Tokyo Sonata (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region All

Koizumi Kyoko (Actor) | Kagawa Teruyuki (Actor) | Yakusho Koji (Actor) | Igawa Haruka

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Tokyo Sonata DVD & Blu-ray

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Customer Review of "Tokyo Sonata (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Taiwan Version)"

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Average Customer Rating for All Editions of this Product: Customer Review Rated Bad 7 - 7.3 out of 10 (3)

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Kevin Kennedy
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October 26, 2009

This customer review refers to Tokyo Sonata (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)

Finding a reason to hope Customer Review Rated Bad 10 - 10 out of 10

"Tokyo Sonata" is an artful and moving existential drama about a family in crisis. The head of the family, Ryuhei (Kagawa Teruyuki) is the administrative manager at a sizeable Tokyo company who loses his job when the company shifts its back-office operations to China. Ryuhei quickly learns that finding a comparable position is impossible for a man in his mid-forties. Ashamed of his fate and filled with a suppressed rage, he conceals his unemployment from his family.

Eldest son Takashi (Koyanagi Yu) meanwhile leads a directionless life; against his parents' wishes, he seeks some purpose for his life by joining the US Army. Younger son Kenji (Inowaki Kai) rebels against his regimented school life and yearns to express himself through learning to play piano, but, when his father learns that he has been sneaking piano lessons, he forbids it and demands that his son concentrate on his schoolwork. Housewife Megumi (Koizumi Kyoko) quietly despairs at her lonely and unappreciated life. Each of the family members rebels against their own private hells -- and their rebellions lead them variously to the gutter, to jail, to war, and to the empty edge of the world.

On a lonely beach, Megumi has an epiphany: "You're the only person who can be you. That's all we have to hold onto." With this existentialist cul-de-sac, Megumi latches onto the only empty solace that remains when one embraces a God-less worldview. The movie ends on a more hopeful note, a hope that suggests the possibility of transcendence. Graced with skillful filmmaking and honest performances, "Tokyo Sonata" should appeal to lovers of arthouse cinema.

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eccoboy
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October 1, 2009

This customer review refers to Tokyo Sonata (Blu-ray) (English Subtitled) (UK Version)

Almost Perfect Customer Review Rated Bad 8 - 8 out of 10

Tokyo Sonata has everything I like in a movie but is almost completely ruined by the inclusion of a certain story element (the director added this part which was not in the script, according to the liner notes. But still, I enjoy the feel of this movie so much that I watched it 4 or 5 times within a week, so it's definitely worth watching.

But is the overpriced Blu-Ray worth it? Maybe not. This transfer is good but not on par with other quality Blu-Rays. I haven't seen a DVD release for this movie but with many properly mastered DVDs looking fantastic these days, I'm awfully critical of Blue-Ray transfers that aren't pristine. Now, this could be from the source film, but in general the resolution is not very sharp and actors in long shots seem blurred or fuzzy. The night shots on the beach are grainy like something you would see from an inexpensive digital camera. Anyway, the Blu-Ray is probably better than the DVD, but I don't know if paying double the price is worth it, unless you are like me and need maximum quality. So I'm a little disappointed with the transfer and the horrible inclusion of a particular plot point, but I really do like the movie.

*the packaging and booklet are quite nice, by the way

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Steve
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May 30, 2009

This customer review refers to Tokyo Sonata (DVD) (Japan Version)

Depressing Look into Japanese Culture Customer Review Rated Bad 4 - 4 out of 10

This is overall a depressing movie, however there is a glimpse of light, hope and acceptance at the end of the movie. It's interesting to see the way Japanese society reacts to unemployment and the family culture. This is a big contrast to the reaction of the younger generation of people in the USA, where the youth do not identify themselves with their jobs.

The beginning of the movie attributes cheaper Chinese employees to be a main reason for the lay-offs. To what extent is this credible, especially if it's already difficult for the average Chinese to even go to Japan? Chinese youth will actually spend their youth learning Japanese in hopes of one day working for a Japanese company? I actually see that the 2nd language learned in China is English and as for career, the goal is to move up the corporate ladder domestically or become an entrepreneur.

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