It's Only Talk (やわらかい生活) is a Japanese film, released in 2005 and is based on the prizewinning novel of the same title written by Akiko Itoyama and directed by Ryūichi Hiroki.
Plot summary
"Kamata Town: not an ounce of chic..." "Perhaps I should move there..." So begins Yuko's story.
Yuko, is 35 years old; unemployed, single and is on medication to combat manic depression. There are a number of men in Yuko's life:
her college friend, Homma, now a member of parliament;
K, a confessed pervert who she meets on the Internet;
Yasuda, a manic depressive young gang member;
Soichi, Yuko's cousin who separated from his wife and child, and was also dumped by his mistress.
Yuko seems to create a different persona depending on whom she is talking to at the time. By the end of the movie, Yuko knows that she needs more than what Soichi and the other men in her life can give her. We all need a soft life—the literal meaning of "Yawarakai Seikatsu"—once in a while, but as Yuko discovers, there's also something to be said for this hard thing called reality.
It's Only Talk not only highlights the illness of manic depression, it also suggests ways to care for the patient. The film suggests that through tender loving care, and by acknowledging their reality, and seeking help as patients, people
suffering from manic depression could get better.
