Turtles are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers

Alternate Title: Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected

Third Window Films

Web: http://www.thirdwindowfilms.com

R2 DVD

Comedy

Japanese with clear English subtitles

This is a delightful little low-key comedy from writer/director Satoshi Miki. His slightly warped view of the world means that his characters are…. well, different. Suzumi (well played by Juri Ueno) is a bored young housewife. While her husband is away on extended business trips, she lives an ordinary and rather lonely life with just her husband’s pet turtle for company. Her husband’s occasional phone calls show more concern for his turtle. Life is so boring and ordinary that she fantasizes that she is becoming invisible. Her best (and only) friend by contrast leads an exciting, active, and slightly deranged life. Suzumi wishes she could have some of her friend’s outgoing nature, but her only attempt at breaking out of her boredom is a new hairstyle.

One day she sees a tiny advertisement inviting her to “become a spy”. Intrigued, she rings the phone number and a few days later she is accepted as a sleeper agent – because of her sheer ordinariness, no one would suspect her of being a spy. She is actually put through a series of tests to prove that she is suitably ordinary. Nobody explains who they are spying for, or what they are spying on. They wait around, being totally ordinary, until the big day when they will be activated. She meets other spies, and gradually starts to form friendships with them. Her dull life is actually becoming a little more interesting.

It becomes even more interesting when the Japanese authorities become interested in her town, investigating rumours that there is a spy ring operating there. In the final hunt for the spies, only Suzumi can save her friends, but she spoils her ordinary image by doing something heroic and getting noticed.

Satoshi constructs his characters to appear ordinary on the outside, but as we get to know them better we find all sorts of quirks hidden underneath, like the noodle cook spy who can make great noodles but just makes “so-so” noodles so he will appear ordinary. You are what you want to be. It is this problem of people trying to be something they are not that carries the comedy of the film, rather than a laugh-a-minute plot. The ending is a little flat, but the rest of the film makes up for it. It is a gentle little film, with excellent cinematography and great acting. Give it a try.

Turtles are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers is presented in 1:85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

This review will appear in Volume 2 No.2 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

If you came to this page directly (and missed our menu), click here to go to the Synergy Magazine front page. (http://www.synergy-magazine.com)