Blue

Friday, March 11 - Thursday, March 17, 2022

Inspired by his real-life decades long boxing background, writer-director Keisuke Yoshida depicts the uncertainty behind an athlete’s often-unrewarded dedication, tears and sweat. Competition rises between Urita (Kenichi Matsuyama) who loves boxing more than anyone and his younger rival, Ogawa (Masahiro Higashide), whose outstanding talent and style have brought him to the verge of becoming Japan’s national champion. Urita’s first love Chika (Fumino Kimura) is now engaged to Ogawa further straining interpersonal relationships caught between ideals and reality. A highlight of the film is the interactions between the three, who are appearing on-screen together for the first time since Satoshi: A Move for Tomorrow.

“Blue is an idyllic love letter to the world of combative sports. A wonderfully crafted drama with strong performances.” – Asian Movie Pulse

“A boxing movie that dispenses with many of the conventions typical to the genre, not least the idea that life’s problems can be solved in the ring.” – Japan Times

Official selection: New York Asian Film Festival, Tokyo International Film Festival “Director in Focus: Keisuke Yoshida”

Official Website: http://phantom-film.com/blue/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/bluemovie_21

Country Japan
Language In Japanese with English subtitles
Year 2021
Running Time 107 minutes
Director Keisuke Yoshida
Cast Kenichi Matsuyama, Fumino Kimura, Tokio Emoto, Masahiro Higashide
Accessibility Assistive Listening, Open Captioning

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.