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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
TONY TAKITANI
An aloof and solitary artist, Tony Takitani (Issey Ogata) is
not able to instill his drawings with vitality as the result of his own
emotionally bland life. While working as a technical illustrator, Tony falls in
love with his assistant, Konuma Eiko (Miyazawa Rie). After a non-existent
courtship, Tony woos Eiko into marrying him, and the couple enjoys a
resplendent, ebullient life together until Eiko's obsession for
designer clothing tears them tragically apart (in a rather hilariously
absurd way, actually).
Or so the audience is told. An omnipresent voice somberly narrates the
thoughts, feelings, and actions of each the characters, leaving the actors
without much to do except try their hardest to appear detached. Dialogue and interaction between the two is nearly
absent, as the characters rarely speak except to contribute to the
interminable narration. (Not that they would have had much to talk about;
each character has at most one distinguishing trait. Three if one includes
gender and age.)
Each muted shot is meticulously, immaculately composed, but
like Tony's renderings, lacks esprit. Similarly, Ryuichi Sakamoto's piano
score is suitably lachrymose, but it is ultimately purposeless since the
film does not contain any emotional content for the music to enhance or
accompany.
Director Jun Ichikawa's attempt to make a
germane, artistic statement is relatively earnest, but his zealous
insistence on placing symbolization above everything else undermines the
film. The audience may well have an intellectual understanding of why Tony
Takitani is supposed to be involving, but it is doubtful they will be
moved enough to care. There is just no heart. George Tan
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