Review of Tokyo Godfathers

"... from the director of Millenium Actress & Perfect Blue!! ..."

Rightly so, Satoshi Kon, the said director is one of the prominent figures in anime world. In the case of Tokyo Godfathers, he is both the writer & director.

This film is about 3 homeless people; a drunkard, an ex-drag queen, & a runaway who found an abandoned baby among garbage & their journey to return the baby to her mother.

Storyline: it is simply moving, funny, clever & wonderfully heart warming. set on christmas eve, the journey of the three homeless people to return the baby is at the same time a journey to face their past & redemption. the three characters complement one another very well; the realist drunkard, the melodramatic ex-drag queen & the cynical teenager. voices are very well acted & believable. there are scenes which defy reality but strengthen the message & emotion, which is done uniquely & creatively. the premise of the story may sound dark but there is always light at the most unexpected moments.

Visuals: "... from the people who bring you X, Vampire Hunter D, & ..."
another well-used caption for the trailer. the animation studio, Mad House is amazing in bringing the film to life visually; from the top-down sweep of skyscraper to the hovels of the homeless, from animating real locations in parts of Tokyo to enhancing it with uniqueness, from the dark parts of the city to the brightest. just as the storyline, this film is with colours that dazzle & beautiful animations.

Sound: done quite nicely, it matches the hustle & bustle of the animated city, as well as ambience of a wedding reception, & the dark alley ways. the music, which the main theme is a variation of beethoven's. please forgive me for not recalling the actual title of beethoven's work, but almost all of the music is done on synth & in a playful manner. there is also a band that play part of the music, which is actually the composer's band. again, it fits with the film nicely.

overall this film is a Must-Watch-Therefore-Must-Own. i cannot praise enough how this film has made me smile & chuckle as it is delightful & therefore beautiful. what Miyazaki did for the younger generation, Satoshi Kon with mature audience.

hope u enjoy! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />
p/s: it's rated PG for (a bit of) violence & mild language. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

[Linked Image from i3.photobucket.com]
......a gift from LaFille......