Red (IV) (2020) User Reviews

Six year old daughter becomes collateral damage of an unhappy marriage.

[vicky-movies · 5/10 · 20 January 2021]

I have seen a few films that have explored this particular theme of a spouse stuck in an unhappy marriage, starts an affair with an ex- lover and abandons little children because they realise they don't want to spend a millisecond of the rest of their life with their current spouse. The emphasis being more about the realisation of hate for their current spouse rather than the rekindled romance with the ex lover.

In this film it's the wife who is going through all these motions and by the end I really felt bad for the little daughter. The husband deserved every ounce of the treatment he got, but the way the wife left the little daughter was ruthless. The little girl kept crying, pleading with the mother not to leave her. The mother looks at the girl, holds her hands for a few seconds and without uttering a single word walks away, leaving the crying little girl. The mother could have at least said something comforting to her six year old daughter.

Leaving a controlling and unappreciative spouse for a new lover is understandable, but when one shares children (especially ones that are as little as six years old) with that person, some decisions must be made with a level head and not on impulse, because the lives of the parents directly impact the children, and they (the kids) without any fault of theirs are the ones that are the most effected by the separation.

The actors did a good job, but I found the movie was 15 minutes too long. The climax was dragged as the director tried to neatly tie everything up, but I felt an open ending would have really helped the movie.

Red is not my favorite color but it is most fascinating color of all

[jiaojiao-36896 · 6/10 · 21 July 2021]

Shape of Red or just "Red" as the movie title in Japan. The movie is directed by Japanese female modern thinking filmmaker Yukiko Mishima. The film is adapted from the 2014 novel "Red" by Shimamoto Rio. It stars Kaho as Toko a full time housewife and the mother of an adorable 6 years old girl (Midori). Toko has a perfect married life when compare to most people. She is married to an elite handsome businessman and living in a luxurious home but she stuck in an unhappy marriage. Her husband (Shin) is a traditional Japanese male who view married woman only as a wife and mother to their children. He doesn't bother about Tako needs and dreams as a wife. Shin is considered a wimp who doing only what his parents thinks is appropriate. The situation is making worse as Toko's mother-in-law always seems to be around as they live in the same household.

The film has multiple flashbacks which may confuse some people on the chronological events that happen as the timeline unfolds. It will take some time to fully understand the chronology story of the film. One day, Toko meets an old flame (Kurata) from her days when she first started working after getting out of college. Kurata encourage Toko to apply a job as a "spatial designer" in the company where he is working as Senior Architect. After seeking approval from Shin to work again, Toko has successfully transformed from a full-time housewife to a career woman. She also fit in well with her new office colleagues as well as getting unwanted attention from her boss (Kodaka) who even tries to seduce her with drinking invitation after work. Toko does not mind playing with Kodaka sexual advances but stop short of doing anything further.

One day in a heavy rain while on a road trip for a project, both Toko and Kurata could no longer withhold their passion. Toko who is struggling with a discontent of unappreciated at home was driven with desire to have a passionate love making with Kurata. After the love making session, Kurata informed he has a blood cancer but did not want to answer Toko if he has been healed. It was not smooth working life for Toko as there is an incident Toko was late to pick-up Midori from her Kindergarten class that result Midori injured from fall. This cause's argument with Shin that Toko should give up working and come back as a housewife which Toko disagreed.

During a Christmas celebration at home, Toko bake a big beautiful white cake with Shin and Midori singing Christmas jingle and her mother-in-law all toasting on the happy occasion. Later in the night, Toko went and met with Kurata. Kurata give his treasure book ("In Praise of Shadows" by Junichiro Tanizaki) as a Christmas present to Toko but Toko refuse to accept it as she view it as he is going away for good. In that meeting, Toko informed Kurata she is breaking up with him and won't see him anymore.

