4/5 stars
Love on Trial is an absorbing look at the Japanese music industry inspired by real events.
Unveiled in the Cannes Premiere sidebar of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Koji Fukada’s film has a universal quality. The story may centre around a J-pop girl group, but its exploration of the pressures put on young performers feels like it could also apply to Western groups.
The story is about Happy Fans, a quintet who are rapidly becoming popular with teens.
The movie starts with them busy signing autographs, offering handshakes and posing for selfies at a meet-and-greet. The young band members are hard-working, aware the team of adults around them depend on them to make a living.
