When Yuki (Shion Matsufuji) transfers to a new school he has no intention of making friends, but in spite of himself forms a bond with a fellow pupil. Yuki is part of a travelling theatre company, moving school every month with the troupe led by his father (Toru Kizu). When he is asked to deliver work to an absentee classmate Ken (Jun Saito), who does not attend school as it is too easy for him, the two soon form a partnership as outsiders to the rest of the school. Yuki finds out that Ken is into underground idol group Patty Five; feigning interest himself to get closer to him. When one member of Patty Five, Asaka (Hirona Murata), joins Yuki’s theatre group, he is finally able to convince his friend to attend a performance, along with Ken’s ex-girlfriend Maya (Sara Hayama), who has become a fan of Yuki’s performances, and his special talent for performing the female roles.
Directed by Naoya Fujita, from a script by Suzuyuki Kaneko, “Confetti” is a subtle drama that gives an insight into Japanese theatre productions, with dance, song, and melodrama. Yuki is an engaging protagonist, a loner who has little interest in school due to his dreams of becoming an actor and staying with his father’s theatre company. Shion Matsufuji gives a sympathetic performance as we see his joy on the stage, the barely healed grief over his mother’s death, and his relationship with his father who is also the boss of the theatre troupe. Jun Saito and Sara Hayama are also good in their roles, creating a strong trio that carries the film. The scenes of theatre performance and preparation are entertaining offer a counterpoint to the more realist human drama of the young cast; this contrast, between artifce and reality, is brought out in the final sequence showing a stage production of a play about a lost son, running parallel to the realisation that Yuki and Ken are soon to be separated. The film maintains a sharp focus on its main characters, with a side story surrounding Asaka and her mother’s opposition to her chosen profession. Drawing on the simplicity of the stage, with each scene and conversation furthering the plot, “Confetti” maintains momentum from beginning to end.
Yuki’s story, of a young man attempting to foster his passion for performance in the shadow of his father, will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find their place in the world while accepting the necessary sacrifice this often entails. His relationship with Ken gives Yuki his first taste of friendship, with their mutual respect for each other’s talents strengthening their bond. Asaka’s story, a more conventional tale of a rebellious child and a concerned parent, provides a strong mirror to the main drama, as we realise that Yuki, far from resenting his life has embraced it, and is instead is struggling with his own internal conflict.
