So not surprisingly at all I've picked out a Japanese movie for my movie club selection. This is a movie from one of my favorite modern Japanese directors, Kore-eda Hirokazu. This is my second favorite film of his (my favorite film of his, After Life, is available in the US, but older and probably out of print, so I'm going to avoid those hassles by going with this one).
Here's the movie summary from IMDB:
Originally Posted by IMDB
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage with the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination toward the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage.
This is a slow movie, but the slow speed has a strong purpose in making you truly care about the children and the challenges of their life. Be warned though, this is an incredibly heartbreaking movie. If you aren't near tears at the end then there's a strong chance that you have no soul.
This movie is "based" on true events. Although it's one of those incredibly loose based on stories. The basic story of four children left alone by a derelict mother is about the only part of it that is the truth. In honesty, the real life story is even darker and more depressing then the one shown in the movie.
The young boy, Yagira Yuya, who plays the eldest boy in the family, Akira, does an amazing job in this movie, which was made when he was only 12 years old. Due to his incredible performance he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004.
If you watch this and enjoy it, I do also highly recommend that you do some searching and dig up After Life as well.
Last edited by bbobb; 07 Oct 2007 at 11:04 PM.
You sir, are a hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.
This is a great movie. It really breaks my heart just thinking about the little girl. I mean, man. The little actress that played her was great and a cute little kid. When her character died and they took her out in the suitcase, I lost it. Nice pick.
This is a great movie. It really breaks my heart just thinking about the little girl. I mean, man. The little actress that played her was great and a cute little kid. When her character died and they took her out in the suitcase, I lost it. Nice pick.
The real life story is much worse, she was beaten to death by one of the friends of the older boy
Since you've seen this you should do some scrounging and try to find After Life.
You sir, are a hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.
Nah, it's just a suggestion. That movie was released by a non major label and is a bitch to get. I didn't want to make a pick that most people wouldn't be able to get ahold of. But for anyone who likes Kore-eda After Life is a must see as well.
You sir, are a hideous hermaphroditical character which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.
Some really slow movies are worth fighting the tedius pace because they're really good. Shit, Linda Linda Linda about grinds to a halt, but the end of the movie is such a great payoff that it makes the previous pacing make sense from a narrative standpoint.
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Originally Posted by IMDB
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