Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2571. Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together (SUNNY 強い気持ち・強い愛) (2018)

    2571. Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together (SUNNY 強い気持ち・強い愛) (2018)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on June 1, 2019 110-119 mins, 2018, 6 - 7.9, Comedy, Drama, Japan, Jun 19, Movies Of 2019, Review, Romance
    7.8 Delightful once again
    • Acting 7.9
    • Directing 7.6
    • Story 8.0
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Ryôko Shinohara, Suzu Hirose, Yuka Itaya

    Director: Hitoshi Ône

    Running Time: 118 mins


    Sunny: Our Heart Beat Together is a Japanese film about a woman who, upon learning of her childhood best friend’s terminal illness, decides to reunite her gang of lively friends from back in high school, the best years of their lives.

    Another wonderful retelling of the Korean original, and following the brilliant Vietnamese remake, Go-Go Sisters, Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together is a delight, and although it doesn’t quite match up to either of those previous films, it impresses with likable characters, a great story and brilliantly heartfelt emotion throughout.

    Given the fact that it’s a remake, I can’t credit this film entirely with the screenplay, but there’s no denying just what a great story it is. Having now watched effectively the same film three times – just in different languages – I was still totally captivated by Sunny, with its wonderful take on both coming-of-age drama and beautiful, wistful childhood nostalgia.

    Much like the other two movies, this Japanese remake plays heavily on nostalgia, and although I can’t say that it creates quite as characterful a depiction of the childhood era as the rebellious 1980s in South Korea and Vietnam, it’s that emotion and wonderful bond of friendship that plays strongest throughout, and with the reunion of the group over twenty years on, it’s difficult not to be caught up in the pure delight of it all.

    On the flipside, the present-day story is much stronger, and with a selection of wonderful performances that mix better with the film’s sense of humour than the younger characters, you have a film that, while not entirely perfect, can grab and entertain you within a moment, particularly as it heads into that brilliantly enjoyable and deeply moving final act.

    Throughout, this film is a little more uneven than both the previous iterations of Sunny. The Korean original also suffers occasionally from the same issue, with the emotion and charisma of the present day story outweighing the fun-loving antics of the high school period, but this film also suffers from being just a little shrill and excessive in its portrayal of those times gone by.

    While both the Korean and Vietnamese films employ music heavily, this Japanese one goes a little too far, and with a brand of music that lacks the character and emotion of the themes in the other two films, as well as a little too much in the way of screaming and screeching from the main characters in their most energetic moments, that rather shrill feeling proves frustrating at times, and takes away from the purely delightful nature of the story.

    With that said, the performances are excellent across the board, and the film’s final act is more than moving once again – perhaps even stronger than both of the two previous versions. In the end, while this isn’t a perfect movie, and doesn’t match the Korean original or the brilliance of the Vietnamese version, it has the warmth, humour and emotion throughout to make for a thoroughly delightful watch regardless, and that’s why I’m giving Sunny: Our Hearts Beat Together a 7.8 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.3
    Review
    June 25, 20200

    2998. Zodiac (2007)

    8.2
    Review
    October 23, 20140

    728. Fury (2014)

    8.4
    Review
    October 11, 20200

    3118. Soul (2020)

    8.2
    Review
    March 1, 20150

    874. Primal Fear (1996)

    8.4
    Review
    March 1, 20130

    70. Wedding Crashers (2005)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.