Review of Noriko's Dinner Table (2005) by Wes S — 27 Sep 2011

Noriko's Dinner Table is a definite love it or hate it film...

This prequel and sequel to the controversial cult film Suicide Club partly surrounds the event that occurred with the mass suicide at Shinjuku Station. If you've seen Suicide Club and are expecting this film to fill in the blanks, I can tell you that isn't going to happen...in fact this one will probably leave you with more questions than answers. Though this is in many ways a follow up to Suicide Club, this film stands on it's own.

Broken into chapters that unfolds as a narrative from the lead characters, Noriko's Dinner Table is a very deep, dark, and reflective look at the choices each character in the story has made and how those choices got them to where they are. The lead protagonist, Noriko, is an unhappy teenage girl living in a small town in Japan, her only comfort is a website where she can connect with other girls her age. Convinced she'll only be happy in Tokyo, Noriko runs away from home and meets up with the websites moderator, and things go downhill from there as she gets mixed up in a very dark and bizarre business called "Family Circle".

My thoughts about the movie:Through the first person narrative of the film's lead protagonists & antagonist, the story draws you into the mindset of each character as if you were reading their own diary that was meant to be kept secret. The perspective of the protagonists is a surreal and poetic exploration of all the teenage thoughts surrounding the generation gap resulting in teens feeling alienated, misunderstood, and ignored. This story also explores so many other philosophies ranging from family dynamics and how the generation gap results in the distant and cold relationships between parents and siblings, each persons own identity crisis as they struggle to find their place in this world and how those who don't feel lost and empty, and it is about the deep seeded longing for human connection. The antagonist in the film comes across as a symbolic embodiment of what happens when there is no family, no friends, and no one to love or be loved by. The result is a diabolical and manipulative sociopath that you both hate and sympathize with.

What I liked about the movie: I think I connected with this movie so much because of Noriko's longing for something that was missing in her life, and her search to find it. And the actors powerful performances really drew me into the story...but again, I know this definitely a love it, hate it film.

This is a time-fractured story that takes a nose dive into any number of philosophical issues ranging from one's own identity, family dynamics, peer pressure, etc...and the cause and effect of all of the above. So if your looking for a movie to watch purely for entertainment value then keep looking cause this one aint for you. But if you enjoy bizarre and cerebral films that take an existential look at things then you should check this one out. Great performances from all the actors, they each do a great job at drawing you into their characters and the story...but on a side note this film is very long and pretty slow, clocked in at 2hrs and 40 minutes.