Kôhî jikô (2003)

Director:

Hsiao-hsien Hou

Writers:

Hsiao-hsien Hou (screenplay) &
T'ien-wen Chu (screenplay)

Release Date:

September 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Bookstore | Family Relationships | Self Portrait | Cafe | Parent Visiting

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Yo Hitoto	...	Yôko
Tadanobu Asano	...	Hajime Takeuchi
Masato Hagiwara	...	Seiji
Kimiko Yo	...	Yôko no keiba
Nenji Kobayashi	...	Yôko no otôsan

Also Known As:

Café Lumière (International: English title) (USA)

Runtime:

103 min | Japan:108 min | Argentina:108 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Japan | Taiwan

Language:

Japanese | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | UK:U | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Shochiku Company

Trivia:

The film was first conceived as a three-part anthology film, each segment directed by a different person, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. However, the other two directors dropped out before filming started, and Hou decided to make the entire film himself.

Soundtrack:

Formosan Dance, Op.1

I'm that guy who doesn't like Hou Hsiao-Hsien

Eh, I thought this was slightly above average for Hou. Which means I still didn't care for it much, but I didn't exactly dislike it, either. As far as the (non- or possibly anti-) story goes, it's probably his slightest yet. A young woman is newly pregnant. She wanders around, rides the trains, hangs out with a friend, has half-heard conversations on a cell phone, eats, drinks milk, eats some more and generally avoids the issue of what's in her belly. So, yes, it's pretty dull. But Hou does capture an ambiance that is pleasant, at the very least. I have in the past likened Hou's work to sitting on a bus and eavesdropping. Funny, as one of the main characters in this film enjoys recording ambient noises on passenger trains. At least in this film you get to hang around a pretty Japanese girl and Tadanobu Asano, star of such great Asian flicks as Ichi the Killer and Last Life in the Universe. I loved the last sequence and the final shot.