Tokyo!

2008 anthology film

Rating: 16/20

Plot: A trio of stories all taking place in Tokyo. Hey! That's probably why they called the movie Tokyo! 

This is a triptych of Tokyo tales from three directors I like very much--Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-Ho, the latter who doesn't like tight clothing. None of the three do anything that would surprise anybody who's seen their work. The stories don't really seem to connect thematically, just tied together by taking place in contemporary Tokyo.

Gondry's short is first, a story about people having trouble finding their place and being seen in a crowded metropolitan area. As you would probably guess with this particular filmmaker, it's a mix of melancholy and whimsy. There's a funny bit with some smoke and a great film-within-the-film called "The Garden of Degradation, a movie the character hopes is "not too intellectual." It's got bunny births and skull-headed motorcycle guys. Gondry shows off some cool visual trickery a few times (a well-placed dish, some insects) and then surprises with some really grotesque but nifty special effects near the end. There's an abrupt transition and a denouement that I don't believe was foreshadowed at all, but it all ended with a shot of a metronome and a banjo, so I can't complain. "But as for me, I'm living between the buildings with the ghosts." Such poetry.

If you've seen Holy Motors, you know the central character of "Merde," Carax's short. Denis Lavant's character's introduction might be the exact same as it was in Holy Motors. I can't remember. Anyway, it's perfect, maybe my favorite character introduction of all time. Then, there's an extended sequence where Lavant's sewer man is walking down a street and eating money and flowers, all to this dramatic music. It's wonderful. Later, there's a brave conversation between the sewer man and another character, a long sequence where nothing at all is translated. I did figure out that the word/gesture for "god" in sewer man's language involves a slap of one's own face. Seems about right. If there's a message here at all, it's got something to do with immigration, but like all three of these shorts, things feel open to interpretation.

I liked all three of these, but if I had to pick a least favorite, it would be Joon-Ho's. There's one wowser of an image with a figure behind this frosted, textured glass that I think was just about the best thing I've ever seen, but I'm in the mood for hyperbole, so you probably shouldn't take me seriously. The protagonist in this one--a self-described "hikikimori," which is sort of like an urban hermit--is interesting, and I like what Joon-Ho does with his domicile to show us everything that character is about. There's a plot point involving buttons that I thought was a little goofy.

Anyway, if you like these three filmmakers, you should give this a look. It's on Amazon Prime.