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A Silent Voice, also known as, Koe no katachi, is a drama film released in 2016, and directed by Naoko Yamada. The movie follows Shoya Ishida, a young man looking to make up for his past mistakes. These being his severe grade school bullying of Shouko Nishimiya. A young woman with a hearing disability. A Silent Voice is a near flawless movie, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The pacing is my only real issue with A Silent Voice. The film is 2 hours long and at times the pacing really drags. Normally I have no issue with a movie letting itself and the audience breathe, but here it feels a little too slow. I think a lot of this may be due to the fact that the pacing shifts dramatically following the 20 minute mark. For the first 20 minutes the pacing is very quick. There are multiple characters introduced, and there is lots of development not only for them, but the plot itself. However, following the 20 minute mark, the movie switches gears, and begins to move much slower for the duration of its runtime. This creates a whiplash effect, and is what I think causes the movie to feel too slow at times. I think this could’ve been avoided by making this section of the movie longer, so the pacing isn’t quite as fast. It would also give the audience more time to connect to this point in the characters’ lives. There are some scenes later in the movie that could be trimmed to allow this. But again this really is my only complaint, and it hardly takes away from the film.
The animation in A Silent Voice is truly astonishing. The world is incredibly colorful, vibrant, and full of life. The beautiful environments and locations create a gorgeous setting for the movie. The animation of the characters is amazing as well, and it really adds to the film. The characters are able to show so much emotion through just their facial expressions and their eyes. This works wonders for a movie that is built around its characters, and their relationships. That being said, the cinematography is great as well.
The score is another major highlight of the film. It really sets the tone and atmosphere for the entire movie. This along with the stunning visuals creates an extremely engaging, and emotionally rich film. This is a very powerful movie and much of that is a result of the music. It heightens the emotion you already feel because of the story and characters. It has excellent range as well, allowing it to fit any scene in the movie. Whether that be devastating, tense, uplifting, etc.
The main focus of the movie is of course the story and it’s characters. Both of which are phenomenal. All of the characters in this movie feel like real people. They each have realistic flaws, and go through growth and change. Them being in high school makes this even more impressive. This feels like a realistic interpretation of high school, and how drama can unfold. The characters have complex relationships that become more and more fleshed out as the story progresses. Each one of them feels like a deeply layered individual, which adds to the realism of the movie. The arcs that the two main characters, Shoya and Shouko have, stand out in particular. Their part in the story is incredibly beautiful and nuanced. It’s one of the best relationships I’ve seen between two characters in a movie. The character work is incredibly well done, and the dynamics and conflicts are perfect.
The story and the writing behind it is also amazing. Development occurs realistically and progress is made slowly. Mistakes are made along the way, and you really see how the characters grow and change over time. These feel like real people, so what they’re going through feels real. The film also doesn’t shy away from its subject matter either. It takes a deep look at bullying, and not only the traumatic effect it has on the victim, but the effect it can also have on the bully. The story also tackles mental health in an incredibly respectful and accurate way. This film deals with very complex and delicate issues, and it does so flawlessly and maturely. The issues these characters deal with are so relatable, it results in us feeling as if we know them. Or if you have had similar experiences it creates a personal, and incredibly heartfelt experience. One that is not only heartbreakingly sad, but uplifting and hopeful. The emotion in this story cannot be understated. The ending to this movie is one of the most emotional and powerful I have ever seen.
I’d also like to mention that this movie manages to balance its heavy material with levity perfectly. I didn’t expect this movie to be nearly as funny as it is. The film knows when to pour on the emotion, but it also knows when to take a step back and let the audience experience some of the happier moments. This allows for the darker moments in the story to be even more hard hitting. I think this balance is perfect and it creates a very realistic portrayal of life itself. The characters' lives are filled with ups and downs, much like our own.
I loved A Silent Voice much more than I expected to. This is definitely one of my favorite movies I’ve seen so far this year. I think anyone can enjoy this film, and I think everyone should see it. However, this movie doesn’t hold back, and it can be hard to watch at times. If you’re unable to watch that, this may not be for you. But that is in no way a fault of the movie. Aside from the pacing, I think this movie is perfect. It creates one of the best character driven narratives, and emotionally satisfying stories I’ve ever seen.
Objective Score:
9/10
Personal Score:
9.5/10
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