How many reviews have we done in the past week or so? I had to take off my shoes and socks, but I counted up to 21. Today we have a review from Hawkzino. He has been sending in reviews of the Giant Spiders, but this time is something a little different, Touch.
Touch
One of the benefits of being part of a movie club is that you get forced out of your comfort zone. This makes me watch movies you wouldn’t ordinarily hear about. Even if you lived to be a million.
Take Touch, for example. An Icelandic/Japanese romance set in the dual time periods of swinging sixties London and the dark days of COVID 2020. Featuring an old man in the early stages of dementia on a quest to find his long-lost first love. There is so much about that sentence that would put me off watching it, but I had no choice, so I did. And I’m glad I did.
Based on the 2022 Icelandic novel of the same name, Touch was adapted for the screen by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormàkur, who is better known to Western audiences for Idris Elba’s lion movie, Beast (2022) and the Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg actioner 2 Guns (2013).
The Story
Touch is a much quieter affair that tells the story of Kristófer, an Icelandic student living in London in 1969 who drops out of University and gets a job as a pot washer in a Japanese restaurant because his friends sarcastically dare him to. There he meets Miko, the owner’s daughter, and discovers a reason to stay.
Miko is played by Japanese model/actress Kôki, which is one of those pretentious one-word actor names, but I’ll forgive her. She is otherwise adorable and perfectly cast. The entire movie rests on the audience’s ability to believe that this is someone Kristófer would hold a torch for, even half a century later. Mission accomplished.
The movie flashes between 1969 and 2020 in an unfussy manner, effortlessly interweaving conversations in English, Icelandic and Japanese (the latter two subtitled, helpfully). I almost didn’t notice after a while.
Old Kristófer is played by Icelandic actor and singer Egill Ólafsson, who reminds me of Arnold Schwarzenegger in his older years.
Getting Older
The actor suffers from Parkinson’s disease, which emphasises his character’s physical weariness. Although his spirit for life, and love, remains undimmed. With a possible dementia diagnosis looming, and no fucks left to give, he journeys to London and Japan. At a time when the world is on the brink of lockdown, to reconnect with Miko before it’s too late.
Intercut is the story of Kristófer and Miko’s burgeoning relationship in 1969, leading up to their inevitable split. Young Kristófer (Palmi Kormakur), is the director’s son, but he does a good job so I’ll forgive the obvious nepotism. The early period is filmed with a warm colour palette, compared to 2020’s colder, blue tinge. A clear reference to life’s seasons.
Overall
The movie will be too slow for some. I was bored initially, but right about the time Miko shows up, I became invested. The movie pulls you into Kristófer’s journey and makes you care about the outcome without resorting to melodrama.
There’s an element of mystery that keeps you guessing, but it may not be for everybody. I would have said there are no explosions, but without giving too much away, this movie features the biggest explosion of them all, so instead I’ll just say it’s a gentle movie that handles weighty themes with a light touch.
I wouldn’t normally want to see COVID feature so prominently in a movie. It’s too soon and I would rather forget about it, but here it helps the narrative because it subtly reinforces the point that time is running out.
Touch made the top 15 shortlist for Best International Film at the 97th Academy Awards but missed out on a nomination. Your opinion of the Oscars may vary, but I’d take not getting nominated as a recommendation.
