BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

bloody_frets This was a roller coaster through the sickness of the human mind and back up to blue skies. I watched this after suicide club (that in my opinion was very average to not so good) and was amazed. The movie did not even need the Suicide Circle background. The symbolisms were nicely presented and the metaphors were very tight to the storyline. The atmosphere is heavy dramatic and suits the movie's concept fantastically. While watching you feel like you are passing from reality to fantasy and back again up to the point you don't know whats real anymore. We have to thank the very well presented characters for this (just enough info but not too much). This was a very very good movie. Long but good!

doublethink03 The movie "Noriko's Dinner Table" is a long movie. And it is not one of those movies that make you forget that they are long because they are exciting, gripping, thrilling, funny,... It's just long, bland, and boring.The main pseudo-philosophical question of Noriko's Dinner Table is a simple one: "Are you connected to yourself?" The question is easily answered: I am myself, therefore I am connected to myself. So why does it take two and a half hours to try to somehow explore this question?The movie is just like the question: pointless. Furthermore it's disturbingly sick because characters act in totally unnatural ways. But not even that in an interesting way. I can't believe that this movie got only favorable reviews. Honestly I expected something special. There was nothing of that sort.

douglas2k4 A sequel to 2002's cult-status film "Suicide Club", director Sion Sono's "Noriko's Dinner Table" tells the compelling and profound tale of the collapse and reconstruction of the family unit. The story follows Noriko Shimabara (Kazue Fukiishi), a seemingly unhappy teenager who lives with her mother, father, and younger sister. To escape reality, Noriko begins to regularly visit the internet site Haikyo.com, a BBS where she begins to chat with other girls just like her. One of the girls, known only by the title "Ueno54", persuades Noriko to runaway to Tokyo so they can meet in person. Noriko willingly accepts and escapes to Tokyo, wherein she meets the real person behind the mysterious Ueno54 and learns her true name—Kumiko (Tsugumi). What Noriko soon discovers is that Kumiko operates a "family-circle" program, which specializes in taking in young girls and giving them new personalities and families… With the release of "Suicide Club", a film that explored the disastrous effects that an enigmatic cult had on an entire population of youth, director Sion Sono not only created a memorable horror film, but also provided some social commentary on Japanese youth. And while it was effective in what it was trying to convey, many viewers considered it a gory, albeit somewhat intelligent film. Sono decided to take a different route with "Noriko's Dinner Table", this time around taking out the unnecessary gore and replacing it with a more introspective stance. The film is split up into various chapters, each dedicating ample time to the film's characters. While this might seem distracting for a film such as this, it does the exact opposite—the first-person narrative of the characters allow the viewer to understand some of the decisions they choose, why they choose them, and what they hope to arrive at after the decision has been made. It's through these narrative perspectives that provided the truly captivating moments throughout the film, wanting to see the outcome of characters I have gotten to know.Probably one of the strongest elements of the film is the cast. Since Sono's attention to detail is so prevalent in this film, the cast had to be right on the mark. And they do a remarkable job. The highlight of the film is Kazue Fukiishi. Her portrayal of Noriko is a sight to behold and her transformation from being a stubborn, rebellious teen to an overzealous, rather detached individual is masterfully done. Noriko's family—her father played by film veteran Ken Mitsuishi and younger sister played by Yuriko Yoshitaka—are fantastic in their respectable roles as well. Actress Tsugumi in her portrayal as the chilling and austere Kumiko also brings to mind the exceptional acting talent so vividly on display here.While "Suicide Club" showcased a telescopic overview of the shadowy "Suicide Circle" cult, which showed the cult's negative influence on numerous individuals, "Noriko's Dinner Table" portrays, rather successfully, how the mysterious cult affects a single family. It's a film that touches upon various contemplative societal issues such as individualism, family structure, alienation, and mind control on an enormous scale. With the release of "Suicide Club" a few years back, director Sion Sono had something to say. With "Noriko's Dinner Table", he takes it a step further, raising questions to issues that are relevant and meaningful today. A totally absorbing experience, I highly recommend it.Please visit iSugoi.com for more reviews.

trenttnert Noriko's Dinner Table is quite possibly one of the best films I've ever seen.I will not give away any spoilers about the movie, but I will say that it is beautifully done. Each scene seems as if it were painstakingly and obsessively done, paying attention to the tiniest of detail. As with all of Sono's films, the camera angles and shots are unique, and make you feel like you're a part of the story that's unfolding.Many people consider the length of the movie to be it's downfall, and with good reason. 2 hours and 30 minutes is one long movie, but it holds together very well. In the end, you'll feel like you were a part of what was happening, and it will affect you, for better or worse.What many people are concerned about, however, is it's connection to Sion Sono's cult classic Suicide Club. There is a definite connection, and it does explain a little of what happened throughout Suicide Club. But it still leaves some small questions unanswered. Nothing is left unanswered in Noriko's Dinner Table, but there's still a little we don't understand from Suicide Club.This brings me to the meaning behind family in Noriko's Dinner Table. Sion Sono's ideas and meanings are portrayed, and excellently, through sometimes complex symbolism that may take a few watches to understand. The movie is separated into chapters, and the story, how it's told, is broken into pieces and presented to you at little bits at a time. You wont get the full picture until the end of the movie.Noriko's Dinner Table is an amazing film.I ordered it from Japan for about 30-some-odd bucks, and I can say it was worth the money and the two week wait to receive it in the mail. I've had it two days, and already watched it three times. It's amazing, not what I expected, but amazing.A quick note, do not expect what we saw in Suicide Club. A little of that same horror-esquire feeling is there, but it's really a drama at heart. An amazing drama.This is the mature, grown-up Suicide Club.Everyone should watch this movie.