Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

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.

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

TheNabOwnzz Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story is one of the all time favorites chosen by fellow directors, and it is easy to see why. It does not have a spectacular story, and instead it focuses on being relatable in a way that can literally be compared to average people from everywhere. The most important aspect i think that Ozu has done to create this emotional piece of art that lives and breathes is the fact that he creates such an immersion to the story that you feel like you are an actual part of it. He seemingly creates this immersion by using a lot of extremely low camera angles which are apparantly called 'tatami-shots', in which it seems as though the viewer is sitting on a mat right next to our characters ( Or, shall we say, in the next room as Ozu also has a habit of having these kind of shots positioned in another room so that we can still have a clear overview of our characters. ). Furthermore, we notice a lot of shot reverse-shot techniques in which it looks as though the characters are speaking to the camera, which also increases immersion as this is a beautiful way by Ozu of making clear they are speaking to the audience too. These pure filmmaking techniques by Ozu is a perfect way to increase the immersion in his world, and it works perfectly.The acting performances are all very good, but especially Noriko ( Setsuko Hara ) gives off an exceptional performance as the outwardly cheerful yet innerly quite troubled widow of the elderly couple's son. All of the other characters are quite selfish and after a certain tragic event later in the film their indifference is such a powerful statement from Ozu to the audience to subtly point out the flaws in the average human being. It is, in a way, also a story about old people in a young city that seemingly does not have a place for them ( Similar to the way released long time convicts are portrayed in The Shawshank Redemption, who feel as though they have no place in this world ) which brings up the inability of modern society to care about our elders.It is also further enhanced by fantastic cinematography and great shots of the scenery of Tokyo, Osaka & Onomichi which shows us that we are but little people in such a big place, and that life has to go on. The before stated low camera angles and beautiful japanese cultural indoor scenery also take part in creating a visually beautiful experience. The music by Takanobu Saito also uses fantastic violins to enhance the emotional attachment to the film.In the end this is a simple story that could happen to every average person, which is also primarily what makes it so relatable. Yet also visually impressive with great acting, a great soundtrack and all the while observing an ages long moral human dilemma about connecting with our elders, it is a film that transcends its 'simple' story bounds by a long shot.

cadence921 An elderly couple leaves their hometown Onomichi for Tokyo. They visit their children, but children are busy and cannot spare time for the parents. Ironially, only the wife of their second son who was killed in the Second World War is concerned about them.This film shows a simple ordinary life realistically. It made me think about family bonds and parent-child relationship again.Although there is no showy scenes and special event in this film, I don't know why but, I was fascinated by this story.This film was made 64 years ago, but I was able to accept it easily. Also this film is rated very highly not only in Japan but also in the world.I think the reason "Tokyo Monogatari" is liked by a lot of people across the border and generation is that it describes human nature thoroughly.Setsuko Hara's acting is very good and she is a person with presence.I want to watch other films directed by Yasujiro Ozu.

Takethispunch A retired couple, Shūkichi and Tomi Hirayama (played by Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama respectively) live in the town of Onomichi in southwest Japan with their daughter Kyōko (played by Kyōko Kagawa). They have five adult children, four living. The couple travel to Tokyo to visit their son, daughter, and widowed daughter-in-law.Their eldest son, Kōichi (So Yamamura), is a pediatrician, and their eldest daughter, Shige (Haruko Sugimura), runs a hairdressing salon. Kōichi and Shige are both busy, and do not have much time for their parents. Only their widowed daughter-in-law, Noriko (Setsuko Hara), goes out of her way to entertain them. She takes Shūkichi and Tomi on a sightseeing tour of metropolitan Tokyo.Kōichi and Shige pay for their parents' stay at a hot spring spa at Atami, but the parents return early because the nightlife at the hotel interrupts their sleep. When they return, Shige explains that she sent them to Atami because she wanted to use their bedroom for a meeting. Tomi goes to stay with Noriko, whose husband, her son, died eight years ago in the war. Tomi advises Noriko to remarry. Shūkichi, meanwhile, gets drunk with some old friends, then returns to Shige's salon.

quinimdb "Tokyo Story" is an incredibly poignant film by Yasujiro Ozu about grandparents tonwards the end of their lives that visit their children.The children, however, while trying to be respectful, simply don't have time for them (or don't want to have time for them) and therefore the grandparents seem to be a burden to them. Shige even seems to dislike them, and insults them on certain occasions, but not in an over the top way, but rather a pretend playful way. Many of the shots are in frames within frames and I think this is to emphasize the different worlds that each generation inhabits, and how they are separated by age. It is also composed of mostly low angle shots and seemingly 2 dimensional compositions. There are many poignant moments in the film regarding time and age, all ending with a sadly realistic but silent ending. The first is when the grandmother, Tomi, is with the youngest grandchild outside. The child has his back to the grandmother while she asks him what he wants to be when he grows up. He doesn't respond, but she thinks about it anyway. Then she states that she might be dead when he is grown up, and she follows him as if to try and reach back into her youth.The grandparents are sent to a spa at one point by their children, but the spa ends up being too lively for them. This shows that maybe they are getting too old for the world, and their time has passed. This is the first time they are visiting Tokyo, but at this point they may be too old. When Shukishi, the grandfather, gets back together with his friends that he used to drink with (apparently too much), we get the feeling that it isn't like it used to be. It's a much more depressing time. One of his friends expresses his disappointment towards his sons low position in work, and his regret for raising him the way he did. He also mentions that losing a child is hard, but now living with them can be just as hard. Shukishi feels similarly toward his son who is simply a neighborhood doctor, but he says that times change, and you can't expect too much for your children. His other friend has lost all of his children. He doesn't say a word throughout the whole conversation other than mumbling drunkenly. Tomi stays with Noriko, her daughter in law who was married to the son that died. Tomi isn't related through blood, but does more for them than any of their real children. Tomi is desperate for her to get remarried, since at this point she knows how lonely she will feel without a husband on her older age.When Shukishi and Tomi reunite, Tomi gets sick on the train, and before they know it, she is in critical condition. She dies soon after, but it's important to remember the fact that Ozu never gives in to the usual sentimentality films usually resort to in order to make you feel something. It has an ear for the usual happenings of life and the silence in between the dialogue, as well as the small talk we resort to so we don't have to open up about our doubts and fears and hopes and regrets.They visited one of their grandchildren, Keizo, before she went into critical condition, and it shows him joking that he must be a good grandchild to them because you can't be a good grandchild to them while they are in the grave. But despite him first considering the encounter as a nuisance, once he finds out Tomi is dead, he can't bear the idea that she will just be lost in the sea of graves that he sees before him. He admits he wished he spent more time with her. He simply didn't realize how fragile her life was. Shukishi stays away from his children when he hears about the death of his wife, but doesn't cry. He is simply empty. He gives Noriko his wife's watch as she was their only true child through all of this. She thinks she doesn't deserve it because sometimes she "goes for days on end not thinking about him (her ex wife and their dead son)", but this isn't about him. It's about her, and her kindness. For the first time since her husband she feels loved, and she ends up with the happiest of the endings. Shukishi then goes home and sits. Alone. Probably for the rest of his life. Sadly, it's also implied that they didn't get along for much of their marriage, so it wasn't that loving to begin with. And if we don't end up at that point eventually in our lives, then we will probably be dead. That's the sad truth of life and probably the true ending after Norikos happy ending. Children grow away form their parents, and parents grow old."Isn't life disappointing?" Kyoko asks. "Yes, it is" Noriko responds, smilingly.