“One Second Ahead, One Second Behind” – 2023 Busan Film Review

The first half of Nobuhiro Yamashita’s latest film title, “One Second Ahead, One Second Behind,” refers to the main eccentricity of one Hajime – played to awkward perfection by Masaki Okada – who experiences life just a bit earlier than other fellow mortals.  He reacts to situations seconds ahead of schedule, a quirk that initially is forgiven thanks to his good looks but one that quickly becomes a massive sticking point, severing relationships in the process.  As such, the bright misfit has never strayed too far away from home or in life, even though he does his very best to combat the monotony of his small world with as much enthusiasm as possible.

But despite those confines, a whole cast of equally zany characters enters Hajime’s orbit, from his meddling co-workers at the post office, to the talented female busker whose acoustic guitar and singing win his admiration, to the fellow passengers on his bus commutes.  These encounters comprise a very disconnected assembly of moving parts until life suddenly moves ahead of Hajime…by an entire day.  When Sunday snaps to Monday, the second half of the film title comes into play.  As Hajime and his audience grapple with what happened to his forgotten 24 hours, those who served as the main characters until this point make way for the bit players who played cameos until this point.  Sure, the coincidental run-ins and plot leaps can suspend one’s disbelief, but that sentiment is quickly forgotten thanks to the sincerity of the script and the memorable characters’ personality quirks.  With a sprinkling of sentiment and science fiction, it is a joy to witness how all the pieces fit together in this adaptation of the 2020 Taiwanese film “My Missing Valentine.”