Minbô no onna (1992)

A grand old Japanese hotel is trying to get a prestigious contract as the site of a summit meeting of important foreign officials. Unfortunately, this hotel is quite popular with the Yakuza... See full summary »

Director:

Jûzô Itami

Writer:

Jûzô Itami

Stars:

Nobuko Miyamoto, Yasuo Daichi, Takehiro Murata

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nobuko Miyamoto	...	Mahiru Inoue
Yasuo Daichi	...	Suzuki the accountant
Takehiro Murata	...	Wakasugi (the bellboy)
Akira Takarada	...	Kobayashi
Hôsei Komatsu	...	Hanaoka
Noboru Mitani	...	Gang boss
Hideji Ôtaki	...	Hotel owner
Tetsu Watanabe	...	Akechi
Akira Nakao	...	Ibagi
Shirô Itô	...	Iriuchijima
Mirei Asaoka	...	Akemi
Kitarô	...	Odokasareru otoko
Teruo Shimizu	...	Big Boss's Henchman
Shô Ryûzanji	...	Yakuza in lobby
Masahiko Urano	...	Gard man

Storyline

A grand old Japanese hotel is trying to get a prestigious contract as the site of a summit meeting of important foreign officials. Unfortunately, this hotel is quite popular with the Yakuza (Japanese gangsters) and is a favorite target of theirs for extortion. They employ a variety of schemes to con the hotel out of 'hush-money.' The hotel needs to rid itself of the Yakuza and finally begins to fight back by hiring Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer who is an expert at dealing with these criminals on their own terms. This film by Juzo Itami combines action with farce, as an all-out war ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

yakuza | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 May 1992 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Minbo

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Itami Films, Toho Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1992, Itami was attacked, beaten, and slashed by five members of the Goto-gumi, a Tokyo yakuza gang, who were angry at his portrayal of yakuza as bullies and thugs in this film. This attack led to a government crackdown on the yakuza. His subsequent stay in a hospital inspired his next film Daibyonin.

User Reviews

Another Itami Comedy - That's good.

Like many of Itami's comedies the plot is simple, fun, and interesting. If you have ever lived in Japan, you can relate to the characters, and if you haven't you can just enjoy the immersion. The Yakuza were, and remain, an unpleasant side of Japanese everyday life. This movie gives hope to those who have been intimidated by this profession. In this story Miss Inoue, a lawyer specializing in Yakuza extortion practices teaches a group of hotel employees how to better protect their hotel's future interests. This results in lots of laughs and a few tense moments. Itami is a master. Try "Tampopo" for something a bit more off kilter. Overall I give it 8 out of 10.