Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006)

When Matsuko dies of murder, her nephew Sho gets to progressively unveil many details of her mysterious past, discovering she wasn't only a forgotten outcast but led a very interesting yet bizarre life.

Director:

Tetsuya Nakashima

Writers:

Tetsuya Nakashima (screenplay), Muneki Yamada (novel)

Stars:

Miki Nakatani, Eita, Yûsuke Iseya

9 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Miki Nakatani	...	Matsuko Kawajiri
Eita	...	Shô Kawajiri
Yûsuke Iseya	...	Yôichi Ryû
Mikako Ichikawa	...	Kumi Kawajiri
Asuka Kurosawa	...	Megumi Sawamura
Gori	...	Shûji Ôkura
Shinji Takeda	...	Onodera
Yoshiyoshi 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	...	Self
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:

murder | prison | theft | teacher | suicide | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Musical | Mystery

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Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006)

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Soundtracks

Faker
Written by ch, B-BandJ, Masao Nisugi & Yosuke Miyake
Performed by ch (Dakota Star) featuring B-BandJ (FU-TEN)
Courtesy of tearbridge production for avex entertainment Inc.

User Reviews

Impressive tragicomedy

It is a real tragicomedy! This film is about cruel facts, but under a musical comedy appearance. It is a movie that made me cry, as if I still were 15 years old. And I cried because what is told in the film can happen... And unfortunately it actually happens everywhere and everyday. It is a film that has made me believe again in the Japanese cinema. In this movie I have seen a Kenji Mizoguchi's spirit revival, because of the way it describes the life of a woman who is mistreated by everybody and whose life is irremediably ruined. Doesn't this story remember Mizoguchi's "Oyu-sama"? I also saw some Akira Kurosawa's influences, like the colorful shanty dwelling Matsuko lives in during the last years of her sad existence: aren't they close to the ones Kurosawa showed in "Dodeskaden"? According to my point of view, this is the best Japanese film of this still young 21st century.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

27 May 2006 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Memories of Matsuko

Filming Locations:

Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,578,449

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse Soft Entertainment, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (5.1 surround)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1