In a New Year Celebration of family gathering at Shin home, Toko father-in-law (Hiroshi) suggest that Toko mother (Yoko) should invited her ex-husband to see his granddaughter once he comes back from his oversea work. Yoko could no longer stand the charade and ask permission to leave early sighting she is not well. Toko went after Yoko for explanation. Yoko question Toko sincerity of her own happiness as she is pretending to be happily married and telling lies that her father was working in oversea. The actual fact is he is a scumbag that runs off with another woman and abandons the family. Before leaving, Yoko informed Toko it is her own life how she wants to live it.

Later in the film, Kurata has taken ill and not able to work on the Kimi no Ii Sake Brewery project in Niigata Prefecture, North of Tokyo. Toko was asked to go on site in his place with Kodaka. The trips require them to travel over the mountains and frequent heavy snow in winter. Toko and Kodaka managed successfully completed the project but were stuck in Niigata due to heavy snow that preventing them from getting back home in Tokyo. During a phone conversation when Toko call back home to inform Shih she is unable to come back home by tomorrow, an argument was follow on responsibility of being parents to Midori. Toko felt she was force to go back home now no matter how severe the snow storm weather. She was surprise to see Kurata waiting for her as she makes her way to the public transport in the snowy weather. Kurata informed they should reach home by tomorrow in a night drive. Midway on the trip back home, Kurata stop by a public phone booth for Toko to call back home. Toko phone conversation with Shin was emotional sobbing with Toko questioning the meaning of "marriage". Toko was seen removing her wedding ring after she hangs up on the phone conversation.

On the trip driving back home, Toko informed Kurata she wants her life to be with him. It the final scene that follow may confuse someone if they don't see the bigger picture. Many think the scene is Toko leaving Midori and Shin and go on to live her life with Kurata. That is not actually happen in real life of the story.

If you notice in that scene, Toko is wearing all "black" dress is at a crematorium hall sobbing and hiding from Midori who is outside calling "mama ... mama". Toko actually is attending the funeral of Kurata at the crematorium when Midori and Shin came searching for her. Toko is too distraught that Kurata pass away abruptly from blood cancer that her whole life is broken down and she decided to walk away from Midori and Shin. Toko was seen sobbing sadly when she walk away from the crematorium and the next scene show she is imagining that she with Kurata driving away into the sunset of endless road leading to nowhere. That scene was imaginary as you can see the whole picture has a very surreal feel. Toko driving away with Kurata did not actually happen in real life as Kurata has passed away.

Overall the film may not satisfy to some people as it has many loose ends. The cinematography was beautifully shot with both leads actor and actress performing their role well. Recommend to watch if you don't mind the confused ending.

Overindulgent

[politic1983 · 5/10 · 24 March 2021]

It's fair to say that Yukiko Mishima's "Shape of Red" leaves you a little unsure what conclusions to draw from its slow, lingering tale of a woman's affair with a former lover. But one thing is for certain, that like its lead character, "Shape of Red" perhaps suffers from over-indulgence, when a little more restraint may have been the better choice.

Toko (Kaho) has the standard catalogue-housewife life of a big house, wealthy husband bringing home the bacon and an angelic, well-behaved daughter. Her mother-in-law, however, ever watchful over her, dominates what should be Toko's home, as we are quick to discover that her husband Shin (Shotaro Mamiya) is a mummy's boy, placing Toko way down on his list of favourites.

At a gathering, Toko, playing her voiceless role, spies a familiar face: former lover Akihiko (Satoshi Tsumabuki) with whom she used to work. Instantly they are all over each other in a way uncommon in Japanese cinema. This sparks life into Toko, wanting to escape the house and her mother-in-law's shadow and re-start her career as an architect. Reluctantly, Shin accepts, leaving Toko free to join Akihiko's firm so they can work and play together.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks as the couple struggle to make their way through heavy snow back to Tokyo. It's all very slow and mournful with an ominous air surrounding their journey. And this very much defines the affair between the two. Together, they are generally in slow-paced scenes that force the intensity between them, notably the extended sex scene, panting and all. But while intense, they are far from absorbing or entertaining. Indeed, Akihiko's over-cool make you wonder what Toko sees in him beyond looks.

