The Taste of Tea (2004)

A spell of time of a rural family's slightly surreal life.

Director:

Katsuhito Ishii

Writer:

Katsuhito Ishii

Stars:

Maya Banno, Takahiro Satô, Tadanobu Asano

15 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Maya Banno	...	Sachiko Haruno - daughter
Takahiro Satô	...	Hajime Haruno - son
Tadanobu Asano	...	Ayano Haruno - uncle
Satomi Tezuka	...	Yoshiko Haruno - mother
Tatsuya Gashûin	...	Akira Todoroki - grandpa
Tomoko Nakajima	...	Akira Terako
Ikki Todoroki	...	Himself
Tomokazu Miura	...	Nobuo Haruno - father
Anna Tsuchiya	...	Aoi Suzuishi
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Saki Aibu	...	Hotaru
Hideaki Anno	...	Kasugabe
Keisuke Horibe	...	Man in Noodle Shop
Ryo Kase	...	Rokutaro Hamadayama - Cosplayer (as Ryô Kase)
Rinko Kikuchi	...	Waitress At Noodle Shop (as Yuriko Kikuchi)
Kirin Kin	...	Grandma

Storyline

A spell of time in the life of a family living in rural Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo. Though her husband is busy working at an office, Yoshiko is not an ordinary housewife, instead working on an animated film project at home. Uncle Ayano has recently arrived, looking to get his head together after living in Tokyo for several years. Meanwhile, Yoshiko's daughter Sachiko is mainly concerned with why she seems to be followed around everywhere by a giant version of herself.

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Plot Keywords:

yakuza | tattoo | big head | bowel movement | toilet humor | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official Site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

20 April 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

El sabor del té

Filming Locations:

Tochigi, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aoi Promotion, Grasshoppa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min 143 min 143 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

In its own class

Wow, I just got finished watching this fantastic flick and I gotta say, it's well worth seeking out. Because of the comic book nihilism of his first two films, Ishii perhaps has been unfairly lumped in with the Tarantino-wannabe crowd. But Cha no Aji is sure to show those critics another side of a very talented director.

While I'm a fan of all three films, I think this movie is Ishii's best to date. It's got his trademark eccentric characters and meandering plot lines, but here he takes his flights of creative fancy to new heights. In categorizing this film, if that is indeed possible, I am reminded of the whimsical let-it-fly-ish-ness of Juzo Itami's more playful works.

Cha no Aji brings you in to the world of an unusually quirky family, whose actions at first seem not of this world. Before you are able to ask yourself what the hell is going, you're drawn in, following several strange story lines, which are just as out there as they are touching and human. Before you know it, the characters become a part of you and you're finding a little bit of yourself within each one. Yes, even the seemingly senile grandpa. (Just wait, you'll see.) This movie hits on many levels. It's touching. Hilarious. Bizarre (at times almost in a Hausu kinda way). Pregnant with ideas. And most importantly... inspired!

To top it off, the soundtrack is provided by the most excellent soca-flavored dub band Little Tempo, who have an impressive discography and are well worth checking out if good honest dub is your thing.

What a movie!