Kikujiro [Blu-ray]

I first saw this on a lazy summer afternoon when it first came out some time ago in Chiba Prefecture Japan and despite the high 35 degree humidity at the time i had good memories of Kukijuro as a film. So I took another look recently......Takashi is massive in Japan and a very talented man as proven by excellent timeless performances in the likes of the classic blind samurai film Zatoichi and the oft overlooked amazing if sometimes cheesy Johnny Pneumonic... Kukijuro is more of a low budget whimsical affair about a boy trying to find his mother...a road movie that is laid back, charming and well directed. Takeshi is excellent again and really shows his witty comedic side off well here as the grumpy at first reluctant father figure....By no means a classic it goes down as a lovely film that reveals much about Japanese culture and in a way puts a charming mirror up to Japanese society from the point of view of a child. I also think the recent lovely Shoplifters film does something similar but is much more cinematic and emotional in terms of story.The brilliant St Vincent film with Bill Murray is a comparable 'boy looking for father figure but maybe does not realise it story' in western cinema...its one of my fave in fact. But my favourite Japanese films in the vein of Kukijuro are still the likes of Shoplifters and Tokyo Sonata but this is a 'worthwhile quirky light hearted with a tinge of Japanese style existential crisis' watch that wont make you laugh out loud but will bring a charmed smile to your face.

I’m not sure I appreciate the humour in the film. The lead adult was really irritating and the child too passive. The first hour could have been halved.

I have loved the soundtrack for Kikujiro for a long time before I saw the movie, and it is actually what prompted me to watch it in the first place. What I found was a movie every bit as touching as the music. This is a beautiful story and brings to mind the concept of "kintsugi", which is something that is more beautiful for having been broken. Your imperfections and past experiences add to who you are as a person, not take away. With Kikujiro I saw a man who was deeply hurt himself from his own abandonment, and his inner need to protect Masao and give him wonderful experiences along the way. He has many flaws, and a sour attitude to rival the sourest person, but he knows one thing and that is that he cannot let the boy down. Along the way they develop into a rich father-son duo. Really, this is a must watch film.

The script is a bit simple, the movie feels too long, and some jokes didn't age well. The acting is great, Kitano has so much presence. The music theme is amazing, that's Joe Hisaishi for you. Overall, enjoyable experience if you like bittersweet kind of movie.

I just love this movie. After going out of the cinema I felt so good and happy and still had the music from Joe Hisaishi in my head for hours. The music alone is magic and intoxicating, the movie is simple, pure and very touching. It makes you feel sometimes happy, sometimes sad and has some very funny situations though. Kitano is great and so funny in this role that suits him perfectly (no wonder since he made the role for himself), as the egoistic and disrespectful rascal. But all actors are good.I really liked the humor and the high sensitivity of the film. It is about life generally with its deceptions and happy moments. It is about how to accept things that you can not change (when the young boy discovers that his mother he was desperately looking for has her own separate life with husband and daughter). It is about friendship, holding together, humanity.The only small critic, a few scenes were a little bit too long for my taste, but the whole rythm of the movie is generally rather slow compared to the films most of us are used to watch -> nothing for action freaks! This film is a bit droll, unusual and unique. Of course, it is no movie for the mainstream but something very special. I guess I will watch it again and again. Anyway, I highly recommend it to anybody who likes this kind of movies.

'Kikujiro' is a beautifully shot, masterfully directed and humorously written road-movie telling the tale of a young boy's quest to try and find his mother, who is apparently working on the other side of the country. Reluctantly, he's accompanied by a lazy, wannabe-Yakuza who just wants to gamble his money away. The resulting journey is an unforgettable take on lonliness, morality and friendship.When a road movie such as this one reaches the destination, adding anything else to the end would feel like it was bolted on, and leaves a bitter taste. I was worried that, with around a third of the film to go, I'd end up growing tired of it. But it's actually the final act which makes this film so damn good. You'll laugh, cry and forget all about your problems as Kitano masterfully ties up the film.Honestly, I've never heard my parents laugh so much at a film, so the subtitles were clearly not a barrier for them.It's definately up there with the best of the Kitano filmography, but it could also be one of the best Japanese movies I'll ever see.

Really enjoyed watching this movie on a lazy evening. Got some great acting, good jokes and gives you a relaxed feeling to end the day with. Although a bit of a slow movie it keeps you interested throughout. Storyline is decent.

I had to set aside all my preconceptions about Japanese cinema after watching this. It's a quiet and sensitive work that successfully portrays the development of an unlikely relationship between a small, sad boy and a middle-aged layabout. The world they live in is an unattractive one, combining the formality and coldness of Japanese social interactions with an edgy undercurrent of unease and violence -- often provoked by the layabout himself who insults, provokes and cheats as a way of life. But there is kindness in this world too, especially a general sympathy for the young boy and his quest to see the mother who abandoned him. It's a strange film but much more enjoyable than I expected.