Starring:
Yamada Takayuki as Takeshima Naoki
Sawajiri Erika as Shirai Yumiko
Tamayama Tetsuji as Takeshima Takashi
Fukiishi Kazue as Nakajo Asami
Onoue Hiroyuki as Terao Yusuke
Fukikoshi Mitsuru as Ogata Tadao

Every month, Naoki receives a letter from his brother, Takashi. Though they used to be very close, Takashi is now in prison for life. While Takashi was never a star pupil, Naoki is, and Takashi is determined to send his little brother to college. He works very hard, but unfortunately he hurts his back and was fired from his job. Unable to find work, he robs a house out of desperation, and when he is running he bumps into the elderly woman who lives there; the two struggle, and she dies. Because of this, he is send to prison and Naoki is branded “a murderer’s brother.” The story focuses mostly on Naoki and discrimination against him because of his brother, though he has done nothing wrong. Other characters include Yumiko, a girl who has always watched from the side and becomes his good friend; Yusuke, his friend since junior high; and Asami, who becomes his girlfriend.

Tegami is a good example of a movie that could only be Asian. I could never imagine Hollywood releasing a film like this because even if your relative is a criminal, you wouldn’t be blamed, much less blatantly discriminated for it. I think this stems from the fact that Western society is very individualistic and what you doesn’t have much to do with your relatives. But for Asians, what you do reflects on the rest of your family. Even the circumstances of Takashi’s “murder” are questionable. And since he hurt is back while working, we Americans would demand payment for that, but I suppose it just doesn’t work that way for the Japanese.

Because of this, Naoki is forced to find new jobs and to move often, even though he was the top student and could have easily gone to good university. Instead, he works jobs for meager wages, just trying to get by. At first, he feels wronged and discriminated against. Eventually, he comes to accept this as his fate of a murderer’s brother. Though he receives letters from his brother every month, he has stopped writing back.

You know, no matter how much Naoki may have loved his brother before the “murder,” what’s happening to him now is enough to make him hate his brother. It’s regretful that it comes to hating his brother when the real culprit is society. It’s partly because Asians are so gossipy and prone to spreading rumors (just looks at all the scandals in Asian media!). Many times, rumors and gossip hold more weight than the truth. For Hollywood stars, not even being charged with illegal drug abuse and the like is enough to destroy a career…

Not only does Tegami have an interesting and compelling storyline, the three co-stars are all accomplished actors and actresses. Tamayama Tetsuji impresses me in everything I see him in, no matter how small the role. He always makes an impact. Also, he has a wonderful narrating voice, since he isn’t the film physically as much as he is vocally, narrating his letters. Yamada Takayuki as Naoki was also a treat. He was one the first actors that I ever got into; I’ve watched bunches of his dramas (Sekachu, H2, Water Boys, Byakuyakou, etc) and it’s nice to watch him again. He pulls off this role well, starting from feeling discriminated against to just quietly accepting it without question. Even if Sawajiri Erika is a bitch (or seems to be one), I still like her acting. She starts out looking a little more homely and then later turns into a much modern student. I watched this movie with my sister and she said, “what? Is that the same person?” Besides that, she plays the role of a strong woman nicely, with plenty of determination and spunk.

Tegami is a very interesting film that is definitely worth a watch. With a great cast and an equally great storyline, what’s not to like? It’s not a light movie, though, so don’t expect much romance.

Buy this movie: HK DVD | J Premium Edition