# Tokyo Grandfathers



## Kai (Mar 19, 2005)

SPOILER FREE

*H*as anyone seen this inspired piece of work from the Director of Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon). Set in Tokyo, a small band of three homeless friends; a young runaway, a transvestite and a bum with seemingly nothing left to live for, stumble across a new born infant. The transvestite, with delusions of mother-hood, convince the other vagrants to track down the childs mother and confront her.

*S*o begins a christmas adventure like any other christmas story on the surface, which to most would be off-putting. The tag being 'Miracles DO happen at Christmas' (put the sickbag away) shouldn't put you off watching this, as it is a delicious tale of the christmas spirit without being drowned in corn and/or cheese.

*T*he plot is a slow, tragic look at these peoples lives and pasts. The story gelled together with almost random events and a sprinkling of dry or 'in your face' humour, brings out slowly but surely the true story behind what first seems a pretty predictable plot.

*A*nimation wise it varies from the modern artistics of films like Perfect Blue or Blood, to a somewhat 'Mickey Mouse' cartoony feel, suiting either the teary moments or the comedy aspects of the story. Animation is from the studio that brought you X, Vampire Hunter D and Ninja Scroll. Merely mentioning the amazing art of Ninja Scroll should add enough credit to know this will be a visual spectacle and it doesn't dissapoint.

*I*t's definately worth watching, it is a Christmas tale, with the abandoned baby a living representation but the plot will spin you with it's twists, turns and varied use of humour. A refreshing change to most Christmas movies.


_The film is subtitled unless you speak Japanese or Spanish._


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