Daishi Matsunaga’s fourth dramatic feature, Egoist—which world premiered at the Toyko International Film Festival and makes its Australian debut at Queer Screen’s 31st Mardi Gras Film Festival—takes a successful gay man in his 30s and leads him to unexpected places as he looks for, pays for, and eventually discovers the love he needs.
Saitô Kôsuke (Ryohei Suzuki) is a fashion editor living the good life in Tokyo. Well-paid, surrounded by a group of hilarious friends, he is starting to grow out of his youth. On a recommendation from a friend, he hires a sweet, younger personal trainer, Nakamura Ryûta (Hio Miyazawa), and sparks fly. But just as things are getting serious, Ryûta pulls away. It’s a collision of money, emotions, and family that changes both of their lives in ways neither could have predicted.
With a relatively even pace, there are shock revelations in Egoist that send the narrative in different directions, making it feel at times like two, or even three, separate stories. The first third is a cheeky gay romance, the second an unconventional arrangement, and finally a story of mothers and sons. Saitô finds love, just not the kind he thought he was seeking.
All the performances really shine. Saitô’s group of friends feel convincingly fleshed out in their few scenes, with a palpable sense of the bond and history between them. Ryûta’s mother, Saitô Shizuko (Yûko Nakamura), has a charm that warms her scenes with maternal love, without falling into tropes. Miyazawa’s Ryûta has a youthful edge that borders on childlike glee, while Suzuki gets to let loose in fun vignettes with his mates, and a great karaoke-at-home moment that is pure joy.
With a running time of two hours, and with a very minimal score by Hiroko Sebu, the film tends to meander, which makes the dramatic hits feel surprising but underplayed. The multiple sex scenes are so carefully choreographed that they start to feel inorganic. Passing references are made to the lack of equal marriage laws in Japan, but Egoist generally steers clear of politics in favour of its tight character study.
With a bakcground in documentary filmmaking, Matsunaga fills Egoist with subtle symbolic details that are easy to miss—from the careful placement of a house plant, to leftovers from a meal—lending the film a lived-in, rather than boldly cinematic visual style. But what could easily have become a soap opera, full of dramatic swings, is instead held in tight control by Matsunaga and his excellent cast. After taking us on an unexpected journey, the touching ending lands neatly, making for a very satisfying watch.
By Chad Armstrong
Egoist received its Australian Premiere at Queer Screen’s 31st Mardi Gras Film Festival on Tuesday, February 20th. The 2024 Mardi Gras Film Festival runs in cinemas in Sydney February 15th – 29th and on-demand Australia-wide March 1st – 11th.
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