Original title: さんかく | Sankaku | Triangle
Release: 2010Country: Japan
Director: Keisuke Yoshida
Running time: 99 Min.
Cast: Sousuke Takaoka | Tomoko Tabata | Erena Ono
Written by: Miguel Douglas
Published: 12.04.10
Momose, a 30-year-old who is somewhat of a deadbeat, is currently living with his girlfriend Kayo. Their relationship is not exactly where they would like it to be though, and they find themselves growing distant from one another as the days pass. Things suddenly change when Kayo’s 15-year-old sister Momo comes to stay with them during her summer vacation. While exciting for everyone at first, Momose and Momo slowly begin to express feelings for one another without the knowledge of Kayo. What soon develops is a love triangle that will put to the test their relationships with one another and question the boundaries of family and love.
Far removed from many of the stereotypical approaches that are normally associated with such a topic, Sankaku is a rather interesting film for a multitude of reasons. Whether viewed as a critique upon Japan’s adherence towards female adolescence, or simply a film concerning the destructive nature of lustful relationships, the film explores a diverse range of subjects without being unrealistic in its handling of them. Considering its initial focus—that in which an older man expresses his liking for his present girlfriend’s teenage sister—the film never detracts from being a film concerned with exploring the disastrous consequences that arise from such behavior. It comes as surprise then that former AKB48 member Erena Ono is the object of desire here. Considering this, the film could’ve easily exploited this notion of female adolescence to the fullest—which is not to say it doesn’t in some capacity—but restrains itself from being a film focusing solely upon the lust for that female adolescence. It’s interesting to note that such restraint is often times ignored within similar films, in which exploitation on part of the young female is discretely promoted as the film’s foundation—which fortunately isn’t done here.
