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Tony Takitani (TT) is a particularly deep reflection of the Japanese pronounced tendency to introversion and loneliness. I strongly relate to those traits and therefore feel the need to write a review because it seems this production has been badly misunderstood here in the USA, quite normal situation since our culture, media and -worse of all- people themselves worship the opposite: extroversion, even when plenty of Americans are introverted, perhaps more than 50%!
TT's misunderstanding has gone as far as getting it compared to Vertigo. Vertigo certainly had a loneliness and tragedy character After this similitude Vertigo drifts away from our normal and mundane world, a though challenge for filmmakers to tackle (let alone the public). TT, instead, moves toward it, specifically TT's, a person in conformity with his life, enjoying a simple but productive life by profiting from his talent in art by industrious means. Sure, his gift wasn't mundane, cut the makers some slack.
That comfort comes to an end after his successive interactions with people eventually lead to develop one relation that ends up in marriage to Eiko, a marriage that both blesses and curses his life. His life gets complicated, yet, he wants to stays in, the mere thought of losing his wife terrifies him at the beginning. Eiko doesn't belittle him for his fears; in fact all of this becomes a virtuous cycle or self-reinforcing relation. But once TT calms down, Eiko shows more and more of her flaws, like any human.
The movie's story writer -Haruki Murakami- chose Eiko's flaw to be addicted to buying fashion clothes, a classy touch, fit for the movie. Nonetheless it becomes as troublesome as any other addiction (like gambling, drugs, risk taking, etc.) The origin of that flaw seemed to be her way to cope with her inconformity with simple life and/or incapacity to engage in meaningful activities or hobbies to give purpose to her life; anything can be speculated here. At least Eiko's addiction was more understandable in the movie than in the original story that mentions that TT and she did have conversations, large ones, meaning: communication. Besides, the original story displays the Japanese dream of seducing women out of kindness: TT's father, Shozaburo, used to get sex out his niceness. Getting sex out of niceness seems disturbing in the West, but it's often approached in Japanese culture, a great recent example is "Ristorante Paradiso" anime. TT, in particular, was better off without it.
This movie feels indeed like a visual poem, especially by the melancholic background music and with most of the talk coming from a distant narrator. But you will only feel that after you cleanse yourself from the debris that the Western (mostly American) productions have piled up in your mind over your lifetime. Thus, TT is definitively not for everyone, Japanese included as one review showed it. Yes, I am aware that plenty of Japanese can be as vulgar and/or extroverted as anybody else in the world. I myself would've dumped this movie in other times. It was only after a while of watching more and more Japanese productions (with characters that I could relate to) and learning about them and their culture I was able to honestly enjoy it by the time I watched it.
| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
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DVD
April 11, 2023 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $16.66 | $16.69 |
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DVD
July 24, 2006 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $17.42 | $12.94 |
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Top reviews from other countries
Antoine T
It's a pirate DVD-R disc not an original one
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 3, 2022
Antoine T
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on June 3, 2022
I do not know who to blame for, the seller or the supplier to the seller, but whoever made this pirate DVD and tried to sell it at the high price of an original one should be fined and brought to court. I do not care if they do it and watch those pirate DVDs at their house but selling them through Amazon is not acceptable. If you ever plan to buy this movie in the future, please contact the sellers first to confirm if the media is the original one or not.
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Skippy 808, Bristol, UK
Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 21, 2018
