The Long Excuse (永い言い訳) is a 2016 Japanese drama film directed by Miwa Nishikawa, starring Masahiro Motoki.[2] It depicts the well-being and uncertainty of relationships through how people who suddenly lose their families restore their lives.

The Long Excuse
Directed byMiwa Nishikawa
Screenplay byMiwa Nishikawa
Based onThe Long Excuse (novel)
by Miwa Nishikawa[1]
Produced byAsako Nishikawa
Akihiko Yose
Tetsuo Ota
Shuichi Nagasawa
Kiyoto Matsui
Takashi Iwamura[1]
Starring
CinematographyYutaka Yamazaki
Edited byRyuji Miyajima
Production
company
Distributed byAsmik Ace
Release date
  • October 14, 2016 (2016-10-14)
Running time
124 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Plot

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Sachio (Masahiro Motoki) is a noted celebrity writer from the country, who has snobbishly dismissed his background and become somewhat arrogant. He has largely fallen out of love with his wife Natsuko (Eri Fukatsu), a hairdresser. When she dies in a bus crash, he is in bed with his mistress. Despite this, he feels no guilt, which disgusts his mistress, who, already racked with guilt, leaves him.

Sachio's wife was travelling on the bus with her friend Yuki (Keiko Horiuchi), who also died in the crash. He is contacted by her husband Yoichi Omiya, a truck driver who, with his wife's death, has been left to look after two small children and is not coping. Sachio offers to help, and assists with the raising of the children. When doing it, he ponders his own lack of grief for his wife, and realises that he is dealing with his own guilt by looking after the children. Sachio is forced to reevaluate his own life, including why he didn't have children of his own.

Yoichi too finds that he had become somewhat detached from his children. When Yoichi finds a new partner, Sachio has to leave the children. He ends up writing a new book about the experience, and plays an unexpected role in the children's lives, eventually finding some closure for the loss of his wife.

Cast

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Awards

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Year Award ceremony Category Recipients Result
2016 41st Hochi Film Award Best Picture The Long Excuse Nominated
Best Director Miwa Nishikawa Nominated
Best Actor Masahiro Motoki Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Pistol Takehara Nominated
Sosuke Ikematsu Nominated
29th Nikkan Sports Film Award Best Film The Long Excuse Nominated
Best Director Miwa Nishikawa Nominated
Best Actor Masahiro Motoki Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Pistol Takehara Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Haru Kuroki Nominated
2017 71st Mainichi Film Awards Best Film The Long Excuse Nominated
Best Director Miwa Nishikawa Won
Best Actor Masahiro Motoki Won
Best Supporting Actor Pistol Takehara Nominated
40th Japan Academy Prize Best Supporting Actor Pistol Takehara Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b Maggie Lee (21 September 2016). "Film Review: 'The Long Excuse'". Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. ^ "永い言い訳". eiga.com. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
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