Touch is a baseball movie that is more about love than about sport. Japanese teen idol Masami Nagasawa, who won an award at the 28th Japanese Academy Awards for the best supporting actress in Crying Out Love, In the Centre of the World, sparkles in the lead role. Directed by Isshin Inudo, Touch is adapted from the classic sports manga by comic artist Mitsuru Adachi. The story revolves around three high school students: Minami, a spirited and athletic schoolgirl played by Nagasawa, and her two childhood playmates, Tatsuya and Kazuya, who are twin brothers and talented baseball players. The trio have a dream - to help their school's baseball team qualify for the national high school baseball championships at Koshien Stadium. As with most Japanese teen movies, you can expect someone to die: Kazuya gets run over by a car on the day of the match. To prove his love for Minami and realise the dream of his deceased brother, Tatsuya picks up the mantle and becomes the ace pitcher of the team. This is a cliche-laden movie that is too sweet to dislike. The pillow fight between Tatsuya and Minami is childish, and the tragic death of Kazuya is too melodramatic to be believable. But the scene in which Minami tiptoes to Tatsuya's bed and gives her a first kiss is delightful. It captures that delicate blend of infatuation and innocence that makes young love so unforgettable. Nagasawa gives a convincing performance as the girl-next-door. Her acting is superficial, but her sweet face and bright smiles make up for her lack of acting experience. Baseball only serves as a backdrop for this love triangle movie, but romantics should not mind as it is a tender and touching portrayal of first love. Touch opens today
