Sundance Review: ‘I Was a Simple Man’
There are moments of pure brilliance in Christopher Makoto Yogi’s I Was a Simple Man but the film unfortunately ends up collapsing under a lack of narrative focus.
There is an interesting movie hiding somewhere within I Was a Simple Man, a frustratingly slow-paced and obnoxiously abstract movie that wastes its gorgeous visuals and solid cast on a meandering, half-baked screenplay that it isn’t sure if it wants to be a drama, a psychological thriller, an arthouse horror or something in between.
I Was a Simple Man centers on Masao, an elderly man on the brink of death who finds himself surrounded by his children and grandchildren as his condition worsens. Haunted by ghosts and visions from his mysterious past, Masao starts to lose his grip on his sanity as his family members desperately try to mend their relationships with him in his final days on earth.
There is a lot to admire in I Was a Simple Man. The film is beautifully shot, with cinematographer Eunsoo Cho capturing the beauty of Waialua, which is located on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, in a way that accentuates and heightens the nature and greenery of the location. It is also well acted, with Steve Iwamoto, Tim Chiou and Kanoa Goo delivering solid performances as the elderly Masao, his younger counterpart and Masao’s estranged grandchild Gavin respectively. Constance Wu, however, is the film’s true MVP, dominating the screen whenever she appears and casting a large, looming shadow over the rest of the proceedings. She is absolutely electrifying in this, casting a hypnotic spell over the audience with her pitch perfect delivery and ethereal presence.
There are also moments of pure brilliance scattered throughout the film, particularly those that attempt to examine the effects of colonialism and how it ripples throughout generations, poisoning the figurative well and leaving a mark that will never disappear. Director and writer Christopher Makoto Yogi’s musings on life and aging are also particularly insightful, with the film tracking Masao’s live from his childhood to his death bed in a painstakingly complex manner that is sure to resonate with anyone who has dealt with the death of a loved one.
Certain sequences in I Was a Simple Man are absolutely stunning both visually and thematically, with Makoto Yogi dwelling on purpose, mortality and generational trauma in a way that feels transcendent and wholly authentic. Some of the film’s scenes are also shot and edited like a horror film, with Makoto Yogi framing Masao’s deterioration as a supernatural entity that feeds on the human soul in a manner that feels truly and intensely frightening, flooding the screen with a palpable atmosphere of tension and unease. Unfortunately, all of these elements never really amount to anything; the film ends up collapsing under a lack of an actual narrative and storyline.
There will be an audience that will embrace I Was a Simple Man wholeheartedly, basking in its oblique and languid nature, which is not unlike the films of Terrence Malick in its sprawling philosophical themes and meditative voice-overs. But less patient audience members will scoff at its borderline pretentious monologues and broad, unfocused ponderings, finding themselves lost within its meandering, maze-like structure – and not in the way its filmmaker probably intended.
Rating: 2.5/5
I Was a Simple Man premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021.