Interesting formula - short stories of contemporary relationships in Japan. The stories are all 'overheard' by a middle-aged writer who is constantly out of ideas for his column. He then draws inspiration from various stories he overhears at the cafe where he writes - but in the end when he really runs out of stories to tell, he has to tell his own 'boring' story, which turns out to be not so boring.
Directed by Isao Yukisada whose most famous film is the tear-jerking Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World, The Women Fall in Love Twice isn't as touching as one expects, but personally I do find the stories a realistic portrayal of modern Japanese relationships. It also shows the listlessness and loss experienced by many young people today - not knowing what to do, drifting from one menial job to another, not having a proper place to live, drifting from one 'relationship' to another... that's what modern society is often about, whether you like it or not. I like how the women portrayed in the short stories aren't the stereotypical (and typical) Japanese women who succumb to men's domination - they are all very 'special' in their own right and each and every one of them is mesmerising because of that. Apparently, 'being nice' isn't the winning formula for Japanese women anymore... well, not in this film at least!
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