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Powerful

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

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

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city; but the children have little time for them. Tokyo Story has a simple storyline that feels almost like watching sci-fi and not the kind of good one that you might have expected or thought as for the acting? don't hold your breath that much and the storyline and pacing? well they have the same suffering as well. People who want to see something super slow will probably enjoy it but for those who might expect something fast paced and fun? well it's really not the film for you or me.. (0/10)

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.

Extremely poignant, honest and humbling drama about parenthood. It's lost none of its power. Ozu doesn't sentimentalize or condemn; he merely observes human nature with calm and clarity. The director paints in delicate watercolour emotions, in which the viewer glimpses pain and joy, tenderness and mystery from simplicity and reticence. The central question, universal: How do we look after our elderly parents as they confront all manner of emotions about their own deaths?

An elderly couple head to Tokyo to spend a few days with their children and grandchildren. While their children are initially glad to see them, and the parents are models of patience and pleasantness, the novelty wears off pretty quickly for the children and they soon view the parents as a hindrance more than anything else. Then an event highlights the divide between the two generations...Engaging and emotional drama from famed Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. It wasn't always looking like it was going to be that great though. While always engaging, the pace is very slow at the beginning. The first 60% or so is all scene-setting - Act 1 essentially. Things ramp up once the aforementioned event occurs, and this makes the wait worth while.Quite emotional, ultimately, and quite balanced in its views. It looked like it was going to be fairly judgmental in its observations, but the final few scenes add a different perspective. Having a character that was able to see both sides of the issue helped a lot.Not quite the masterpiece it is made out to be, but very good nevertheless.