Harmonium (Fukada, 2016): BFI Southbank, NFT2, 6.20pm
To celebrate the release of Love Life and further exploring the
domestic space in Japanese life that lies at the heart of the BFI Southbank's
Yasujirō Ozu season, the cinema looks back on three key titles so far in Kōji
Fukada’s career. Full details here.
Chicago Reader review:
After a self-employed metalworker takes in an old friend who’s just completed a prison sentence for murder, the friend ingratiates himself with the man’s young daughter and devout Christian wife, proving himself a more sympathetic listener than his emotionally distant host. I hate to reveal what happens next in this absorbing Japanese domestic drama; the plot hinges on several big surprises that force you to reevaluate how you feel about all the major characters. Writer-director Kôji Fukada (Hospitalité) maintains a somber tone throughout as well as a subtle visual style, rooted in patient long takes, that encourages deep reflection on the themes of grief and forgiveness. Tadanobu Asano, who plays the ex-con, has rarely been better, and Kanji Furutachi and Mariko Tsutsui are heartbreaking as the husband and wife.
Ben Sachs
Here (and above) is the trailer.
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