Hana And Alice
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

is a 2004
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
teen
romance film Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
by director
Shunji Iwai is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, writer and documentary maker. Life and career Iwai was born in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987. In 1988, he started out in the Japanese entertainment ...
. The film, shot on HD
digital video Digital video is an electronic representation of moving visual images (video) in the form of encoded digital data. This is in contrast to analog video, which represents moving visual images in the form of analog signals. Digital video comprises ...
by the
director of photography The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...
, Noboru Shinoda, who shared a longstanding working relationship with
Shunji Iwai is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, writer and documentary maker. Life and career Iwai was born in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987. In 1988, he started out in the Japanese entertainment ...
, concerns the life of two girls, the titular Hana (
Anne Suzuki is a Japanese actress. Career Suzuki co-starred in Shunji Iwai's '' Hana and Alice'' with Yū Aoi. She voiced the title character Ray Steam in Katsuhiro Otomo's animated film ''Steamboy''. Suzuki played a supporting role in Andrew Lau and Al ...
) and Alice ( Yū Aoi), and the stress placed on their friendship as they move into
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
. It was theatrical released in Japan in 2004. It moved into theaters in other
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
n territories later in 2004 and 2005, and into western
film festivals A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent date and depe ...
, such as
New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a film festival held in New York City dedicated to the display of Asian film and culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles from Eastern Asia ...
and
Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is a film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington, United States, since 1976. It usually takes place in late May and/or early June. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, and feature ...
.


Plot

When Alice develops a crush on a stranger at the train station, she offers her best friend, Hana, the stranger's "half brother," Masashi. Hana declines, but after watching Masashi from a distance, she develops feelings for him. She stalks him by travelling on his regular train throughout the winter. During the spring, Hana and Alice enroll at Masashi's high school. Hana learns that Masashi is a member of the story-telling club, which prompts her to join. As she continues to track him secretly, she witnesses him crash into a garage door, which leaves him unconscious. As he awakes, he finds Hana leaning over him. She reveals that a blow to Masashi's head has given him a case of
amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or brain diseases,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be temporarily caused by t ...
and that she is his girlfriend. Hana and Masashi soon hang out as a couple while she continues deceiving him about their relationship. Alice becomes involved with Hana's lies by pretending she is Masashi's ex-girlfriend. Alice, in the meanwhile, gets scouted for a modelling job and succeeds in getting in. She also tries to reconnect with her father. Through a series of events, a
love triangle A love triangle is a scenario or circumstance, usually depicted as a rivalry, in which two people are pursuing or involved in a romantic relationship with one person, or in which one person in a romantic relationship with someone is simultaneo ...
unexpectedly develops between Hana, Alice and Masashi, when Masashi falls in love with Alice, who he still believes is his ex. Masashi eventually learns of Hana's lie about his amnesia and reacts accordingly, which tests Hana and Alice's friendship. Alice proceeds to audition for a modelling job for the front page of a magazine cover. To prove her worth, she performs a ballet routine that impresses the casting director. The final shot finds Hana and Alice giggling at Alice's front cover photo.


Cast

*
Anne Suzuki is a Japanese actress. Career Suzuki co-starred in Shunji Iwai's '' Hana and Alice'' with Yū Aoi. She voiced the title character Ray Steam in Katsuhiro Otomo's animated film ''Steamboy''. Suzuki played a supporting role in Andrew Lau and Al ...
- Hana Arai (荒井 花 ''Arai Hana'') * Yū Aoi - Tetsuko "Alice" Arisugawa (有栖川 徹子 ''Arisugawa Tetsuko'', アリス ''Arisu'') *
Tomohiro Kaku is a Japanese actor. Filmography TV * ''Higurashi When They Cry'' (BS SkyPerfect TV, 2016) – Kyōsuke Irie *'' Crow's Blood'' (Hulu, 2016) *''ROOKIES'' (TBS, 2008, ep 8 - 9) *'' Hana Yori Dango'' (TBS, 2005) *''Medaka'' (Fuji TV, 2004, e ...
- Masashi "Mr. Miya" Miyamoto (宮本 雅志 ''Miyamoto Masashi'') *
Shoko Aida is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink, after which she became a solo artist. Career She debuted as a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink. She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 199 ...
- Kayo Arisugawa (有栖川 加代 ''Arisugawa Kayo'') (Alice's mother) * Hiroshi Abe - Boyfriend of Alice's mother *
Sei Hiraizumi is a Japanese actor. In 1964, Hiraizumi joined Daiei Film company and started his acting career. In the 1970s to early 1980s, he appeared in a lot of jidaigeki and detective television dramas as a guest villain actor. Hiraizumi starred as Koichi ...
- Kenji Kuroyanagi (黒柳健次 ''Kuroyanagi Kenji'') (Alice's father) *
Takao Osawa is a Japanese actor. Career Osawa starred in the 2002 film ''Filament'' and the 2007 film '' Midnight Eagle''. He has also appeared in films such as Masayuki Suo's '' A Terminal Trust'' and Takashi Miike's '' Shield of Straw''. The Newport Beac ...
- Ryo Taguchi (リョウ・タグチ ''Ryō Taguchi'') (Fashion Photographer) * Ryōko Hirosue - Fashion Shoot Coordinator * Tae Kimura - Ballet Teacher *
Ayumi Ito is a Japanese actress from Tokyo, Japan. Career Ito played a supporting role in '' Tokyo!''. She also appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2012 television drama ''Penance'', and sang in the band Mean Machine. Filmography Film * '' Samurai Kids'' (19 ...
- Cameo * Mika Kano - Cameo (as herself)


Production

Director
Shunji Iwai is a Japanese filmmaker, video artist, writer and documentary maker. Life and career Iwai was born in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, graduating in 1987. In 1988, he started out in the Japanese entertainment ...
was the director, producer, screenplay author and composer for the film.


Awards

* Best Actress: Yū Aoi, 2005 - Japanese Professional Movie Award


Release

''Hana and Alice'' was released in Japan on March 13, 2004. The film was shown at the
Seattle International Film Festival The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) is a film festival held annually in Seattle, Washington, United States, since 1976. It usually takes place in late May and/or early June. It is one of the largest festivals in the world, and feature ...
on June 8, 2005. A
prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...
, '' The Case of Hana & Alice'', was released in February 2015.


Footnotes


Bibliography

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hana And Alice 2004 films Japanese romance films 2000s Japanese-language films Films directed by Shunji Iwai 2000s teen romance films 2004 romantic drama films Films produced by Shunji Iwai 2000s teen drama films 2000s Japanese films