VIFF 2020: A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic
viff 2020Family trauma has historically been the basis for some of the most personal and moving outings in cinema, with Kenji Katagiri's A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic continuing this tradition. With a highly stylised yet ultimately quiet look at the lasting effects major dysfunction within a family can have on individuals involved, especially that of children, the film is honest and haunting as it captures raw emotion in a unique and subtle manner.
One of the biggest praises one can give A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is how different the film feels. When there is a story surrounding a topic such as an alcoholic father, it seems obvious where the story will go. There are set plot points that nearly every film with this general premise hits, yet this film avoids those cliches. The biggest obversion of expectations is that of its focus. A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is a surprisingly quiet film much more focused on the consequences of the trauma rather than showing the acts themselves. Specifically, through the layered and complex performance from Honoka Matsumoto, the mature showcase of these emotions and the complications they cause in one's life hits deep. More than anything, A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is honest. The film is honest about not just what the pain of this situation feels like but where it comes to light. The pain isn't overly dramatised or forced, it comes in and out of the characters naturally which is a testament to the screenplay.
Whilst the film is rather quiet in dialogue and emotions, it speaks loudly in style. The cinematography and overall visual design within the film stand out almost distractingly at times; its use of color screams nostalgic joy, which is immediately put in juxtaposition with the haunting sorrow of the screenplay. This duality of identity has times where it works, not only giving the film a unique edge but also highlighting another honest nuance these darker emotions can have as the world individuals suffer in often are joyful and bright. This further highlights the darker emotions they are dealing with, but it also has its moments where it causes the identity of the film to feel confused and messy. The balance isn't always found and the craft isn't always strong enough to make this work.
Whilst the film might not be a masterpiece, A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic is undeniably bold and captures these darker emotions in a haunting sense that is sure to stay with plenty of audience members long after the runtime ends. If nothing else, it is exciting to see filmmakers trying to push the mold and give something that feels new on a deeper identity level rather than just going through the motions.
