37 Seconds

A heartwarming, special little movie, 37 Seconds follows Yuma (Mei Kayama), a struggling artist afflicted with cerebral palsy, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery triggered by a desire to lose her virginity. It’s a fairly conventional premise that does, at the outset, benefit substantially from Kayama’s tremendously appealing and natural performance as the ultra-sympathetic central character, with the narrative’s less-than-innovative bent generally allayed by the confidence with which filmmaker Hikari adapts her own screenplay (ie the whole thing is just so pleasant). It’s clear, then, that 37 Seconds’ shift from watchable to engrossing is due mostly to the resonance of its third act, as the movie, armed with a series of unexpected revelations, progresses into a final stretch that’s nothing short of devastating in terms of its emotional impact – with the picture ultimately confirming its place as one of the most affecting coming-of-age tales to come around in some time (and really, it’s impossible to overstate the effectiveness of Kayama’s remarkable work here).

***1/2 out of ****