Dreams For Sale (2012)

Directed by: Miwa Nishikawa
Country: Japan

Review: “Dreams For Sale” is nothing more than a dark tale about money and greediness. The story follows a strange couple, Kanya and Satoko, who lost their successful restaurant in a fire, deciding to work in a solution to extort money for a new one. The plan emerged by chance when Kanya brought home a large amount of money after a one-night stand with a drunken woman he met in the subway. After making her husband confess what had happened, Satoko got to know that the woman who has given the money was vulnerable and deprived of her true love. Since then, they decided that Kanya will seduce and scam women who got lonely, desperate for love, or even sick. As the scams were happening, we were able to gather more information about the personality of these two crooks. Kanya revealed to have a heart, often feeling badly and regretting his behavior, but was never able to stop. Satoko, in the other hand, showed her cruelty, tenacity, and indifference regarding the victims. The tale itself intends to show something meaningful and the character studies are well conceived, but the film has its faults. It was extremely long; I wouldn’t be exaggerating if said that at least 30 minutes should be cut off. Other negative aspect was the silly side presented in some moments, leaving us between the gravity of the emotions and a sort of misplaced comedy.