First off, let me say that I'm an Okada Junichi fan. That being said, this movie was average, if not below average. The plot has no commendable twist or turn, the motif old and not creative at all, and there's not much to "learn" from this movie that makes you go "Ahhh". Like other reviews on this board, I have to agree, "What is this movie trying to say?". For me, the theme of loneliness of a 35 year old woman was way better portrayed through the character of Kimiko and her relationship with Koji. I have no idea how the main couple could carry the "35-year-old lonely woman" theme. The interaction between her and her husband, plus her "loneliness" is just not seen nearly enough! One would think Toru and Shifumi love each other because they both are very good-looking! Um, so, this movie is not that good in my opinion. However, every one completed their part very well. Kuroki Hitomi-san was very beautiful and classy, Okada Junichi is expressive with his eyes and voice as usual, but my favorite will have to be Terajima Shinobu-san, who plays Kimiko. Not only does her character has depth, but her acting was good on its own. Through her, and her only, I see the possible loneliness of a woman who's trapped in a boring life, with a husband she doesn't love (or has grown out of love for him), and who yearns for something more than just the everyday life cooking in the kitchen and doing housework from dawn to dusk.
4 Reviews
i hate it
kenshin22up23 September 2005
i don't know what to make out of this film... the consequences of dating older women? or telling husbands around the world to care about their wives more or younger kids will steal them away? the story was just horrible in my opinion, i hated it
the directing was really slow too, but its budget seems to be bigger than a lot of other Japanese films i have seen i wonder why they like to waste so much money on such a poor film
however, the acting was quite good... the guy who played koji was not so good tho...he acts the same way in everything else or something.. i've seen him in kindaichi 3 and he acts the same way
the directing was really slow too, but its budget seems to be bigger than a lot of other Japanese films i have seen i wonder why they like to waste so much money on such a poor film
however, the acting was quite good... the guy who played koji was not so good tho...he acts the same way in everything else or something.. i've seen him in kindaichi 3 and he acts the same way
if you are a 35-year-old matured women
BlueAmy14 February 2006
Just like what is said in the movie: "you'll never understand what it is like in a 35-year-old woman's mind." In Japanese society, the lives of wives are restricted in empty houses (husbands go to work and children go to school) all day long, and it repeats years after years. These women have almost no chance to have social relationships with outside world. When people are kept bored alone, they think (dream) of things which busy people would never have time to think about. They spend all their time examining about their whole lives, thinking about what would be different if they had chosen a different life.
In this case, they are easily melancholic because of not satisfying with their lives, wishing for companies to talk to or be with when they are alone, but have no solution to find a way out.
Therefore this is a story about repression, desire, morality, cowardice, the pain of waiting, heart breaking, pretending one's self being happy and tough and having the domination of power and money but actually most lonely and wanted being love. Besides all these complicated emotion, there is still brightness of true love shown in this movie.
This is certainly not a sweet story like "the Notebook" which hardly accepted when I was under the mood of losing my 6-year lover and never have faith of eternal love and being loved. The bitter-sweet of "Tokyo Tower" resonates the experiences of those hard time in love relationship. If a girl is old enough to experience a long term completely dedicating true love, and then find out she was being fooled or the love is finally gone or spoiled. Then she shall be a good viewer of this movie because she can definitely understand the dynamic power or conflict emotion of the characters in the movie.
We find out the unstable essential of love in this movie. We are not naive anymore to believe that love should be eternal. We find out ways to solve these love problems, too. In marriages, even if both husbands and wives are not happy about their relationships, they can still endure it and pretend that there are nothing wrong. Or one can be brave enough to let go, and make some great changes to one's life.
I am not yet 35 but only 25. I can still feel so many kinds of different emotions in this movie while stepping in different characters's shoes, both men and women, mother or child.
