Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 12, 2009

Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s terrific "Tokyo Sonata" (2008) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Eureka Entertainment. This is a Region-Free release whose supplemental features are perfectly playable on North American TV sets.

I will learn to play!

A man in his late forties, Ryuhei (Teruyuki Kagawa), is told by his boss that his services are no longer needed. Stunned, he packs his personal belongings and leaves his office. On his way home, Ryuhei decides not to share the terrible news with his wife.

Megumi (Kyôko Koizumi) is married to Ryuhei. She is a typical Japanese housewife. She cooks, cleans and manages her family's finances. Megumi is aware that Japan is going through a serious economic crisis, but believes that Ryuhei’s job is “safe”.

Kenji (Inowaki Kai) is Ryuhei and Megumi’s younger son. While in class, he is asked to pass along a manga tome to a friend. The teacher sees Kenji and decides to punish him. Kenji attempts to explain that the manga does not belong to him, but the teacher isn’t willing to listen. Angered, Kenji announces in front of the class that he has seen their teacher secretly reading a porn manga. On the way home, Kenji passes by a house where he sees a young woman teaching a girl how to play the piano.

Takashi (Yû Koyanagi) is Ryuhei and Megumi’s older son. He is rarely at home. Recently, Takashi has realized that there is no future for young men like him in Japan. He has also decided to join the American Army and go to the Middle East.

While looking for a new job, Ryuhei meets Kurosu (Kanji Tsuda), an old friend who has also been laid off. Kurosu teaches him how to act up in front of his wife so that she believes that he is still employed. He even invites Ryuhei to his house for dinner where the two talk about their “jobs” in front of his wife and daughter. A few days later, Ryuhei learns that Kurosu has committed suicide.

Meanwhile, Megumi sees Ryuhei at a food bank for homeless people, but decides not to tell her husband that she knows that he is unemployed. At home, Ryuhei continues to act as if he is still working for his company. Kenji asks his parents if he could start taking piano lessons but is quickly turned down. Takashi announces in front of his mother that he has passed the necessary tests and is ready to become a soldier. He only needs his father to sign a release form.

A few days later, all hell breaks loose.

Winner of the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata is a heartbreaking yet unusually gentle film about a middle-class Japanese family whose foundation is shaken up after the head of the family is laid off. Themes of loss, loyalty, honor, respect and dignity drive its story.

Known better for his horror works, Kurosawa has mixed the serious with the bizarre in Tokyo Sonata in a manner that would remind some viewers of Laurent Cantet’s L'emploi du temps (2001) and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Peros (2000). The stellar performances, however, grant Tokyo Sonata a unique look, one that elevates the film amongst the best to be released in Japan during the last fifteen years.

Unlike Kurosawa’s early works, Tokyo Sonata is also a very transparent film. The dilemmas the main protagonists are struggling with are universal; one could immediately grasp their significance no matter what part of the world one comes from. Particularly during the first half of the film, where the family’s foundation begins to erode, Kurosawa and his cast are very effective.

Technically, Tokyo Sonata is a fabulously executed film with an impressive emphasis on detail. Kurosawa’s camera captures the emotional distress of the main protagonists superbly. Interestingly enough, during the most memorable scenes from the film, the actors hardly even speak – their faces tell everything there is to know. Kazumasa Hashimoto’s minimalistic score is notably effective as well.

Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Eureka Entertainment.

I liked this transfer a lot. Contrast is very good, clarity adequate and detail pleasing. The color-scheme is convincing as well – blues, greens, grays, blacks and whites are well saturated and natural. Furthermore, neither edge-enhancement nor macroblocking are a serious issue of concern. When blown through a digital projector, the transfer also remains notably stable and tight to the frame. This being said, some of the indoor scenes occasionally look a bit soft (as intended by director Kurosawa). On the other hand, the outdoor scenes are consistently sharp. Additionally, I did not detect patterns of heavy noise reduction. Finally, the actual transfer is notably healthy – there are no disturbing scratches, debris, dirt, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0. I opted for the Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

As mentioned by director Kurosawa in one of the supplemental features on the disc, Tokyo Sonata has a very delicate audio structure. Generally speaking, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track does a good job of revealing how carefully composed the film is. Silence in particular is treated very effectively. On the other hand, the dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. The lovely minimalistic soundtrack, courtesy of Kazumasa Hashimoto, is also treated convincingly. This being said, I did not detect any disturbing dropouts, pops, cracks, or hissings to report in this review.

I quickly tested the Dolby TrueHD 2.0 track and, as far as I am concerned, it is practically identical to the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. I did not notice any dynamic differences that would force one to choose the one over the other. The dialog also appears equally crisp and easy to follow.

Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Making Of documentary – a rather long and very informative featurette where director Kurosawa and cast members share their thoughts on the film. Raw footage from key scenes is supplied as well. With optional English subtitles. (480/60i, 61 min).

Q&A, Tokyo, September 2008 – director Kurosawa and cast members talk about the film, its reception at the Cannes Film Festival, its message, etc, before its Tokyo screening. With optional English subtitles (480/60i, 12 min).

Premiere, Tokyo, September 2008 – director Kurosawa introduces his film and the cast before its first screening in Tokyo at the Ebisu Garden Cinema. With optional English subtitles. (480/60i, 15 min).

DVD Discussion - Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyôko Koizumi and director Kurosawa talk about some of the advantages DVD viewing offers, such as comparing the final version of the film with the script, taking a closer look at certain CGI, etc. With optional English subtitles. (480/60i, 9 min).

UK Trailer – (1080p)

Booklet - the British distributors have provided a lovely 28-page booklet containing a short director's statement and B. Kite's elaborate essay "Open Parenthesis on Kurosawa Kiyoshi" (the author is a writer and filmmaker living in Brooklyn. His essays have appeared in The Believer, Cinema Scope, The Village Voice, and Traffic, as well as the anthology Exile Cinema: Filmmakers at Work Beyond Hollywood. He is currently editing the third episode of a series of video investigations into the work of Orson Welles).

Tokyo Sonata Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

An unforgettable film! Eureka Entertainment have put together a solid package that should appeal to just about everyone, regardless of one's geographical location. Obviously, their Blu-ray disc comes Very Highly Recommended.