Matsuo Suzuki Movies
- 2007
Adapted from the bestselling Japanese autobiography of the same title, the gentle coming-of-age drama Tokyo Tower - Mom and Me and Sometimes Dad concerns an adolescent boy, Boku - Masaya, torn between the inherited recklessness of his father Oton and the inherited responsibility, wisdom and emotional strength of his mother Okan. Following a period of intensely rebellious behavior, Boku learns that his mom has contracted cancer; suddenly, his mother comes to live with him in Tokyo the entire emotional landscape of his life is altered. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jô Odagiri
- 2007
A troubled woman must confront the madness in others in this offbeat Japanese comedy-drama. Asuka Sakura (Yuki Uchida) is a writer who has enjoyed some success as a magazine reporter, but the stress and long hours of her work has caused her to become dependent on drugs and she's physically and emotionally worn to a frazzle. One day, Asuka awakes to discover she's in a psychiatric hospital after spending two days in a coma; her boyfriend, a television presenter named Tetsuo (Kudo Kankuro), is convinced her accidental overdose was really a suicide attempt, and he's had her committed for observation, even though he's clearly more disturbed than she is. As Asuka struggles to detox and regain her stability, she has to deal with the often-difficult personalities of her fellow patients, ranging from a former porn star with a gift for smuggling forbidden goods into the hospital to a gifted pianist with an eating disorder and a profound fear of open spaces. Kuwaieto rumo ni yokoso (aka Welcome To The Quiet Room was written and directed by Matsuo Suzuki, whose screenplay was based on his own novel. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yuki Uchida, Kankuro Kudo, (more)
Eleven Japanese filmmakers (including one duo) from all genres and backgrounds gather together under the Nikkatsu banner in order to realize the marvelous stories of novelist Soseki Natsume in this adaptation of the author's enduring episodic tome Ten Nights of Dreams. Each imaginative story takes on a different one of Natsume's surreal dreams, and with such filmmakers as Kon Ichikawa, Takashi Shimizu, Yudai Yamaguchi, and Suzuki Matsuo involved, audiences can rest assured that each one of these tales is told in a distinct and entirely unique style. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Former assistant director to Takeshi Kitano, Hiroshi Shimizu follows up on his 1998 debut, Ikinai -- about a bunch of losers on a bus tour over a cliff -- with this deadpan comedy about a trio of sad sacks at the edge of Japanese society. Iwano (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) is a failed boxer who now ekes out a living by getting punched in the face by drunken salarymen. Maru, a former teacher, works as his timekeeper, and Sada (Kiyoshiro Imawano), a career drifter, collects the cash from Iwano's clients. All three live together in the same tumble-down rooming house, and after a hard days work, they all drink together at a little outdoor stand run by a mysterious old man (played by cult photographer Nobuyoshi Araki). During the day, Iwano cleans graffiti off walls, Maru works at a hat shop, and Sada hands out tissues to passers-by. As the film progresses, these three losers don't necessarily gain success, or even attain their dreams, but they do change, more or less, for the better. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Kiyoshiro Imawano, (more)
