Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Tetsuya Nakashima

Writers:

Muneki Yamada (novel)
Tetsuya Nakashima (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 May 2006 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Mystery

Plot:

Shou's father Norio finds his son in a rather meaningless existence in Tokyo dominated by alcohol and porn videos...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Prison | Affair | Suicide | Teacher

Awards:

11 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Miki Nakatani	...	Matsuko Kawajiri
Eita	...	Shou Kawajiri
Yusuke Iseya	...	Yoichi Ryu
Teruyuki Kagawa	...	Norio Kawajiri
Mikako Ichikawa	...	Kumi Kawajiri
Asuka Kurosawa	...	Megumi Sawamura
Akira Emoto	...	Tsunehiro Kawajiri
Gori	...	Shuji Okura
Shinji Takeda	...	Onodera
YosiYosi Arakawa	...	Kenji Shimazu
Hitori Gekidan	...	Takeo Okano
Magy	...	Detective
Shosuke Tanihara	...	Shunji Saeki
Takanori Takeyama	...	Vice-Principal
Masahiro Komoto	...	Man with Stand on School Trip

Also Known As:

Memories of Matsuko (International: English title)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Certification:

Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:15 | Japan:PG-12 | UK:15 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Amuse Soft Entertainment

Sad and surreal

This movie is unique and innovative. It is somewhat of fairytale like Cinderella and reminds me of Big Fish (2003), but is also very dark and depressive like say Requiem for a Dream (2000). It follows the hardship-laden life of Matsuko through the gradual discoveries of her nephew and the people he encounters.

It is extreme in content and in appearance, but touches very true and deep feelings & fears within all of us. It explores the meaning of life and asks very interesting questions. It does so while treating life's inevitable tragedies with humour and gaiety. The visual style and music are important elements of the movie as they share a positive-looking outlook of life even in the dimmest of circumstances.

The drama is centered around the dysfunctional family Matsuko was both the product of and the most disruptive element in its spiral towards destruction. Friendship, love and professional lives are also well explored, although as you can imagine, none of them in an ideal, truly rewarding way. The bleakness of the story and the brightness of the storytelling makes for a very interesting contrast. There are many beautiful shots (even if a bit CGI-heavy) and the inherent beauty of life is revealed through the crust of old, piled up garbage.

The storytelling is very fresh and even though it sags at some points as the film never seems to end, it does get its point across in a artsy and non-threatening way. I was so involved with the demanding story that I was literally shocked as I exited the dark theater to see other people lined up for the next movie at the FantAsia festival. After a viewing experience like this, I found myself surprised that there could be more movies after that or, possibly, that there may be anything after that! This is how profoundly I was affected. "Memories" is not a movie you just eat up and leave, you really need to settle and digest before you can truly understand and internalize.

A tough journey, a good message and possibly a lot of positive ramifications in art & life. Recommended.