Love is a business at Family Romance: a company that offers the substitute rental service. Founder Yuichi Ishii helps fulfill the dreams of his clients. Mahiro's mother will hire Ishii to impersonate her missing father. And reality will begin to blur.
Directed by German film-maker/actor Werner Herzog, Family Romance LLC captures a bizarre type of business which to my great surprise is actually available in Japan. Imagine having lost someone close to you, but for a reasonable price can replace that hole in in your life with a hired actor? The characters in the film are mostly played by non-professionals and the company's founder Yuichi Ishii lends his talent by playing himself. It works well, too, and I guess that's because he actually does this for a living on a daily basis.
It's a strange and fascinating story of what means people will go to just to keep up appearances at a party or perhaps fool their parents with a dashing new husband. Herzog calls it one his "essential films" and I certainly can see how it addresses a relatively new phenomenon with respect, while also delivering a believable performance which aims to ask hard questions about what makes a family.
Genre: Drama
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