What do you get lost in? Is it perfectly mundane or something deeper, even darker, than the pursuits of your public persona? The new film “Lost Girls & Love Hotels” explores one woman’s pull towards the latter as an escape. Running from the past and facing an uncertain future in a foreign land it questions the constructs of what we hide from, not to mention how we do it.
Based on author Catherine Hanrahan’s novel of the same name and directed by William Olsson, the project utilizes Tokyo as a place full of its own contradictions. That sense of duality is something that lends itself to the visual elements of the story, conveying a very different world between the daylight and night’s inescapable grasp. It also highlights the role of a seemingly bland existence against the tribulations of a life less explored. The influence of Hanrahan is felt strongly throughout the film, much of which comes from the writer herself also crafting the screenplay.
Alexandra Daddario stars in the role of Margaret, a woman quickly approaching burnout status. While the film may position Daddario’s conflicted character at the forefront, Takehiro Hira offers a subtle counterpoint as another troubled soul in search of something more. Together, the actors create a powerful physical presence that is accentuated in their moments alone.
Here’s the official synopsis:
“LOST GIRLS & LOVE HOTELS tells the story of an American English teacher named Margaret (Alexandra Daddario) and her nightly pilgrimages through Tokyo’s glittering nightlife in an attempt to forget her painful past and discover new meaning in the arms of a mysterious Yakuza (Takehiro Hira) named Kazu. The provocative tale takes the viewer on a journey through the darkest alleyways of Japan, as their affair tears them apart and reshapes them across Tokyo’s landscape of dive bars, alleyways and three-hour love hotels. In addition to Daddario and Hira, the film also stars Carice van Houten (TV’s “Game of Thrones,” Valkyrie), Misuzu Kanno (37 Seconds, Vise) and Kate Easton (Where’d You Go, Bernadette, You Were Never Really Here). “
“Lost Girls & Love Hotels” premieres on digital and on-demand September 18. Watch the film’s trailer below.