemistry between the leads. By now there’s an expectation of some sort of relationship or love that will form, and though the age difference already felt like an impediment, what held this back for me I think was the sheer brevity of their experiences together, no matter how much trauma bonding they might do through the film. Suzume’s initial interest seems quite surface level, as perhaps a teenager’s might, as she follows Souta initially sheerly it seems due to his beauty. We do get some connectedness overtime, especially as the two attempt to solve the curse; however, it never feels like love in a way that the end of the film seems to want you to feel.
What I do still love is the strong characterization of Suzume, who is an incredibly heroic protagonist who, though one could argue is doing much of this for a man, finds plenty of time to work on herself and ultimately has to make choices that put her and others above Souta. Though I do not see it often in critics reviews, I do occasionally see questions about Shinkai’s portrayal of the primary love pairings, and whether the girls and women are richly painted as characters. I feel usually Shinkai succeeds in this, though he probably drifts too close to pixie dream girl if anything, in this film I think he has one of his best female characters yet.
Returning to positives Shinkai’s continued partnership with Radwimps, now their third feature film together, has delivered yet again some beautiful songs that perfectly sing over some of the crucial moments of the films. Though these needle drops can feel a little pointed I imagine for some, I think they are perfectly applied.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of any Shinkai film post-Your Name in particular is that he’s set such a high bar even he cannot clear it. Though he nearly did with ‘Weathering with You’, ‘Suzume’ alas offers the familiar that we love without quite pulling it off to Shinkai’s usual level of greatness. Maybe it’ll grow in my estimation with future viewings, which is something I’ll have to see. Either way, I won’t be shutting the door on any future Shinkai films, as even his missteps rise above most of his peers.
