Review of Tokyo Sonata (2008) by Adrian Z — 31 Jul 2010
4 - Absorbing drama sees all members of a Japanese family individually hit rock bottom as soon as the father (superbly played by Kagawa) looses his job, but can't face telling his family. Kyoko Koizumi as his alienated wife, and Kai Inowaki as his secretly prodifious son are also superb.
Two flaws in the film: the older son's subplot didn't seem necessary, where the young one's secret-piano-lessons subplot was excellent; third act's credibility becomes shaky as the tone becomes increasingly heavy, trading subtle drama for melodrama.
Fortunately, the film does end well after putting it's audience through much suffering, and proves extremely cathartic.
This review of Tokyo Sonata (2008) was written by Adrian Z on 31 Jul 2010.
Tokyo Sonata has generally received very positive reviews.
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