TOUCH
(director/writer: Baltasar Kormakur; screenwriter: Olaf Olafsson/based on the novel Touch by Olaf Olafsson; cinematographer: Baltasar Kormakur; editor: Sigurour Eyborsson; music: Hogni Egilsson; cast: Egill Ólafsson (Kristofer), Pálmi Kormákur (Young Kristofer), Kôki Kamura (Young Miko), Yoko Narahashi (Miko), Masahiro Motoki (Takahashi-san), Meg Kubota (Hitomi), Tatsuya Tagawa (Arai-San), Maria Ellington (Inga), Harpa Elisa Þorsdottir (Sonja), Ruth Sheen (Mrs. Ellis, London landlady), Masatoshi Nakamura (Kutaragi-san, lonely widower), Benedikt Erlingsson (Dr. Stefansson); Runtime: 121; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Mike Goodridge, Agnes Johansen, Baltasar Kormakur; Focus Features; 2024-UK/Iceland-in Icelandic, Japanese, English, with English subtitles)
“It might only be a minor film, but it’s a darn good one.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormakur (“Beast”/”101 Rekyavik”) directs and co-writes with Olaf Olafsson, the author of the 2020 book titled Touch, that was adapted for the romantic drama screen version. It might only be a minor film, but it’s a darn good one.
Kristofer (Egill Ólafsson) is an elderly widower, conversing regularly with his overbearing daughter (Harpa Elisa Þorsdottir), but living by himself in Iceland and operating a village restaurant. A medical report says he’s in the early-stage of Alzheimer’s. Before he becomes out of it completely, his doctor (Benedikt Erlingsson) tells him to take care of any unfinished business before it’s too late. He thereby closes the restaurant and flies to London in the middle of the COVID outbreak in 2020 to find out what happened to his long-lost first love, Miko (Yoko Narahashi), who disappeared 50 years ago when both were sweethearts in their twenties.
We learn that in the late 1960s both lovers lived in London and worked in the same Japanese restaurant–he as a dishwasher; she, the owner’s daughter, as a waitress. Kristofer is now played by the director’s young son, Pálmi Kormákur, while Miko is played by the model-musician-turned actress, Kôki Kamura.
Kristofer was a student during the time of demonstrations against the establishment for supporting the war in Viet-Nam, and as a radical quit the college to work in the restaurant. His fatherly Nippon boss Takahashi-san (Masahiro Motoki) taught him how to prepare Japanese meals and taught him Japanese.
Miko likes the swinging London scene, while her conservative dad, who migrated here from Hiroshima, is more reserved. Because dad wouldn’t approve, the couple are secretive about seeing each other.
Kristofer is surprised when he shows up to the restaurant one day and it’s closed without any information about what happened and where the family might be.
The film veers through different timelines in a nonlinear filming, as the widower tracks down Nippon staffer Hitomi (Meg Kubota) to get some leads, thinks fondly about his late wife (Maria Ellingsen), and worries over his crushing doctor’s visit. Meanwhile the younger Kristofer sniffs out the family returned to Japan, and he goes there for answers.
REVIEWED ON 7/7/2024 GRADE: B+
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