We’ve all had crappy neighbors. Shouters, slammers, criminals, or simply the Catholic girl in the room above you who thinks 3 a.m. is the ideal time for everyone in the building to know she adores “Only the Good Die Young.” Unfortunately, the impotent and passive ignore-and-hope-they-stop-whatever is –by far- the best strategy to combat such a thing. However, much like reacting to the Trump Presidency, you can’t forever ignore Billy Joel on full blast every morning at 3 am. And somewhere in-between “once or twice my freshman year of college” and every.single.day of an infantile tweet-infested presidency lies the question: where’s your threshold? And once your threshold has been reached, what’s the next step? And that is where we encounter Mrs. Noisy.
Maki Yoshioka (Yukiko Shinohara) is a writer. I’m pretty sure she’s a crappy writer who got lucky once. It happens. It happens all the time. And yet, this is Maki’s profession, so she’s gotta make more happen. Maki’s writing is oft criticized for being shallow, not unlike this film. Do you know how much nerve it takes to write about a writer being criticized for being shallow in a way that is also shallow? I don’t either, but it seems like a bunch, huh?
Now Maki is also a stay-at-home mom with a b-o-r-e-d child. In 2020, I think we can all sympathize with a shut-in. The child isn’t stupid or lazy, just bored and curious. So when child figures out how to go to the park by herself, well, that’s gonna happen. After a freakout, Maki finds her girl with the weird neighbor … a weird neighbor who turns out to be a lot of loud. Miwako (Yoko Ootaka) enjoys banging her futon on the balcony at all hours of the day. Well, gee, who doesn’t? KnowwhatI’msayin’? Quite frankly no. Even I don’t know what I’m saying. Who bangs a futon on the balcony every day?
With a noisy neighbor, a bored child, and writer’s block, Maki already has a full anxiety plan mapped out. Shame she can’t just write about her own pent
up brooding. Maybe title her work The Broodster, Broodalicious, or Broodomatic. Man, the one time you actually need Rob Schneider in your life and where is he? Huh? Where? Well, first Maki starts in on Miwako for being Mrs. Noisy … and then Maki does start writing about the experience, which seems like a bit of a cheat: you’re not pulling from life experience; you’re fabricating it for the sake of something to write about.
Mrs. Noisy is exactly that: a bit of a cheat. This could have been an insightful comedy about modern living in the big city and instead, halfway through, it switches from a disappointing comedy to a disappointing drama. There were seeds of both halves worth exploring, but the film selected the stuff that makes one question instead of cheer. This film is a fair idea wasted.
Maki couldn’t feel any lamer
She’s in need of a professional tamer
The truth is humbly plain
Looks like her neighbor is insane
What is the Japanese for “Kramer?”
Not Rated, 106 Minutes
Director: Chihiro Amano
Writer: Chihiro Amano
Genre: Who are the people in your neighborhood?
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Anyone who has lived with a noisy neighbor
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Anyone who has realized that noisy neighbor happens to be human as well
