TOKYO SONATA (Kiyoshi Kurosawa). 119 minutes. Subtitled. Opens Friday (June 26). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNNN
An engrossing story, assured technique that never stoops to emotional manipulation and a calm, clear look at personal and social collapse places Tokyo Sonata alongside works by such masters as Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa. But you might want to avoid it if you’ve just been laid off.[rssbreak]
A Tokyo middle manager (Teruyuki Kagawa) is devastated when he’s abruptly downsized. He hides the fact from his wife (Kyoko Koizumi) and two sons, dons his suit and goes out every day to become one of the many in long lineups for menial work and free food. Finally, his growing tension blows his family apart.
Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa (no relation to Akira) regards both tragic and comic moments with an unobtrusive camera, reserving close-ups for the deepest emotion. His veteran cast matches his restraint. None of the actors signal their thoughts or milk their feelings, so their inevitable explosions always come as a surprise.
Keep a close eye on the tacked-on happy ending that seems to undercut Kurosawa’s bleak vision. Its too-warm lighting and queasy music hint at the director’s distrust of the family’s chosen way forward.
