Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald

A love story written by an ordinary housewife wins a competition and is to be broadcast as a live radio drama. Minutes before air an actor objects: she does not like her character's name. The name changes. Then someone else wants to change the setting, then the occupations, then the period. By the time it is on air the story has stopped being a love story set in Japan and become something set in New York, while the writer watches from a corner of the studio. This was Koki Mitani's first film as director, adapted from his own stage play. The narrative takes place almost entirely in the studio and the control room and runs in real time. The comedy comes wholly from a chain of concessions. The film drew a wide audience in Japan and won three Japanese Academy Awards, including best screenplay. Who it's for: Viewers who like Japanese comedy, single-location structures, and narratives about broadcasting. Who it's not for: There are many characters and it is hard to follow in the first half hour. The humour also builds slowly.