Reviews for Eve no Jikan Gekijouban (9.33)

There is a scene in this movie when the main character has to make a very conscious decision. But as he makes it, not a single word passes through his lips. Several moments pass in suspense as he works through the inner calculations of his mind. And the best part is that we are not subjected to some ridiculous internal monologue or the endless prattling of some outside observer that we have become accustomed to in lesser series. The director has such trust in his direction and his script that he can take that risk and let the viewer slowly realize for himself what the character eventually decides, and that moment is more marvelous for it. I have some friends who claim that anime is not for them because "it does not look real". The fact that we all as viewers can discern that very moment at that very time is proof against that sentiment.

The best writers and the best directors use not just the words in the script to progress the story, but also the silences in between those words. They use the white space that cuts in between scenes and and play with our imaginations by making us see what was not actually shown. As you watch this movie you get the feeling that you are in masterful hands, and I think the most exhilarating feeling that I felt while watching was the feeling that I was being told something marvelous and magical without being hit over the head with it. It was like someone had gently grasped my hand and led me toward a great truth, and I came away feeling like as if I learned something more about my own self and how I should treat others.

If you were to ask me, this story is about what constitutes humanity. It sincerely posits the hypothesis that we are not born human, but instead we earn that title through how we treat one another. And by this rule, it qualifies many androids and disqualifies many humans. I think that is a life-changing realization, and one that, if learned throughout our population, would create a much better world to live in.

One of our earlier reviews mention how dialogue from different characters overlap one another. And I love this observation, because it reflects the way people actually talk. I once heard from a linguist that conversation follows a 7-38-55 rule. In this rule, 7% of what we mean is conveyed through our words. 38%, our tone. 55%, body language. This movie concentrates on everything outside of that 7%. And I think the story is that much better for it, but weakens any potential reviewer because the challenge for us is to convey in words what the story conveyed without it. I literally do not have the vocabulary for explaining some of the feelings I saw pass through this movie.

When I was first invited to watch this movie, I did not appreciate what I had at first discerned to be an unoriginal plot. There have been plenty of instances and stories built on the founding idea of androids and Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics, and I questioned whether we needed to see another one. And I will concede that certain elements of the plot trot out familiar tropes. If you are a cynical person, there may be the inclination to feel cheated as if you were kept away from some radically original storyline. I think the directions that the story chooses is less about what happens than it is about why.

This movie is magical, it is beautiful, and it will make you a better person. Go see it.