This is a love story of two people whose dysfunctional pasts belie the staid image many Westerners have of Japanese culture. The story follows the exploits of Tomokowa, an unmotivated policeman in a suburban Japanese community. He whiles away his days at the police station chatting with colleagues or fooling around with a burly, mentally challenged young man named Sukemasa.

As he peddles about on his bicycle he has ample opportunity to engage in another less than exemplary pursuit while on duty - sexual affairs. Tomokawa then meets Sukemasa's younger sister Yoko, a precocious fifteen year old, and both of their lives change. Their first time together Yoko is intrigued by the tattoo that covers nearly all of Tomokawa's back . It is a depiction of a one winged bird, symbolic of Tomokawa's crippled existence.

The capricious nature of Tomokawa's friend Sukemasa leads to a succession of events that humiliate the ne'er-do-well policeman and cause him to make radical decisions about his life and his newfound love, Yoko. This is further complicated by past relationships that slowly reveal themselves in a story rife with characters that are equally interesting unto themselves.

An Adolescent is a dynamic piece of filmmaking. It takes a simple theme, love, and combines cynicism, insanity and overt sensuality to create an artistic feast of a film. This is a must see for aficionados of film as art. A re-count should be demanded if this is not amongst the favourites of this year's festival.

@EDITRULE:

Show Time: Tonight, 6.30 p.m. at Liberty, Thursday, April 18, 4 p.m. at the Little Theatre

Dwayne Williams