Review of Tokyo Sonata (2008) by Movie M — 05 Jul 2009

We've seen this genre before. Middle age man going through mid-life crisis bringing his family down with him. What is different is each character has a crisis of their own and each are searching for the meaning of their own existence.

Ryuhei is at a point in his career that he is too old to be hired at his level with another company. In with the new and out with the old. A reality check that he is past his career prime and now is facing a downward spiral. Teruyuki Kagawa plays this character well, showing facial expressions without saying much.

And that is what this movie does well. Keeping emotions at bay and letting the silence bring the tension. The final scene does this very well. You would expect a standing ovation for well done piano performance by their son Kenji. Instead it is silence with the intense stares of the crowd.

Tokyo Sonata does fall a little apart with Kyoko Koizumi's performance as Megumi the wife. The scene with the semi-affair seems unnecessary and too contrived, but she is believable as the mother who is trying to keep the family together. Megumi is the center of all the activity, knowing what are the issues with each member of her family.

Although Tokoyo Sonata centers around the family, the topic of salary men who are cast off without the hopes of finding a stable job is very real. Kurosu who Ryuhei befriends knows the system. How to make believe phone calls, where to hang out all day, how to move money around so your wife doesn't suspect you've lost your job. The shame of loosing your job and the demasculation of oneself is too much to bare.

We not only see the family issues, but a snapshot of Japan's economy too.