Tony Takitani (2004)

Director:

Jun Ichikawa

Writers:

Jun Ichikawa (writer)
Haruki Murakami (novel)

Release Date:

29 January 2005 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

When technical illustrator Tony Takitani asks his wife to resist her all-consuming obsession for designer clothes, the consequences are tragic.

Plot Keywords:

Sand | Trombone Player | Satire | Watering Plant | Obsession

Awards:

3 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Issei Ogata	...	Tony Takitani, Shozaburo Takitani
Rie Miyazawa	...	Konuma Eiko, Hisako
Shinohara Takahumi	...	Young Tony Takitani
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yumi Endo
Shizuka Moriyama

Runtime:

76 min | Switzerland:75 min | USA:75 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:U | Australia:PG | Netherlands:6 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:I | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Company:

Breath

Movie Connections:

References Vertigo (1958)

An experience not to forget

After seeing "Tony Takitani," it's like I just ate something I have never tasted before, and it left some strange taste in my mouth. Even though I can't say I like what I just ate, but it tastes so interesting that I wanna to taste it again if I get the chance. That's how I feel about this poetic Japanese film.

The film is very slow, like watching a flower blooming on a drizzle day, the film never wants to rush into anything. Tony Takitani is a loner, he is always by himself, until he finally met a woman Eiko. Eiko is a perfect housewife, making Tony forgot about what being alone means. But Eiko has one problem: she can't stop shopping for clothes. What is Tony gonna do about it? What's the consequence might be? I will leave that to you to see the film. But to me, watching this film is not about the plot or the characters, which neither impressed me. The visual is the core of this film, that's what makes me reluctant to say this is a boring film. Quite the contrary. Sometimes, the film makes me feel like watching the animal world on PBS, with the never shutting up narrator. Why doesn't the film let the characters to talk, but constantly uses a voice over? I find it very annoying.

To people who never had sushi and sashimi, I always encourage them to try them, it will be nothing like they ever had before. So try to watch this film if you can have a chance. Just like sushi, I can't promise everybody will like it, but the experience is never to forget.