Upon its initial 2016 release, critics raved about Japanese filmmaker Shunji Iwai’s “A Bride For Rip Van Winkle.” Serving as an adaptation of Iwai’s own novel, “Hana and Alice,” “Bride” tells the story of a lonely woman named Nanami who decides to marry a man she met online. But because of the cavalcade of lies she’s told her new beau, she must then pay people from the Internet to attend the wedding as her friends and family.
The comical, yet crushingly sad film delivers a harsh look into the desperation and lack of genuineness in the age of social media. Iwai has previously dealt with the uglier sides of romance in his previous movies such as “Love Letter” and “All About Lily Chou-Chou,” which also expose the desperation and dishonesty that accompanies the search for love.
“A Bride For Rip Van Winkle” is finally opening in U.S. cinemas on November 10, so domestic audiences can experience the timely and winding romance that provoked such acclaim after the film’s opening in Asia last year.
It’s about time, too. “A Bride” features a controlling groom, a “Mr. Fix It” character who takes it upon himself to provide solutions to all of Nanami’s mounting stack of problems. From there, he continues to use his money and privilege to prevent her from independence.
Our exclusive clip from “A Bride For Rip Van Winkle” shows a scene of such manipulation, featuring dreamy, lingering shots and mesmerizing performances. Check it out below, and catch the film in theatres on November 10.
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