I love how this movie sets you up for a Freaky Friday redux and then halfway through is like, Nope, sorry, this film is actually about the collision of natural, temporal, and technological catastrophes! Shinkai seems to have foreshadowed some of David Lynch’s preoccupations with his Twin Peaks revival, and watching this now, there’s no question Lynch’s approach is ten times better. Shinkai is one of those filmmakers who will always chase his stories in circles before he finally delivers the ending his audiences want, and it’s certainly evident here (Lynch, obviously, doesn’t give a shit about what his audiences want, which is why he continues to rule). And so I could’ve used something more nihilistic and subversive instead of the paper toweling over the traumas the narrative presents. But, you know, even with its overelaborate nature and the syrupy resolution, Your Name is really fun to watch, and takes more risks than I would have expected it to. I may not be blown away, but I am still very impressed.
The Lonely Film Critic 