Enlightenment Guaranteed (2000) is a light hearted but touching
comedy by German director Doris Dörrie, known for such illuminating films as Men… (1985) and Cherry Blossoms (2008), also set in Japan. It's about two affluent
middle aged brothers, Uwe and Gustav, who are going through a midlife crisis
and end up roaming the streets of Tokyo together.
A German couple with three children, who seem to have
everything, are finding that in their pursuit of success and providing for
their family, they have somehow lost touch with the important things in life
that can make a big difference in achieving happiness. This is the place where Petra,
the wife of Uwe, finds herself one day, when she decides she’s had enough and
leaves her husband, taking their kids with her and leaving the house empty.
Doris Dörrie is known for dealing with controversial and
spiritual issues, and the stresses of modern day living with a light humorous
touch. She explores and questions our
society and why people have become so miserable while showing us how we have
abandoned or lost touch with many of the simple pleasures that we take for
granted in exchange for an unrealistic and unsustainable life style that is at odds
with our natural environment and our health.
When Uwe arrives home to find an abandoned house and a note
from his wife that she has left him, he is devastated and calls his older
brother Gustav for support. Dissatisfied with his life, Gustav is preparing to
go on a spiritual journey to a Zen monastery in Japan to get in touch with his
inner spirit while coming to terms with his identity, when he gets the call
from his distraught brother with the news of his wife’s departure.
The movie is filmed in a home video style and sometimes recorded
with Uwe’s video camera in reality show fashion, as both brothers talk into the
camera to express their thoughts and feelings about each other and the strange
experiences they encounter. The video footage fits well with the travel theme and shows another dimension to the characters.
When Uwe hears about his brother’s planned trip to Tokyo, he
begs him not to leave during his time of need. His brother reluctantly relents
and decides to take him along with him to get his mind off his misery and spend
some time together. So starts a soul searching journey with two very different
people who haven’t spent this much time together since childhood and must find
a way to reconcile their differences and put up with each other’s criticisms
while also navigating a foreign country.
In the human maze that is Tokyo, Japan, lost in the tech
gadget obsessed city, through a series of humorous mishaps, they soon lose
their money, credit cards and hotel room, which are shown in a funny vignette
that exposes their differing personality traits. After a night spent sleeping
in a cemetery under cardboard boxes, they eventually find their way to the
Buddhist temple where their journey of self-discovery begins.
Life in an actual Japanese Buddhist monastery is shown in
remarkable authentic detail through the daily rituals and chores that must be
performed by all its residents. The monks all have specific duties and they
help the two brothers, who don’t speak the language, to learn and adhere to the
challenging spiritual routine.
What’s fascinating about this film is the sense of
contentment the two brothers and we the audience feel when they finally learn
to accept their faults and enjoy life. Putting their differences aside, they learn
to respect and help each other and forge a true bond of friendship while finding
peace and acceptance.
I found this film to be truly enlightening and full of
surprises and humor.
JP
