Tokyo Sonata

A brutally minimalistic drama about a family in which communication has somewhat stagnated, which of course we don’t learn from words, but from the placement of the characters in the given space. The well-though-out long shots, when merely filling in the empty spaces in the image evokes specific emotions, are captivating. This beautifully flowing film breaks down only in its final third. However much the dream sequence and the tragicomic interlude with the robber revive viewers’ waning attention, they seem to have been taken from a completely different film. Fortunately, the restrained ending punctuated with fantastic music represents a return to the quiet atmosphere of the preceding minutes, and the previously unsettling silence takes on a new meaning. 75% (11.12.2012)