Teacher, Could You Sit Next to Me? (2021)

Amusing infidelity comedy with pacing issues

“It’s fine that you’re working, but you need to act more like a wife.”

"Sensei, Would You Sit Beside Me?" smartly blurs the lines between fiction and reality when manga artist Sawako decides to write a story based on her husband's suspected infidelity. When Sawako's husband Toshio finds the drafts of her new work, he realizes in shock his wife not only suspects him of cheating on her, but she is also seemingly cheating on him with her new driving instructor.

Given the subject, I didn't expect to be so amused by this story. Seeing Toshio lose his mind and second guess every word Sawako says to him, while we try to figure out who knows what and did exactly what with whom, was the most entertaining part of the movie. Kuroki Haru perfectly portrays Sawako's insecurity and sadness while delivering snarky remarks with an innocent face that would make me regret and confess no matter if I did something wrong or not. Emoto Tasuku is convincing as the fumbling, chaotic artist in a midlife crisis. Seeing him try to figure things out while trying to not give away anything himself made for some hilarious moments. The cast was good in general, and these two played off of each other really well.

The dialogues are clever, the mix of fiction and reality is creative and well done. Sadly, the plot is rather thin, so the movie would have benefitted from a shorter runtime to add more suspense. I also feel the storytelling was too timid at times, and a more daring approach would have made this one far more entertaining. Overall, I did have a good time with it and particularly enjoyed the last 20 minutes that were unexpected and satisfying.

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Catch as catch can!

Somewhere between a manga and reality, that's where the story can be found! Looking at the poster, I kind of expected a comedy. Not the case!

A couple of mangakas, who have been married for quite some time are quietly going through a crisis. Toshio is suffering from writer's block and currently is only half heartedly helping his wife Sawako ink her mangas and frolicking with the editor in his spare time, he apparently has a lot of. The marriage is on the rocks and they are barely speaking to each other. When Sawako receives a call about her mother being injured, they both go to the country to help her out. Sawako needs to start a new manga. When her editor refuses her fantasy themed idea and demands a reality based one, Sawako decides to take inspiration from her own life and write a manga about adultery. At the same time she starts taking driving lessons and apparently falls for her instructor. She draws everything and when her husband discovers the drawings he is lost, feeling hurt but knowing he has no right to say anything.

The movie is on the slow, dreamy side, going from reality to manga to reality, so much so we, the audience, just as much as Toshio reading the new manga drawings daily, are lost not knowing what is real. When confronted, Toshio refuses to admit to adultery and therefor Sawako insists upon her own adulterous relationship through the manga. And while he is loosing his wits, trying to figure everything out and most of all how not to lose his wife, she disappears.

The revenge for adultery through a manga is an original plot device and it is keeping us in suspense to the very last minute and the surprising ending. Unfortunately the film is very slow, and I found my attention wondering., The characters are well played and we can see their development. Sawako is surprisingly strong behind her calm and quiet demeanor, while Toshio is a talented artist but ruined by weak character, immaturity and a low esteem. The question asked is whether she will forgive him or not when he eventually comes clean! That's for me to know and for you to find out!

There are three other characters: the editor Toshio is having an affair with who is outspoken and perspicacious. Sawako's mother, quietly observing the goings on without making judgements and supporting her daughter. And the driving instructor. He is a good looking younger man and we are made to doubt if they are really having an affair or not until the end.

I was surprised to find no deeper criticism of adultery: it is just a fact of life, there and it is what the people make of it. There is no general rule. What is important, though, is honesty. Do not lie and bury yourself deeper! is the lesson that comes out of the movie. They did not insist on respecting the society rules, staying together for the sake of marriage vows or what the "people" would think. The most important is your own happiness. And Sawako found it in the end!

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