Marusa no onna (1987)

Director:

Juzo Itami

Writer:

Juzo Itami (writer)

Release Date:

June 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

He has a Yen for her, but he won't tell her where it's hidden... [USA Theatrical]

Plot:

Ryoko Itakura is a government tax agent who has just landed a big promotion. Her first assignment is to catch wheeler-dealer Hideki Gondo...

Plot Keywords:

Tax Evasion | Japan | Female Nudity | Yakuza | Tax Collector

Awards:

22 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Nobuko Miyamoto	...	Ryôko Itakura
Tsutomu Yamazaki	...	Hideki Gondô
Masahiko Tsugawa	...	Hanamura
Yasuo Daichi	...	Ijûin
Kinzoh Sakura	...	Kaneko (as Kinzô Sakura)
Hajime Asô	...	Himeda
Kiriko Shimizu	...	Kazue Kenmochi
Kazuyo Matsui	...	Kumi Torikai
Hideo Murota	...	Jûkichi Ishii
Machiko Watanabe	...	Kangofu
Shôtarô Takeuchi	...	Rihei Hakamada
Mitsuhiko Kiyohisa	...	Gondô no Untenshu
Akira Shioji	...	Fudôsan'ya
Kôichi Ueda	...	Ninagawa no Fukushin
Yuusuke Nagumo	...	Ninagawa no Kobun (as Yûsuke Nagumo)

Also Known As:

A Taxing Woman (USA)

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Sweden:11

Company:

New Century Producers

Quotes:

Hideki Gondo: To save money, you don't spend it. It's as simple as that. You give maybe $100 at a funeral, $200 at a wedding. That's not good. A million is nothing if you spend it. But even $100 is yours if you save it. Say you're trying to fill a glass with dripping water. When it's half-full, you're thirsty, so you drink. But that's stupid. Wait until it's full. But still don't drink. Wait 'til it brims over and lick it. That way you save the water and drink.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Marusa no onna wo marusa suru (1987) (V)

good rather than great, but well worth watching if you're interested

I watched this movie with a friend from Japan who had a very high opinion it. I must say it was helpful to have her watching the movie with us (in our college dorm), however, because she explained a number of things about Japanese tax code and evasion as well as the Japanese mafia that made the plot (and politics) of the story much easier to follow. Aside from potential confusion in that area, I must say that I enjoyed the movie. Yes, there is sex, suspense, and the mafia, but don't expect it to flow like a mindless crime thriller (read: it isn't mindless, and it isn't non-stop action). It is about a tax woman, after all--the only woman amongst her coworkers. The characters are interesting and the story keeps you thinking. A smart movie with a few things to say along the way. Overall, I thought it was a good, but not great, movie. However, if you like this genre in general, you might enjoy it more than I did.