Product: Tokyo Sonata (2008)
Rating: 4.0
Thoughtful Picture of Family Struggling with Change, but Loses Its Footing in Third Act.
"Tokyo Sonata" is an introverted family drama directed and co-written by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who is best known for horror flicks. So it is perhaps surprising that he approaches this material with such realism and sensitivity. Mr. Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) is at loose ends when he is laid off from his corporate job in administration, a result of downsizing. He doesn't tell his wife (Kyoko Koizumi) while he looks for another job, eats free lunches in the park, and commiserates with an old friend (Kanji Tsuda) who is in a similar situation. Mr. Sasaki dresses for work every day and comes home for dinner, as usual, but his growing anger and helplessness find an outlet in increasingly inflexible behavior toward his grown son Takashi (Yu Koyanagi) and young son Kenji (Kai Inowaki).Mr. Sasaki's actions and emotions drive the plot, but Mrs. Sasaki is no less significant. Her role is passive for most of the film, as she senses that something is wrong with her husband and sons but doesn't know what. Life is acting upon her, but she can't get a clear picture of it. The audience's experiences are more aligned with her emotions until the film's third act, I think, even though we have a better understanding of what's happening than she does. Kyoko Koizumi pulls the audience in, though Teruyuki Kagawa and young Kai Inowaki also do an impressive job. The third act is improbable and contrived before it rebounds at the very end, but, excepting those parts, "Tokyo Sonata" presents a thoughtful, understated picture of a modern Japanese family adapting to changing expectations in a stagnant economy.The DVD (E1 Entertainment 2010): Bonus features include a theatrical trailer (2 min) and 4 featurettes. The "Making Of Documentary" (1 hour) is too long but interviews the director and cast about the performances, characters, and themes, concluding with some segments on technical elements. There is a "Q&A;" with the director and 4 cast members that is more about the film's reception than the film itself. "Premiere" (15 min) is the introduction given by director and cast at the film's premiere. "DVD Discussion" (8 min) interviews the director and Mr. Kagawa and Ms. Koizumi about their views of the film and favorite scenes. This serves as a mini-commentary on the film, as there is no feature commentary. Bonus features are in Japanese with English subtitles. The film is Japanese with optional English subtitles.