What you can see, however, is why Toko would want to leave her husband, but his characterisation leaves a lot to be desired. A caricature, he is far too obsessed with his mother to be believable, though his work-ethic does seem typical of a man wanting his wife to stay at home. Having said that, he is accommodating to Toko: having given her the 'good life', he doesn't fight her too much when she wants to start work and clearly loves their daughter. Sadly, the characters here are a far cry from Tadanobu Asano's well-developed Tanaka is Mishima's "Dear Etranger".

His demands that she leave work to pick up their daughter from school rather than him do it himself are typically old-fashioned. But it does highlight a problem with "Red" that lingers throughout. Having been given the chance to restart her career, it seems Toko completely forgets she has any sort of responsibility at home. Regularly working long hours, taking work trips and having an affair, she has gone from zero to sixty in lightning speed, suddenly the star employee despite years out of the world of work.

This isn't necessarily the story of a woman wanting to escape a controlling environment. In fact, in many ways Toko gets everything she wants: a housewife, her mother-in-law takes on many of the responsibilities; when wanting to re-start her career, she does, immediately getting the exact job she wanted; and within minutes of seeing Akihiko for the first time in years, they are all over each other.

A meeting of Shin's parents and Toko's mother suggests Toko married into a world she never should have, and perhaps this is the case. But years of passivity may have been what held her back. As soon as Akihiko returns to her life, she takes action and gets everything she wants. And this is where sympathy for Toko goes missing. Her desire to re-start her career seems more driven by the desire to bed Akihiko than start her life again. Wise-cracking work colleague Kodaka (Tasuku Emoto) comes across as a foolish young man, though in the end he shows more maturity than Toko and Akihiko put together.

With Akihiko's terminal illness made apparent, this you feel could be the moment of reflection for Toko to step back. But she doesn't. The final scene shows her walk away from her young daughter and husband alone. She now has complete freedom and can follow her own path.

Has she liberated herself and taken back control of her life? Has she ditched her responsibilities and shown a lack of maturity in dealing with the situation? Does Mishima want to show us that she played with fire and got burned? Whichever it is, both Toko and Mishima perhaps indulge themselves a little too much to warrant the benefit of the doubt, and far from colourful lead characters make you wonder why you ever cared in the first place.

politic1983.home.blog

Ending A Little Convoluted

[PalmBeachG · 5/10 · 25 February 2024]

Called "Shape Of Red", this very common themed movie of the same old thing - the wife stays home to take care of the husband and child and the husband doesn't care for her going to work because the housework isn't getting done or the child needs a babysitter. He also isn't giving her any sex but she provides for him. It doesn't take too long before she gets reunited with her first love who is now available.

So here is the thing - all the Japanese Dramas and Movies that I have watched thus far always have an ending that is hard to decipher, or open to interpretation. I hate watching things that need an explanation at the end. I keep trying new ones and it seems that this is just the Japanese style so if you don't care for this type of thing - watching a whole movie and then wondering what the heck happened, then it is not for you as it can be a little convoluted in the ending.

I am pretty sure I know what happened; could actually figure the ending out 1/2 through the movie when Tasuku Emoto, the ML having the affair with the FL ,told her he was sick 4 years ago and left it at that. The thing is we all knew what was going to happen so the ending was muffled up a bit or it would have just been a boring end for another boring housewife story with some hot sex missed in. The small few second clip before the credits IMO was in reference to an "unbuildable dream house" the FL designed and will never materialize either in bricks and mortar or in her marriage - the best part of the house that Tasuku Emoto remembers was the horizon view out the window as he stated before when she was reminiscing about their college days. She just keeps driving into the horizon because she lis never going to find it. And I think it is all just a memory of hers anyway and reminiscing again but don't take my word for it as it is is IMO and other's may have different opinions so you just need to watch it. Very confusing for sure.

#ShapeOfRed #TasukuEmoto.