Takako Matsu Movies

A good man takes on the guise of a bad guy to expose evil and help the needy in this period action-adventure story based on the manga by Soh Kitamura. The story takes place in 1949, in an alternate reality in which Japan stayed out of World War II and the nation is ruled by a handful of wealthy and uncaring aristocrats while most of the citizens have become mired in poverty. A villainous criminal genius known as K-20 (Kaijin Nijumenso-den) targets the powerful, though he's more interested in his own well being than in justice for the impoverished. Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a talented circus performer who is chronically short on money, and when the publisher of a scandal sheet asks him to get photos of the secret wedding of well-known police detective Kogoro Akechi (Toru Nakamura) and Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu), the daughter of a wealthy business magnate, he eagerly takes the assignment. But K-20 pulls a daring raid at the wedding party, and Heikichi is blamed for the crime. Determined to prove his innocence, Heikichi breaks out of jail and sets out to expose K-20 by becoming a white-hat version of K-20, using an arsenal of gadgets created by his elderly friend Genji (Jun Kunimura) and his own acrobatic skills. Directed by Shimako Sato, K-20: Kaijin Nijumenso-den (aka K-20: Legend of the Mask received its North American premiere at the 2009 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Bayside Shakedown producer Chihiro Kameyama returns with this crowd-pleasing comedy drama spawned by the hit television series detailing a renegade district attorney's efforts to target political corruption in the bustling metropolis of Tokyo. Kohei Kuryu (popular singer Takuya Kimura) is a stereotype-shattering prosecutor who prefers jeans and flannels to the typical suit and tie. Previously exiled to a position in a nearby town, Kohei returns to the Josai branch of the Tokyo's public prosecutor after a six-year absence. While his smitten assistant Maiko initially chides Koei for failing to stay in contact, the truth is that she's thrilled to see him return. Soon enough, Koei is taking on his first new case - an apparently open-and-shut trial involving a security guard who has pleaded guilty for manslaughter after killing a man during a late night argument. The case gets complicated, however, when the accused guard suddenly changes his plea to not guilty. When Koei discovers that the guard is a pivotal figure in the alibi of a former transportation minister (Kazuyoshi Morita) suspected of pocketing a major kickback that very same night, the lawyer and his assistant set out in search of the security guard's missing van - the one piece of evidence that could make or break the entire case. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald director Koki Mitani continues to hone his screwball skills with this crowd-pleasing comedy about a hapless hotel accommodations manager juggling multiple responsibilities in preparation for the forthcoming New Year's Eve celebrations set to take place in the lavish Hotel Avanti. New Year's eve has arrived, and as the clock ticks towards midnight detail oriented accommodations manager Shindo (Koji Yakusho) prepares the Hotel Avanti for the Stage Director's Association's Man of the Year award ceremony, a press conference for a respected politician, and, of course, the massive bash that will ring in the new year. As things turn hectic and former theater director Shindo's ex-wife Yumi (Meiko Harada) turns up on the arm of the soon-to-be-honored Man of the Year, the whirlwind energy also sweeps up such quirky characters as Shindo's loyal debuty (Keiko Toda), a platinum-wigged prostitute (Ryoko Shinohara), a crooning bellhop (Shingo Katori), a deeply depressed entertainer (Toshiyuki Nishida), and a chambermaid (Takako Matsu) who is mistaken as the mistress of a wealthy guest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Following up on the phenomenal success of his Love Letter and Swallowtail Butterfly, Shunji Iwai spins this sweet tale about a young lass' first steps in the bustle of the big city. Uzuki Nireno (Takako Matsu) is leaving her rural home in the snowy north of Hokkaido for college in Western Tokyo. Her transition to big city life isn't easy; she muffed her self-introduction in class and she had an unfortunate incident in a movie theater with an overly solicitous pervert. In spite of this, she starts to feel settled after she unpacks and after she explores her neighborhood. She also befriends tough-talking Saeko (Rumi) who invites her to join the school's fishing club. Though she initially has no interest in the pursuit, she soon is practicing her cast in a parking lot as upper classmen lavish her with attention. Uzuki, however, is not interested. When she was in high school, she fell for a hunky classmate (Seiichi Tanabe) who just so happens to be working in a local bookshop. Will she summon the courage to say "hi?" ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide