Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

During the past 25 years, writer-director Yoshimitsu Morita has been one of the stalwarts of Japanese cinema. In 1983, he burst out of his “pink” (soft-core porn) past and into the mainstream with the deliciously ironic and satirical The Family Game. Since then, he’s made everything from melodramas and comedies to horror flicks. Morita’s 2006 film, The Mamiya Brothers, a funny and touching tale of two nebbish siblings, perfectly represented his focus on human and meek characters. Watashi Dasu Wa revolves around Maya Yamabuki (Koyuki), an apparently wealthy woman who returns from Tokyo to her hometown in Hokkaido. There she mysteriously starts giving away huge sums of money. Her largesse is particularly focused on five old classmates, who range from a sweet streetcar driver to jaded bar hostess. Is the charity driven by guilt or other non-altruistic motives? Will the recipients find happiness with the monetary gain? Morita has crafted another winner that examines the role money plays in our lives. (110 min)