Kikujiro

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Kikujiro (1999)

Kikujiro:

This Japanese import from acclaimed writer/director Takeshi Kitano takes us through a child's experiences as he fills in his "what I did on my summer vacation" report. Masao is a grade school student who has just finished the term and reluctantly begins his summer vacation. He lives with his grandmother and is at the age where he begins to become curious about his parents. His grandmother tells him that his father died in an accident and that his mother is away working in order to make sure he's cared for. Wanting to meet his mother, he heads out into the Japanese country to try and find her. On the way, Masao somehow ends up with a middle-aged deadbeat as a traveling companion and their adventures together along with the people they meet will prove to be quite an experience.

The film is beautifully shot as Takeshi Kitano manages to show us how gorgeous Japan is as far as scenery goes. The touches of light comedy hold up all throughout the movie and the audience never goes too long without getting at least a little chuckle. For me, some of the best laughs came during the more subtle moments as when they are standing on the street side selling corn. The sign in front of their table reads: "Big Sale. One ear - 200 yen. Two ears - 500 yen." Sorry to spoil it for you, but I love subtlety. It's not all laughs though as there are certainly moments where you're quite moved by either the situation or the emotion of the characters. The musical score couldn't fit into the film any more perfectly. It's a soft, sweeping ballad that is used in variations throughout the film and by the end, you will be humming it for days. This really is a great film from Japan and a great change of pace from your typical Hollywood productions. It's a film that's warm, funny, and just makes you feel good all around.

-Tso