Takaomi Ogata’s somber Japanese romance Body Temperature walks a fine line between being creepy and being sweet. The film, coolly paced and meticulously acted, is not afraid to step into some very uncomfortable territories but somehow, miraculously, it never completely looses the earnest romanticism that runs, like an undercurrent, through the film’s soul.
Chavetaro Ishizaki stars as Rintaro, a young man struck by deep, profound loneliness. When audiences first meet Rintaro, he is living a quiet, seemingly pleasant life with Ibuki, a silent, perpetually frozen young woman played by Rin Sakuragi. Rintaro cares for Ibuki like the loyal spouse of a quadriplegic. He dresses her, takes her on outings to bowling alleys and even tenderly brushes her hair. All the while Ibuki remains perfectly still — frozen in a serene look of concentration.
While hints come from the beginning that there is something wrong with Ibuki, it quickly becomes obvious that, instead, there is something wrong with Rintaro.
Ibuki is a life-size sex doll — modeled to perfectly resemble the anatomical make-up of a real woman. Rintaro and Ibuki’s relationship dances back and forth over the line of creepiness.
At times, Rintaro shows himself to be a gentle, loving man who just happens to have chosen to share his passion with a piece of plastic. Other moments offer a clearer peak into Rintaro’s psyche — a sexually frustrated individual who perhaps enjoys too much the thrill of making love to a lifeless woman.
Things become complicated (more so) when Rintaro meets Rinko, a real woman (also played by Sakuragi). Rinko bares a striking resemblance to Ibuki and this ignites Rintaro’s curiosity. Rintaro forces a meeting between the two and — due perhaps to Rinko’s own lonliness — the two begin dating. Rintaro is a man who proves to have no idea of how to communicate with a woman of flesh and blood, yet he enters an awkward yet sweet romance with somebody who can reciprocate his emotions.
Despite a few uncomfortable glimpses into Rintaro’s private life (Body Temperature goes places Lars and the Real Girl never quite entered), director Ogata never once lets the film’s creepiness factor overwhelm its story. Chavetaro Ishizaki is a fully fleshed-out character — not a farcical portrayal of weirdness. Although he has made a slightly off-kilter life choice by deciding to live with a sex doll, audiences never once doubt Rintaro or his actions — even if they can’t quite understand them. Furthermore, by the end of the film audiences will most likely have grown to sympathize with the character’s sadness and perhaps even appreciate his struggle to find love.
Also to be commended is Rin Sakuragi’s performance. An adult film actress, Sakuragi does wonders in her duel role as Rintaro’s plastic life partner and his shot at a real, adult relationship.
There is something beautiful about Body Temperature — which is a weird thing to say about a film that deals with sex dolls. Despite this plot point, the movie is humanistic in its exploration of relationships — both mutual and one-sided.
Director: Takaomi Ogata
Notable Cast: Chavetaro Ishizaki and Rin Sakuragi
Writer: Takaomi Ogata
