As a seasoned film critic who has seen my fair share of heart-wrenching tales of parental separation, I must say that “A Missing Part” left an indelible mark on me. Guillaume Senez’s third feature is a poignant exploration of the complexities of international child custody battles, a topic close to my heart as a globe-trotting cinephile.
In my perspective as a movie reviewer, “A Missing Part” offers an intriguing exploration of a long-standing issue in Japan’s legal system. As the sole G7 nation yet to acknowledge joint child custody, this country is on the brink of modernization in 2026, marking the end of a heartrending situation where a contested divorce can lead to one parent being legally barred from seeing their children until they reach adulthood at 18. This very predicament befalls Frenchman Jay, portrayed by Roman Duris, in Guillaume Senez’s third film. Jay’s ex-wife has vanished to Tokyo with their then three-year-old daughter, now a 12-year-old child when the narrative unfolds. Caught in the throes of this emotional turmoil, Jay is employed by a private car service. A serendipitous twist occurs when he’s assigned to chauffeur his daughter to school.
Senez and Jean Denizot’s screenplay subtly unfolds without assuming viewers know about the legal matters or Jay’s family background. Instead of dumping exposition, they skillfully weave information into the narrative. The storytelling is at its finest when it gradually reveals depth, creating a realistic atmosphere around Jay’s life-altering predicament, which resembles a slow-motion car wreck. Jessica (played by Judith Chemla), another character dealing with similar issues, often serves as a guide for global audiences learning about the complexities of the Japanese custody system, but at her most intriguing, Jessica is a distinct character in her own right, mirroring the fiery opposition to Jay’s stoic acceptance. She might have been Jay nine years ago, before he was broken by the system.
It’s quite a system, indeed. Jessica appears to be both skeptical and distraught when informed that her ex has the liberty to completely exclude her from their son’s life. This rule, as per Japanese law, suggests that it is beneficial for children to have stability in one home with one parent. In cases where one parent is Japanese and the other isn’t, the non-Japanese parent faces a challenging situation. Duris skillfully portrays these difficulties in scenes where Jay tries to assist Jessica in accepting her new circumstances. Jay’s advice is rooted in what he should have done but didn’t, and Duris effectively conveys that wisdom, earned through hardship, with a touch of naturalness and elegance.
The unlikely manner in which Jay eventually spends time with his daughter is quite unexpected – and that’s the charm of it. In an extraordinary turn of events, one of the passengers Jay picks up during his quiet job as a private driver happens to be Lily, someone he has longed to see for almost a decade. These scenes provide ample opportunity for Duris to showcase his acting skills. Since the girl doesn’t seem to recognize him, he must portray a heart-wrenching mix of joy and concealment from his young passenger.
The role Duris plays is typically the one actors take up while keeping an eye on their award collections, but he manages to concentrate more on embodying the character rather than displaying grandeur during close-ups. Jay’s situation is challenging, yet it provides ample opportunity for both light and dark moments. If the film receives any recognition in awards, it’s expected to highlight the performances as its strongest aspect. A potential hurdle might be that the character of Jay is inherently passive, especially during the movie’s timeframe, largely confined by the necessity to follow rules.
Still, there’s a painful sense of passion all-but spent, of love almost smothered by despair, in his portrayal of Jay. His performance inspires tremendous compassion for the character, though he also admits vaguely to having behaved very poorly back in France, acting out and allowing anger to drive him. The role of his wife is a minor one, but Yukon Narita plays her as fragile and visibly frightened, which hints at a version of the story where his tenacious pursuit has darker qualities. But this is not that film.
In terms of plot devices that hinder joy, unjust laws make for an effective storytelling tool, presenting characters with a formidable obstacle to overcome. However, unless the story revolves around a landmark case reshaping law, the law that hinders the character often remains undefeated by the end of the film, which is true here as well. Yet, the screenplay attempts to find a more optimistic resolution in its final moments, though for parents considering divorce in Japan, the upcoming legal reforms will bring more tangible hope.
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2024-09-13 17:17