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Actress Rie Miyazawa
in TONY TAKITANI
Photo: Strand

TONY TAKITANI
Directed & Written by: Jun Ichikawa, based on the novel by Haruki Murakami.
Produced by: Ishida Motoki.
Director of Photography: Hirokawa Taishi.
Edited by: Sanjyo Tomoo.
Music by: Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Released by: Strand.
Language: Japanese with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Japan. 75 min. Not Rated.
With: Issey Ogata & Miyazawa Rie.

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
July 29, 2005

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