Movie Reviews: Arc

2 Hrs 7 Mins

Rating

★★★★

Duration

2 Hrs 7 Mins

Movie Digest

The movie is based on Ken Liu’s short story and explores the cause and effect relationship between immortality and human existence. Rina, a young artist, is the central character in the story. After securing a job, she meets her mentor, Ema, who specializes in the plasticization process. Rina becomes the first subject of her younger brother’s invention, which allows him to gain immortality. The movie explores the concepts of eternity and humanity, as well as why people exist on this planet. Kei Ishikawa developed this movie, which is wonderfully photographed and poses fascinating topics.

The Feel-Good Part

The movie asks the audience crucial and thought-provoking questions. Even though the movie is about immortality, the screenplay tells a more personal tale, which is the movie’s most appealing aspect. Rina’s personal growth and how immortality influences her perspective and life path are central to the story. Ishikawa also raises significant concerns concerning the life and death cycle and immortality. We can witness major character growth, particularly in Rina. Rina is a timid and fearful young girl who becomes confident and smart as the movie progresses. Her journey is worth watching for two hours. The performers have delivered excellent performances. The performances of the senior actors are outstanding.

The Disappointing Factor

The movie appears to be considerably more cerebral than the title suggests. Many scientific words are used in the movie’s first half, confusing the viewers. The notion of plasticization, an essential subject, is not adequately described in the movie. While the movie’s character development is remarkable, there are a few ups and downs that the narrative does not fully explain. The young actors could have performed better.

In-Depth Analysis

The movie is well-directed and goal-oriented. Kei Ishikawa has executed this film’s narrative wonderfully; the plot is precise and straight to the point. The movie’s objective was to provoke the audience to think about the cycle of life. The narrative revolves around the heroine, Rina, a young aspiring dancer. She lands a job in a cosmetic company called Bodyworks, where she meets her mentor, Ema, who works in the department of plasticization. We can see the display of a great bond here, which the actors have proved through their screenplay. While all this is happening, Rina’s brother develops a technology to immortalize humans. To this, Rina turns out to be the first participant. The narrative is scientifically rich, raising concerns about human existence, the cycle of life, and how fragile it is. Throughout the movie, the character development of Rina is fantastic, and how she ends up being a wise woman from a scared and shy young girl. It was more personal than scientific and conveyed a strong message.

Star Power

Yoshine Kyoko, the main heroine, represents the main heroine and does an excellent job. The ensemble that surrounds her performs an outstanding job. Not to mention Terajima Shinobu, who portrays Ema, who shines the entire time. Their on-screen connection of a mentor and a student was a powerful message in and of itself.

Overall Opinion

Arc is a fantastic movie with great direction and acting. The film is perfect for those looking for a scientific yet philosophical narrative.