Athlete (2019 film)
{{short description|2019 film directed by Takamasa Oe}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Athlete
| image = Athlete (2019 film).jpg
| alt =
| caption = Japanese theatrical release poster
| director = Takamasa Oe
| producer = Tomoko Yoshioka
| writer = Yasutoshi Murakawa
| starring = Joe Nakamura
Yohdi Kondo
Yoshiaki Umegaki
Reina Tasaki
Fumihiko Nakamura
Rai Minamoto
| narrator =
| music = Yasuhira Shigemori
| cinematography = Daisuke Miura
| editing =
| studio =
| distributor =
| released = {{Film date|2019|7|15|Rainbow Reel Tokyo|ref1=|2019|7|26|Japan|ref2=}}
| budget =
| gross =
}}
{{Nihongo|Athlete|アスリート 〜俺が彼に溺れた日々〜|Asurīto: Ore ga Kare ni Oboreta Hibi}} {{lit|Athlete ~The days I drowned by him~}} is a 2019 Japanese drama film directed by Takamasa Oe.{{cite web |url=https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/311932 |title=ジョーナカムラとこんどうようぢ共演、LGBT題材にした「アスリート」プレミア上映 |website=Eiga Natalie |date=December 13, 2018 |access-date=January 22, 2020 |publisher=Natasha |language=ja}}{{cite web|url=https://rainbowreeltokyo.com/2019/en/athlete |title=Athlete {{!}} The 28th Rainbow Reel Tokyo ~Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival~ |date=20 May 2019 |publisher=Rainbow Reel Tokyo|access-date=January 22, 2020}} It made its world premiere in the 28th Rainbow Reel Tokyo festival on July 15, 2019. The film stars Joe Nakamura and Yohdi Kondo.{{cite web |url=https://tokushu.eiga-log.com/interview/27653.html |title=『アスリート ～俺が彼に溺れた日々～』 ジョーナカムラさん＆こんどうようぢさん【インタビュー】 |website=Eiga Log Plus |date=July 23, 2019 |access-date=January 22, 2020 |language=ja |archive-date=January 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124185230/https://tokushu.eiga-log.com/interview/27653.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://tokushu.eiga-log.com/new/27930.html |title=映画『アスリート～俺が彼に溺れた日々～』初日舞台挨拶レポ―トinアップリンク吉祥寺 |website=Eiga Log Plus |date=July 27, 2019 |access-date=January 22, 2020 |language=ja |archive-date=January 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124185236/https://tokushu.eiga-log.com/new/27930.html |url-status=dead }}
Cast
- Joe Nakamura as Kohei Kaido
- Yohdi Kondo as Yutaka "Yuta" Imaizumi
- Yoshiaki Umegaki as Priscilla
- Reina Tasaki as Mizuna Kaido
- Fumihiko Nakamura as Atsushi
- Rai Minamoto as Mimosa
- Flora Miwa as Rinka
Release
The film was played at festivals including the 2019 Rainbow Reel Tokyo and Taoyuan Film Festivals{{cite web |title=Athlete – Features |url=https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/1557/athlete-2019 |publisher=Gagaoolala |accessdate=July 19, 2020}} and had a small general release in Japan, beginning on July 26 at UPLINK Kichijoji in Kichijoji, Tokyo and expanding on August 3 to cinemas in Osaka, Nagoya and Himeji.{{cite web |title=THEATER {{!}} athlete-movie |url=https://www.athlete-movie.com/theater |publisher=Eiga "Asurīto: Ore ga Kare ni Oboreta Hibi" Seisaku Iinkai |accessdate=July 19, 2020 |language=ja}}
In June 2020, it became available internationally with subtitles in English, Chinese, Thai and Indonesian for subscribers to the Taiwan-based streaming service provider Gagaoolala.{{cite web |title=Athlete Brings Gay Sex to Mainstream Cinema in Japan |url=https://gagatai.com/en/tvmovie/topics/athlete-brings-gay-sex-mainstream-cinema-japan |website=GagaTai |publisher=Portico Media |accessdate=July 19, 2020 |date=June 12, 2020}}
Reception
The film received mixed reviews from 18 critics of Yahoo! Japan, which gave the film an average of 3.56 stars.{{cite news |title=アスリート ～俺が彼に溺れた日々～ |trans-title=Athletes: The days I drowned in him|url=https://movies.yahoo.co.jp/movie/366506/ |access-date=31 October 2021 |work=Yahoo! Japan |date=2019 |language=ja}} Asian Movie Pulse highlighted the taboo of LGBT rights in Japan and highlighted the film in those aspects, though said that "while you can enjoy a movie that opens many colours of the rainbow and waves more than one flag, your enthusiasm might hit several walls" adding that "Unfortunately, the relationship and its hardships are the least interesting line in the narrative" and concluded that the film is "perplexing."{{cite news |title=Film Review: Athlete (2019) by Takamasa Oe |url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/12/film-review-athlete-2019-by-takamasa-oe/ |access-date=31 October 2021 |agency=Asian Movie Pulse |date=2019}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.athlete-movie.com}} (in Japanese)
- {{Instagram}}
- {{IMDb title|id=9664838|title=Athlete}}
Category:2019 LGBTQ-related films
Category:Japanese LGBTQ-related films
Category:2010s Japanese-language films