Japanese star is an old romantic

Everybody loves movies because they take us to a different world. But can you imagine what would happen if movie characters came to our world? The hit new film from Japan, Tonight at Romance Theater, is a fantasy love story that brings the magic of the movies to life.

In 1960s Japan, a young director called Kenji (Kentaro Sakaguchi) goes to the cinema after work every day to watch his favourite film - an old black-and-white movie about the beautiful Princess Miyuki (Haruka Ayase). Then one night, something magical happens when she emerges from the silver screen to meet him. From here, Kenji introduces Miyuki to a world full of love and colour.

S Weekly got in touch with Haruka via email to talk all about Tonight at Romance Theater, which is currently showing at cinemas throughout Thailand.

Why did you decide to take this role?

Haruka: I don’t get to be in fantasy films very often and when I first heard the story, it was totally beyond my imagination. After I finished reading the script, I knew that this movie was made with a real passion for cinema. So I’m proud to be a part of it.

Can you tell us about your character in the film?

Haruka: I play Princess Miyuki, a character in an old black-and-white film. She’s bored with her life in the palace, so she decides to leave her home and travel the world. She’s confident and tough but rarely expresses her true feelings.

Is it true that you wore 25 different outfits in the film?

Haruka: Yes, the styles and colours in the film are really important. Miyuki comes from a monochrome world, so there are many scenes where she’s overwhelmed by her experiences in the world of colour. The crew put a lot of work into the designs of the locations and settings, as well as all the beautiful dresses I wore. I think it was the director’s idea to reflect the mood of each scene through Miyuki’s dresses. That’s why I got to wear so many!

What was it like working with Kentaro Sakaguchi?

Haruka: He’s a very good actor who’s dedicated to what he does. I think he’s perfect as Kenji. We were actually in Our Little Sister together a few years ago. But we didn’t share any scenes in that movie.

One of the highlights of the film is a scene where the characters kiss through glass. Can you tell us about it?

Haruka: Yes, Kenji puts his lips to the glass. And Miyuki brings her head down, but their lips don’t actually meet. It’s a beautiful scene, but also very painful. They want to kiss each other, but they can’t.

What did you like most about working on this film?

Haruka: I liked the way that it’s paying homage to classic films. The kissing scene comes from the Japanese movie Until We Meet Again [1950]. Kenji’s obsession with cinema is a homage to the Italian film Cinema Paradiso [1988]. The magic that connects the two worlds together is similar to The Purple Rose of Cairo [1985]. And the story of a girl embarking on a journey and travelling from a monochrome world to a colour one is similar to The Wizard of Oz [1939]. It was really fun filming this movie.

Video from: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCihK7exmjJvp5UbrsMS8dCQ