TOKYO SONATA (Japan 2008) ***** Top 10
Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

In Laurent Cantet’s L’EMPLOI DU TEMPS (TIME OUT), a family man’s life sinks deeper and deeper into hot water after he loses his job and hides the fact from his family.  This is also the theme of Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s (CURE, PULSE) latest and best movie.  Expecting a copycat film, I was pleasantly surprised at this remarkable and original film that went on to win the Best Film prize at the 2008 Cannes Un Certain Regard section.

TOKYO SONATA begins with a typical Japanese family man losing his job due to company downsizing.  He figures he is the head of the family, so in order to maintain his family authority he keeps the information from his family.  He dresses and leaves home every morning as if for work.  For the first half Kurosawa’s film feels much like Cantet’s, till he pulls the rug from under our feet.  Kurosawa brings his two sons and wife into the picture, creating one of the most absorbing family dramatic thrillers on screen that eventually leads to a most unexpected ending that shifts this pessimistic film into a feel good movie.

What is most intriguing about the film is that no one can tell where the film is heading or predict what the film’s message is.  Despite the serious nature of the film, Kurosawa’s film is not devoid of humor.  He inserts his weird brand of it at odd spots, jolting the audience from one mood to another.  One might complain of the story’s credibility suffering as a result, but Kurosawa performs a neat trick by reversing the process.  This refers to the incident of the broke father suddenly finding an envelop containing a wad of cash in a toilet stall.

The casting of serious actor Koji Yakuso in the cameo role as the loser burglar who ends up raping the mother is totally mindboggling.  Kurosawa uses him against type in what turns out to be the film’s most hilarious segment. 

Kurosawa also invests enough time into each of the characters of the 4 family members.  He uses the most time with the father, especially at the beginning, displaying his emotions of the lost job changing from one of surprise to total frustration. 

The two confrontation scenes between him and each of his two sons are worthy of mention.  One would think that he would learn from the mistake of his first, but he uses the way the typical Japanese only knows how and worst – till all hell and the standard film narrative break lose.

The film’s ending of the piano recital (of Claire de Lune) would normally call for a loud applause from the spectators (typical in Hollywood films) but Kurosawa’s use of silence is a 100% more effective.

TOKYO SONATA should have been the Japanese film to win last year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Film instead of Japan’s DEPARTURES.  Compelling, always surprising and brilliant, TOKYO SONATA regains ones faith that there is till magic (and genius) to be found in movies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvUepMa31o
(Link for the piece Claire de Lune)