A street musician meets a friend she hasn’t seen in a long time, and they start hanging out again. It turns out the street musician has talent, and soon someone will discover her potential. But why does she live on the streets, and what is her friend running from?
Kyrie is directed by the same person who made the excellent All About Lily Chou-Chou, Shunji Iwai. Kyrie has a runtime of three hours—so be prepared for a long journey.
The protagonist is played by a real musician I hadn’t heard of before, but she does a great job portraying a musician who never gives up. You’ll hear a lot of music in Kyrie, with the protagonist pouring her soul into each performance, her crackling voice adding a raw and emotional edge.
The movie shifts back and forth between the present and the past. We see what happened in the protagonist’s past, the people she met, and those who meant something to her. I won’t spoil what happened in her past because that’s an emotional experience you should discover for yourself.
This is a character you feel sorry for, but she doesn’t seem to pity herself despite the traumatic experiences she went through—experiences no one should have to endure. Despite life constantly knocking her down, and her limited ability to speak, she can sing. Music is a part of her soul, and her singing has a rawness we’re not used to.
Her friend is a mysterious character who is also running from something. At the beginning of the movie, it seems like she has succeeded in life, though her wig is ugly as hell. But she’s hiding something, and I felt like the movie never fully explained how her life went wrong. So while I enjoyed Kyrie, it feels a bit shallow compared to a movie like All About Lily Chou-Chou.
Even though the runtime is three hours, the story hooked me because I felt so sorry for the protagonist and wanted to know what she went through. The storytelling is good for the most part, but there are characters who either don’t reveal much about their past or whose arcs are left unfinished. That’s disappointing, especially considering the three-hour runtime.
As for the protagonist, she doesn’t seem as sad as I expected. She has a fighting spirit and isn’t materialistic. Though she doesn’t say much about what she truly feels, it’s clear she’ll always be a restless soul because of her traumatic childhood. It’s a part of her she can never escape.
In the end, Kyrie isn’t a particularly deep movie, but it’s still solid if you enjoy the director’s work. It’s a more conventional drama with a big dose of music, and I admired the protagonist’s fighting spirit—something you should take note of if you’re the type to complain about the small things in life.