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Japanese Film - Tokyo! (2008)
Jan. 9th, 2010 12:22 amThis was an interesting watch, as it contained three short films within it. What's notable about this film are the three directors involved, as each one presents his own unique view of the urban metropolis of Tokyo. To tell the truth, I really watched this for Michel Gondry, the director who's responsible for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," but I actually ended up enjoying all three films. Each story is depicted in a surreal, bizarre manner. It's probably best to watch the trailer to get a good idea of what the film is like..
Synopsis-
Interior Design- Hiroko and Akira, a young couple, go to Tokyo to take advantage of all it has to offer. The city presents all kinds of different problems, forcing the couple to overstay their welcome at a friend's house. Akira seems to be successful in finding his niche in the city, but Hiroko, unable to cope with the new challenges of Tokyo, starts to feel like a useless burden. She starts to questions who she is.. and then one morning, she starts to transform...
Opinion- I like this part, maybe because I could easily relate to some of the things Hiroko feels. She doesn't really have any practical skills to make money with, and she's unable to find comfort or support in those around her. This causes her to feel alienated, resulting in a transformation that eventually makes her feel useful. An interesting example of how a metropolis can change people. This also portrayed Tokyo in the most realistic manner, at it showed the characters running around, trying to find apartments, jobs, and parking spaces.
Merde - A strange man (who we learn is named Merde) pops out of the sewer and creates chaos in the city. He runs around licking schoolgirls, knocking people over, and stealing money and eating it. No one knows where he comes from, and he quickly disappears back into the sewers as fast as he appears. One day, he does something so maniacal that it forces him to be hunted down. This results in city-wide chaos, as everyone either starts to hate, love, or worship him.
Opinion - What a crazy film. This really is all about anarchy. Merde is a force of chaos, and it's only made worse by the frenzy the media has whipped up. I'm not really sure what the point of this movie was, to tell the truth. I think it's meant to show how chaotic a city can get, especially when a force such as Merde is introduced. It got everyone involved, even those who had nothing to do with it. It's sort of reminiscent of the OJ Simpson trials in Los Angeles... People easily get caught up in the chaos, due to the media... or perhaps due to the social settings of what a city really is.
Shaking Tokyo- A hikikomori orders pizza one day. As the pizza is being delivered, an earthquake happens, causing the delivery girl to pass out. This forces the man to make his first human contact in 10 years. He manages to wake her up, but as a result, falls in love with her. The delivery girl then promptly leaves, giving him one last look as she drives away on her motorbike. The man wants to meet with her again, but realizes he has to step outside into the city to do that.
Opinion- This is probably the most "Japanese" of the three films, because of its take on the hikikomori which is unique to Japan. It's interesting how an earthquake can 'move' people to do the things they do. Maybe it takes a powerful force such as that to make people realize things? I was surprised by what the man encountered when he stepped outside his door for the first time. It was an interesting vision of what Japan could turn into.
Overall, I liked "Tokyo!" It can easily be watched by people who know nothing about Japanese culture. The quirkiness of Japan is mixed in with the bizarre ideas of the different directors, and it turns into a surreal portrait of what Tokyo is. I guess that's why this film feels artsy at its heart.
I also realize that there are very few movies that I dislike. Most of the things I watch I usually consider as good. I usually avoid watching things that I don't think I would like... (like Transformers 2).
Synopsis-
Interior Design- Hiroko and Akira, a young couple, go to Tokyo to take advantage of all it has to offer. The city presents all kinds of different problems, forcing the couple to overstay their welcome at a friend's house. Akira seems to be successful in finding his niche in the city, but Hiroko, unable to cope with the new challenges of Tokyo, starts to feel like a useless burden. She starts to questions who she is.. and then one morning, she starts to transform...
Opinion- I like this part, maybe because I could easily relate to some of the things Hiroko feels. She doesn't really have any practical skills to make money with, and she's unable to find comfort or support in those around her. This causes her to feel alienated, resulting in a transformation that eventually makes her feel useful. An interesting example of how a metropolis can change people. This also portrayed Tokyo in the most realistic manner, at it showed the characters running around, trying to find apartments, jobs, and parking spaces.
Merde - A strange man (who we learn is named Merde) pops out of the sewer and creates chaos in the city. He runs around licking schoolgirls, knocking people over, and stealing money and eating it. No one knows where he comes from, and he quickly disappears back into the sewers as fast as he appears. One day, he does something so maniacal that it forces him to be hunted down. This results in city-wide chaos, as everyone either starts to hate, love, or worship him.
Opinion - What a crazy film. This really is all about anarchy. Merde is a force of chaos, and it's only made worse by the frenzy the media has whipped up. I'm not really sure what the point of this movie was, to tell the truth. I think it's meant to show how chaotic a city can get, especially when a force such as Merde is introduced. It got everyone involved, even those who had nothing to do with it. It's sort of reminiscent of the OJ Simpson trials in Los Angeles... People easily get caught up in the chaos, due to the media... or perhaps due to the social settings of what a city really is.
Shaking Tokyo- A hikikomori orders pizza one day. As the pizza is being delivered, an earthquake happens, causing the delivery girl to pass out. This forces the man to make his first human contact in 10 years. He manages to wake her up, but as a result, falls in love with her. The delivery girl then promptly leaves, giving him one last look as she drives away on her motorbike. The man wants to meet with her again, but realizes he has to step outside into the city to do that.
Opinion- This is probably the most "Japanese" of the three films, because of its take on the hikikomori which is unique to Japan. It's interesting how an earthquake can 'move' people to do the things they do. Maybe it takes a powerful force such as that to make people realize things? I was surprised by what the man encountered when he stepped outside his door for the first time. It was an interesting vision of what Japan could turn into.
Overall, I liked "Tokyo!" It can easily be watched by people who know nothing about Japanese culture. The quirkiness of Japan is mixed in with the bizarre ideas of the different directors, and it turns into a surreal portrait of what Tokyo is. I guess that's why this film feels artsy at its heart.
I also realize that there are very few movies that I dislike. Most of the things I watch I usually consider as good. I usually avoid watching things that I don't think I would like... (like Transformers 2).
