Director Ryosuke Hashiguchi makes a huge comeback with this critically acclaimed filmThree Stories of Love, considered one of the best movies of the year in Japan. Three Stories follows three interwoven tales of individuals learning how to cope when love slips away. Among them, a bereaved bridge repairman, an unhappy housewife and an elite gay lawyer – Atsushi,  Toko and Satoshi-, three complete strangers  connected by threads of personal tragedy and disillusionmen. Repairman Atsushi's (Atsushi Shinohara) wife was killed in a random murder case. Lonely housewife Toko (Toko Narushima) lives with her husband, who seems to hold little interest in her, and her mother-in-law, who treats her poorly. Satoshi is an elite perfectionist lawyer who is also gay.  Love lost, love wanted, and love rejected.The roles of Atsushi, Satoshi and Toko are portrayed by amateurs who were coached into acting by the director himself. According to Hashiguchi, Three Stories of Love began as a workshop project in which the filmmaker first held auditions to select his cast. Then he wrote the stories around their personalities, blending them with the gay themes of his early successes (A Touch of Fever, Like Grains of Sand) and with his exploration of love and marriage.It has been seven years since Hashiguchi last directed a film, the award winning All Around Us (2007). Born in 1962 the director is especially known for projects concerning LGBT community issues. Among his awards are the ones achieved as Best Director at the 24th Yokohama Film Festival for Hush! (2001) and at the 33rd Hochi Film Award for All Around Us.Three Stories of Love has followed the art-house path since its bow in Japan and Vancouver. And its two-hour plus length has not stopped the accolades, even for a movie without a happy ending.