Last weekend I had the chance to venture out to the New People complex and the VIZ Cinema to see this Japanese chick-flick. I call it a chick-flick mainly because there’s a lot more drama than in most non chick-flicks. It’s a movie that both genders can enjoy and, surprisingly, makes a good date night movie. Below may contain some spoilers, so read at your own risk.

The movie follows a young woman named Saori as she attempts to repay a debt built up from her mother’s hospital bills. Her father left her mother to live his life as a gay man. He started a bar for gays, which later closed. He then opened up a retirement home for gay men called “La Maison de Himiko”, where this film gets it’s title.

Saori is very sore about her father leaving her mother and holds the grudge against him through the entire movie. She begrudgingly takes up a part-time job when approached by her father’s very young and handsome lover. At first she’s very uneasy and finds the men that live in the retirement home disgusting. She even openly admits that she’s only there for the money. Slowly but surely she comes to like the men that are there and helps them through some problems as well as confront problems of her own.

I don’t want to say too much about the story, but the cast of characters are very likable. To an American audience that may not be familiar with Japanese style movies and some of their common items and themes in movies, this movie is kind of confusing and not like much else that’s in American movies. The sense of humor and the openness with sexual ideas like homosexuality and cross-dressing is a little shocking, but it really works for this movie. Without it, you wouldn’t know what the movie was about nor would there really be a movie.

Overall, I have to say that I loved this movie. I wish I could make sure I got it on DVD if/when it comes out and add it to my slowly growing collection of movies. My favorite scene is the very end which makes so much sense and pretty much makes the whole movie. If you see it, you’ll understand when I say “Piki Piki Picky”! If you get the chance to see this during the last few days at Viz, then do so. If not, then as soon as it’s available on DVD, check it out.