Open House

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Movie: Open House
Director: Isao Yukisada
Writer: Jinsei Tsuji, Isao Yukisada
Producer:
Cinematography: Noboru Shinoda
Release Date: 1998 / December 13, 2003 (Japan)
Runtime: 116 min
Distributor: Shochiku
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

The original story "OPEN HOUSE" written by Akutagawa Award winning writer, Hitonari Tsuji, is composed of two stories - one about Tomonori and Mitsuwa, and the other about Yuiko.

Mitsuwa and Tomonori Mitsuwa (Eihi Shiina) is a third rate model and she is very unhappy with her demeaning job of handing out leaflets. Unfortunately she doesn't have too many options so she gets by as best she can. One day she gets drunk and starts a fight at a party where she is working. She ends up getting kicked out of the bar and running into Tomonori (Daijiro Kawaoka) who has no place to go. Tomonori finds Mitsuwa lying on the street while he was calling a friend to bum a bed for the night from a public telephone booth. Tomonori takes care of Mitsuwa and takes her home. Next morning, Mitsuwa is surprised to find Tomonori in her room.

Tomonori is at first embarrassed but once he explains what happened, Mitsuwa is quite pleased to have him move in with her. A few days later, a dog named Enrique joins them. Poor Enrique has been trained with an electric shock collar and now is not sure how to bark.

Yuiko Yuiko (Kaho Minami) has just been divorced. She is very confused and almost desperate, which causes her stress-related itchiness that prevents her from a good night's rest and leaves her to scratch all night.

Miyake (Takehiro Murata), her ex-husband's best pal, is passionately in love with Yuiko and asks her to marry him. Disgusted and scared of Miyake, Yuiko again is stressed.

One day, her ex-husband's lover turns up at Yuiko's apartment to inform her that they are breaking up because the man cannot part with the memories with Yuiko, which appear to be more important than a future with her. Still confused, Yuiko cannot open her mind to anybody. It seems as those who love are never destined to be loved by those they lavish their affection upon. However, their pursuit of happiness will find a place to settle, just like the dog, which is the symbol of happiness, coming into their life by chance.