Tokyo! (2008)

A cinematic triptych of three Tokyo-set stories.

Directors:

Joon-ho Bong (as Joon Ho Bong), Leos Carax

Writers:

Gabrielle Bell (graphic novel "Cecil and Jordan in New York"), Joon-ho Bong (as Joon Ho Bong)

Stars:

Ayako Fujitani, Ryo Kase, Ayumi Itô

2 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ayako Fujitani	...	Hiroko (segment "Interior Design")
Ryo Kase	...	Akira (segment "Interior Design") (as Ryô Kase)
Ayumi Itô	...	Akemi (segment "Interior Design")
Nao Ohmori	...	Hiroshi (segment "Interior Design") (as Nao Ômori)
Satoshi Tsumabuki	...	Takeshi (segment "Interior Design")
Ken Mitsuishi	...	Agent immobilier homme (segment "Interior Design")
Yuno Iriguchi	...	Agent immobilier femme (segment "Interior Design")
Rie Minemura	...	Responsable du magasin d'objets (segment "Interior Design")
Ben Himura	...	Employé de la fourrière (segment "Interior Design")
Kenjirô Ishimaru	...	Oncle de Takeshi (segment "Interior Design")
Taijirô Tamura	...	Spectateur 1 au cinéma (segment "Interior Design")
Junya Asô	...	Spectateur 2 au cinéma (segment "Interior Design")
Mayu Harada	...	Collègue d'Akemi (segment "Interior Design")
Motomi Makiguchi	...	Clochard (segment "Interior Design")
Hiroko Ninomiya	...	Vieille dame à l'arret de bus (segment "Interior Design")

Storyline

Tokyo is a city of transitions in three short films. A young woman who finds her life useless experiences a metamorphosis. A disheveled Caucasian emerges from a manhole to face arrest, trial, and execution; he calls himself "Merde" and speaks a language only his look-alike attorney understands. Is he human? A recluse experiences human contact when a pizza-delivery girl faints at his door during an earthquake. He conquers fear to seek her out. A chair, a corpse, a hermit: sources of urban connection?

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Plot Keywords:

anthology | anthology film | portmanteau film | omnibus film | collection of short films | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

France Japan South Korea Germany

Language:

Japanese French English

Release Date:

16 August 2008 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Tokio!

Filming Locations:

Kugayama, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,460, 8 March 2009, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$351,059, 12 June 2009

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comme des Cinémas, Kansai Telecasting (KTV), Bitters End

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Oldboy (2003)

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Soundtracks

Tokyo Town Pages
Composed and Performed by Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto
Released through commmons

User Reviews

Interesting short subjects.

I saw this at FantasticFest 2008. This collection of strange tales is interesting.

"Interior Design" I love Gondry's style, & his entry was enjoyable as expected - a girl feels she's lost her purpose in life, & changes accordingly. Great effect of her gradual transformation.

"Shaking Tokyo" Well done film - after 10 years indoors, a recluse man decides to go outside for the love of a recluse woman. Mostly narrated with thoughts of the man who has been cooped up too long. An interesting character piece, well acted and shot.

"Merde" This film starts off strong with an incredible opening sequence of continuous action for about 1/4 of a mile in the city, but when the character gets caught the story becomes a tiresome trial that no one understands, because there is lengthy "dialogue" in a fake language with no subtitles. could have benefited from being 10 minutes shorter.