When I saw "Tokyo Sonata" I thought it was going to be a comedy. The plot sure sounds like a comedy--though it certainly is NOT. In fact, it's a super-depressing film--one that only gets worse and worse as you watch. In fact, it's so depressing that you might want to think twice about seeing it--particularly if you are out of work or middle-aged.
Mr. Sasaki is a mid-level manager. However, like what has happened so often here in the US also, his Japanese company has decided to move production to China and lay off their domestic employees. Oddly, however, he does not tell his family and continues behaving as if he's going to work each day. I really thought this was intended to be a dark comedy, but as his unemployment continued, things only got worse for him and his family. Slowly, his family began to unravel--as if each was re-inventing themselves--and not necessarily always for the better. In the process, one of Mr. Sasaki's friends kills himself and his wife, Sasaki is run over and injured, their oldest son joins the US military (I didn't know you could do that!), the wife has a brief tryst with a man who abducts her and the youngest becomes an almost instant musical prodigy (too instantly to be realistic, actually).
As I said above, none of this really is funny and is in many ways reminiscent of the film "American Pie". Mid-life crises abound in this one and they all seek new direction in life. I appreciated all this but prefer "American Pie" because it had a certain dark humor--whereas with the Sasaki family, it was mostly dark and miserable until near the end--when things improved a bit. Well made, thought-provoking and unpleasant.
By the way, I did have a few questions about what I saw in the film and I'd love to hear more about this if you can help. First, how common in Japan are unemployed men in business suits filling the parks or folks pretending they are not unemployed? The film made both seem rather common. Second, didn't the fathers seem awfully abusive in the film? Is this common or acceptable? I was rather shocked by this. Third, is it possible for ANYONE (a prodigy or not) to learn the piano THIS expertly after only about 7 months worth of lessons? Just wondering....
Mr. Sasaki is a mid-level manager. However, like what has happened so often here in the US also, his Japanese company has decided to move production to China and lay off their domestic employees. Oddly, however, he does not tell his family and continues behaving as if he's going to work each day. I really thought this was intended to be a dark comedy, but as his unemployment continued, things only got worse for him and his family. Slowly, his family began to unravel--as if each was re-inventing themselves--and not necessarily always for the better. In the process, one of Mr. Sasaki's friends kills himself and his wife, Sasaki is run over and injured, their oldest son joins the US military (I didn't know you could do that!), the wife has a brief tryst with a man who abducts her and the youngest becomes an almost instant musical prodigy (too instantly to be realistic, actually).
As I said above, none of this really is funny and is in many ways reminiscent of the film "American Pie". Mid-life crises abound in this one and they all seek new direction in life. I appreciated all this but prefer "American Pie" because it had a certain dark humor--whereas with the Sasaki family, it was mostly dark and miserable until near the end--when things improved a bit. Well made, thought-provoking and unpleasant.
By the way, I did have a few questions about what I saw in the film and I'd love to hear more about this if you can help. First, how common in Japan are unemployed men in business suits filling the parks or folks pretending they are not unemployed? The film made both seem rather common. Second, didn't the fathers seem awfully abusive in the film? Is this common or acceptable? I was rather shocked by this. Third, is it possible for ANYONE (a prodigy or not) to learn the piano THIS expertly after only about 7 months worth of lessons? Just wondering....