By the way, if you know better about Japanese culture, you will get closer to the situation happened in this movie. Firstly, many people blame Matsumoto's acting in this film, but the hilarious acting is from the original novel which the couple of Matsumoto is a contrast between the couple of the main characters. Therefore it was the dramatical reason for him to act like this, a hilarious character.
Secondly women in Japan don't have high social status and they are often dominate by their husbands and seniors. And a good woman should be shy and pure just like the little girl in the movie who always wears her clothes quickly after making love. It is conceivable that they can finally get their feeling of domination of love when they are with younger boys. It would be a release for their long term repression of passion under social rules.
In this case, they are easily melancholic because of not satisfying with their lives, wishing for companies to talk to or be with when they are alone, but have no solution to find a way out.
Therefore this is a story about repression, desire, morality, cowardice, the pain of waiting, heart breaking, pretending one's self being happy and tough and having the domination of power and money but actually most lonely and wanted being love. Besides all these complicated emotion, there is still brightness of true love shown in this movie.
This is certainly not a sweet story like "the Notebook" which hardly accepted when I was under the mood of losing my 6-year lover and never have faith of eternal love and being loved. The bitter-sweet of "Tokyo Tower" resonates the experiences of those hard time in love relationship. If a girl is old enough to experience a long term completely dedicating true love, and then find out she was being fooled or the love is finally gone or spoiled. Then she shall be a good viewer of this movie because she can definitely understand the dynamic power or conflict emotion of the characters in the movie.
We find out the unstable essential of love in this movie. We are not naive anymore to believe that love should be eternal. We find out ways to solve these love problems, too. In marriages, even if both husbands and wives are not happy about their relationships, they can still endure it and pretend that there are nothing wrong. Or one can be brave enough to let go, and make some great changes to one's life.
I am not yet 35 but only 25. I can still feel so many kinds of different emotions in this movie while stepping in different characters's shoes, both men and women, mother or child.
By the way, if you know better about Japanese culture, you will get closer to the situation happened in this movie. Firstly, many people blame Matsumoto's acting in this film, but the hilarious acting is from the original novel which the couple of Matsumoto is a contrast between the couple of the main characters. Therefore it was the dramatical reason for him to act like this, a hilarious character.
Secondly women in Japan don't have high social status and they are often dominate by their husbands and seniors. And a good woman should be shy and pure just like the little girl in the movie who always wears her clothes quickly after making love. It is conceivable that they can finally get their feeling of domination of love when they are with younger boys. It would be a release for their long term repression of passion under social rules.
crap, just crap
ryome24 February 2006
it was just awful... end of story!
I mean, the woes of a married woman? Sure, i respect the fact that some woman feel left out in their marriage and stuff but this movie just overreacts on EVERYTHING!
I suppose girls would enjoy this thing and find it *touching* but if you're a guy, keep away from it! I don't know how to put words to this! the previews looked like it would be a decent production but even with the a high budget they made crap out of this!
The acting, i'll tell ya, isn't fabulous. Matsumoto is usually a decent actor but this time, he just acted really unnatural the same way as in kindaichi 3 (or something like that). The subject looked different and appealing but after the first few lines, it was total CRAP. PLEASE!! DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID OF WATCHING THIS MOVIE!! (though i blame my girlfriend for actually seeing this crap...)
I mean, the woes of a married woman? Sure, i respect the fact that some woman feel left out in their marriage and stuff but this movie just overreacts on EVERYTHING!
I suppose girls would enjoy this thing and find it *touching* but if you're a guy, keep away from it! I don't know how to put words to this! the previews looked like it would be a decent production but even with the a high budget they made crap out of this!
The acting, i'll tell ya, isn't fabulous. Matsumoto is usually a decent actor but this time, he just acted really unnatural the same way as in kindaichi 3 (or something like that). The subject looked different and appealing but after the first few lines, it was total CRAP. PLEASE!! DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID OF WATCHING THIS MOVIE!! (though i blame my girlfriend for actually seeing this crap...)
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