Memories of Matsuko (2006)
"Kiraware Matsuko no isshô" (original title)

Shou's father Norio finds his son in a rather meaningless existence in Tokyo dominated by alcohol and porn videos. Having left home two years earlier to pursue life as a musician, Shou has ... See full summary »

Director:

Tetsuya Nakashima

Writers:

Tetsuya Nakashima (screenplay), Muneki Yamada (novel)

Stars:

Miki Nakatani, Eita, Yûsuke Iseya

12 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Miki Nakatani	...	Matsuko Kawajiri
Eita	...	Shô Kawajiri
Yûsuke Iseya	...	Yôichi Ryû (as Yusuke Iseya)
Mikako Ichikawa	...	Kumi Kawajiri
Asuka Kurosawa	...	Megumi Sawamura
Gori	...	Shûji Ôkura
Shinji Takeda	...	Onodera
YosiYosi Arakawa	...	Kenji Shimazu
Gekidan Hitori	...	Takeo Okano
Magy	...	Detective
Shôsuke Tanihara	...	Shunji Saeki
Takanori Takeyama	...	Vice-Principal
Masahiro Kômoto	...	Man with Stand on School Trip
Nagisa Katahira	...	Herself
Takuzô Kadono	...	Principal

Storyline

Shou's father Norio finds his son in a rather meaningless existence in Tokyo dominated by alcohol and porn videos. Having left home two years earlier to pursue life as a musician, Shou has left his band and his girlfriend has left him. His father asks a favor, that Shou clean out the apartment of his aunt Matsuko, who he says led a meaningless life until her murder at the age of 53. The apartment is filled with garbage bags and is even more unkempt than his apartment has become, and he becomes intrigued with his aunt as details of her life are supplied by a tattooed neighbor and others. Her feelings of neglect by her father Tsunehiro, who favored her chronically ill younger sister, Kumi, translated into becoming a dutiful junior high school teacher devoted to her students until being forced to resign after being blamed for the theft of some money by one of them. Leaving her family due to the disgrace, she had a series of affairs with lovers who physically abused her and did a stint as...

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Plot Keywords:

prison | murder | affair | teacher | theft | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Mystery

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

27 May 2006 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Memories of Matsuko

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse Soft Entertainment, Kiraware Matsuko no Isshô Seisaku Iinkai, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Endless"
Written by J., Joe Himeji & Yosuke Miyake

User Reviews

it is better to give than receive

When a twenty-something NEET is sent by his father to clean out the apartment of his estranged aunt, 53-year-old Matsuko, he becomes intrigued by the life story of this reclusive, shabby, old-before-her-time woman. As he pieces together her life, he unlocks various family secrets, and learns a thing or two about his own life.

Tetsuya Nakashima's film is energetic and thoughtful, in turns hilarious and deeply moving. It's hyper-stylised, with Technicolor vividly utilized, song-and-dance numbers, and some schlock violence straight from the Nikkatsu back catalogue. But it all gels into a magical whole. Interestingly, there is a sly poke at the Showa-nostalgia genre enjoying a contemporary flurry in Japan, the pastiche of the visuals undercut by the brutalities the economic and social mores of the time inflict on Matsuko. The fact that she meets her fate at the hands of the feral children of Heisei is no random element.

Miki Nakatani has matured into Japan's most fascinating and watchable actress, the combination of beauty and vulnerability never more alluring than in her portrayal here. But it is Nakashima's slick script, elliptical structuring, and especially his brisk editing that make this film so special. I was singing 'makete, nobashite' for days afterward. One of the best Japanese films of the 21st century.