Touch

I already had a ticket for Touch at the Broadway last night but, when a friend highly recommended it to me, I was even more excited to see it.  I absolutely loved this tender ode to love, loss, and memory.  Kristofer (Palmi Kormakur) is a student from Iceland at the London School of Economics.  When he becomes disillusioned with his studies he impulsively takes a job as a dishwasher at a Japanese restaurant when he sees the proprietor's daughter Miko (Koki).  He immerses himself in the culture and language of Japan and eventually falls in love with Miko.  Takahashi (Masahiro Motoki) holds Kristofer in high regard and even teaches him to cook traditional Japanese dishes but he disapproves of his relationship with his daughter and separates them.  Fifty years later, Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) is a widower who runs a restaurant in Iceland.  After he receives some news he travels to London, then Tokyo, then Hiroshima to find Miko (Yoko Narahashi).  On the surface this is about a man searching for his lost love with a timeline that alternates between 1969, when he and Miko fall in love, and 2020, when they are reunited.  However, as it progresses, more and more layers are uncovered to reveal a story that is even more captivating and poignant than I was expecting.  I loved the character of Kristofer, in both timelines, because he is such a kind, gentle, and understanding soul and both Kormakur and Olafsson portray him so beautifully (the actors do not necessarily look alike but they have such similar characteristics and mannerisms that you just accept that they are the same person).  I also loved the warm glow of the cinematography in 1969 juxtaposed with the cool tones used in 2020 because memories are often idealized and I enjoyed all of the scenes involving the preparation of food, particularly the meal that Kristofer prepares for Miko.  This is beautiful and meditative (my favorite kind of movie) and I highly recommend it.