Sitges 2023: Junta Yamaguchi’s ‘River’ – Caught in Another Time Loop
by Alex Billington
October 8, 2023
How often have you thought, “if only I had a little more time to deal with this?” It’s a common thought for many people, though there’s not much we can do about it – no one has the power to stop or slow down time or jump through time. However, this is this power of great cinema! Only in stories can we experiment with manipulating time. River is the latest whimsical time loop creation made by Japanese filmmaker Junta Yamaguchi and screenwriter Makoto Ueda – their highly anticipated follow-up to the cult hit Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2020). They’re back with another two minute time loop comedy in Japan, this time set at a lovely ryokan near Kyoto. After an ecstatic screening at the 2023 Sitges Film Festival, I’m delighted to report – it’s even better than Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. An instant favorite. Not only have they expanded the two minute time loop concept in a very clever way, they’ve crafted a story with a more spirited emotional core that allows it grow beyond just “how much fun can we have looping time every two minutes.”
Yamaguchi & Ueda’s film River is another light and easy watch much like the excellent Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes, with a charming score by Koji Takimoto. The film takes place at a very real (yes you can actually visit) traditional Japanese Inn (also known as ryokan) named “Fujiya” in Kibune, Kyoto. It’s up in the hills and it’s snowy and sublimely so beautiful. It’s focused on a young woman named Mikoto, played by Riko Fujitani, a waitress who works at Fujiya. Just as she returns inside to meet with the proprietor, she suddenly re-appears back to her same position standing at the edge of the small river that flows behind the building. Thus begins the next two minute time loop quandary. In this story, a whole bunch of characters are involved – chefs from the ryokan, other employees, a distressed maid, and multiple guests including one man in the middle of washing himself in the onsen bath. At first they all have to figure out what’s going on, as they simply re-appear like video game characters with intact memory of what is happening, despite the world around them resetting each time. But that’s only just the start as they make sense of their conundrum.
As a die-hard lover of time travel / time loop movies and anything involving time-bending sci-fi like this, it’s not often I am seriously impressed or deeply moved by new time travel cinema anymore. However, River is one film that totally won me over. It’s genius! I really, really loved it (and so did the Sitges audience). An instant classic that deserves to be added right away to the list of best time travel films ever made. It’s that wonderful with a perfect payoff ending. Yamaguchi & Ueda have successfully re-considered the idea of time travel storytelling once again using minuscule time jumps, just a quick few minutes, to put characters into situations where they have to think fast. It’s exciting to see them play with the potential of this concept, even moreso here than in Beyond the Infinite, because it allows the different characters to explore that intriguing feeling of “I wish I had more time” and what that means for each one of them. There’s more going on in this film, and the witty & amusing interplay between the characters makes it entertaining to watch in addition to the intellectual side. So adorable and uplifting and wholesome, which is part of the magic of the experience.
The amount of contemplation and planning that must go into laying out the framework for this intricate story; setting up the blocking on set, preparing the performances, all the repetition, and everything else so that it all links together coherently after filming absolutely boggles my mind. The ambition and confidence they seem to have in pulling this off can be sensed in every frame, again moeso with this film because they stretch the idea even further yet still ace it. More people get involved in the loop, and must play their precise role over & over & over in this little Japanese inn. It’s also as fascinating and thoughtful in what it’s trying to say as it is enjoyable. River is an adorable snowy ryokan time travel adventure comedy. I’m sure it’ll quickly become a comfort film to watch anytime I want to feel warm and cozy again. It has that power. As my fellow critic wrote in his review, it’s a “palate cleanser for the soul.” The perfect way to describe this film, and Rob gets all the credit for that one. Take the time for a dip in this calm Japanese River, and view the world anew.
Alex’s Sitges 2023 Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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