Rating: 9.5 (rounded up to 10) In a film industry full of similar "sick girl" films, there was a certain something to Taiyou no Uta (Midnight Sun) that made me come back to it again and again. That little something, as I discovered, turned out to be the rare, extra dosage of realism the movie brings to audiences.
Films with so many conflicting emotions tend to feel cheapened out by the conclusion, whether it's because the director chooses to purposely ignore or skip through vital elements of the movie or by introducing a deus ex machina. Thankfully, Taiyou no Uta does neither. Circumstances and how the plot is executed feel remarkably genuine, as is most of the acting. For example, the director chooses to provide the parents of the lead actress with prominent roles; rare but all the more believable. Dialogue between lead actress and lead actor are also convincing, and most importantly, nothing feels rushed.
If any film could be said to be dependent on 1 actor/actress, Taiyou no Uta would be a strong contender. That's not to say the other actors can be disregarded, in fact one might even contend Takashi Tsukamoto and Goro Kishitani as Koji Fujishiro and Kaoru's father, respectively, did a better job than YUI as Kaoru Amane. However, YUI simply overshadows them with her sheer talent as a musician.
YUI, a real-life artist, plays her role convincingly, especially so for a debut actress. However where she truly shines is when she sings. Watching her pour out her heart singing whilst playing a guitar (or without one later in the movie) is a sight hard to tear your eyes off of, and was, at least for me, the most memorable scenes in the movie. In a way, Taiyou no Uta without YUI would be similar to Superman without Christopher Reeves: imaginable, but surely worse off.
Despite the film's slow pacing at the beginning, the film feels much shorter than the listed 2 hours. In an almost irrevocable way, the movie draws you in and builds up for the tear-jerking finish. Thankfully, the film lacks the surplus of melodramatics so often used to finish movies such as this. The movie concludes surprisingly quick, but simply and bittersweet - a heartfelt emotion, and all the more surprising that such a simple ending could cause so many emotions.
All in all, a recommended film primarily for romantics, but I daresay anyone from any demographic would enjoy it. Watch this film for a breath of fresh air, and remember if you're the sentimentalist, to bring along a box (or boxes) of tissue.
