REVIEW: ‘Call Me Chihiro’ Takes Its Time for Better or Worse

Regardless of how much we deny it, we are all more alone than we think. This loneliness serves as the connective tissue between the characters in the latest Japanese drama film, Call Me Chihiro.  Based on Hiroyuki Yasuda’s manga Chihiro-san, the film stars Kasumi Arimura, Miwako Ichikawa, Hana Toyoshima, Jun Fubuki, and Lily Franky. With thoughtful direction from Rikiya Imaizumi, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kaori Sawai, we take our time with this mostly plot-free look into Chihiro’s life.

The story is simple enough. We follow Chihiro, a former sex worker, working in a bento shop in a sleepy seaside town. Life moves slowly here. Perhaps it is the slow flow of this community that helps the loneliness build and bubble up within its people. We see this navigation of loneliness in Chihiro’s interactions. Whether helping a homeless man or linking young student, Kuniko Seo (Hana Toyoshima) up with a fellow manga-loving friend, Chihiro notices and coaxes the loneliness out of people, planting the seed of hope while also listening to their thoughts.

Likely through her own experiences and sex work (which deals heavily with intimacy), there is a need in Chihiro to find like-minded souls. Over the course of Call Me Chihiro, we see how all those that have found their way into her life grow attached to her and find comfort in her. What becomes slowly unveiled over time is how profoundly lonely Chihiro herself is and how much the death of her mother is truly impacting her.

The lack of a defined plot in Call Me Chihiro is both a blessing and a curse. A more character-driven piece, the film takes its time focusing on allowing us into the inner world of some of the characters. The performances of the actors, all equally talented in measure, instill empathy and understanding while also having else wonder what happens next. Kasumi Arimura’s Chihiro is magnetic. Openly unapologetic about her past, we imagine Chihiro as a free spirit. As the film progresses, Arimura deploys subtleties that allow us to see the woman beneath, giving the character depth.

With that said, clocking in at 2 hours and 14 minutes, the meditative slice-of-life nature of this story sometimes drags without the typical propulsion forward that a more defined plot would bring. That’s not to say that it’s bad, but it requires patience from the viewer. Whether or not the viewer has patience is an entirely different matter.

Call Me Chihiro is a meditative film that takes its time dissecting themes of loneliness and found family. Through the experiences of the titular Chihiro and the characters around her, we’re invited into this character-focused piece to observe and reflect. We don’t know what people carry within themselves and, while it takes too long to get to the emotionally resonant third act, Call Me Chihiro has a subtle power to its delivery that will linger after the credits roll.

Call Me Chihiro is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.