Indie Film Review: Memories of Matsuko

Memories of Matsuko Starring Miki Natkatani, Eita, Yusuke Iseya Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima Not Rated

If Kaleidoscopes could talk- (and sing)- they’d be the offbeat and quirky tragicomedy, Memories of Matsuko.  This swiftly paced, jump-cutting musical film seems in, the first few scenes, like a head-long dive through  the mind of an emotionally detached, music-video addicted adolescent. Instead, the film elicits torn feelings of contempt, irritation and wonder as it arrives, singing and dancing, at the core of tragedy, and all the blood spattered, rainbow-hued redemption therein. The Japanese film is based on a the novel of the same name by Muneki Yamada .  Worth watching, Memories of Matsuko induces a kind of critical bi-polar state as it shifts between styles, genres and points of view. 

 Memories of Matsuko recounts the heatbreaking life of an innocent and idealistic former junior high school teacher, Matsuko Kawajiri  (Miki Nakatani), as it is seen through the eyes of her young nephew, Sho Kawajiri (Eito) neither of whom have ever met.  The story starts out as a young man, Sho, is living in the aftermath of youthful disappointment and dissolution. His musical ambitions are as tattered as the clutter that fills his small one room apartment and his love life is not much better; when Sho’s girlfriend reconnects post-breakup, she does so only to inform him that she intends to join the Peace Corps.

 

In the midst of a great deal of cinematic energy- absurdist fantasy riffs reminiscent of MTV and clips from tv melodrams-Sho remains a lanky, crumpled picture of depression when his father comes to him with a request (demand): Sho must clean up the apartment of his recently murdered aunt, Matsuko, who “disappeared” from the family several years before. “Her life was meaningless,” Sho’s dad tells him.  Upon arriving at Matsuko’s filthy, dank place, Sho stumbles upon the quest of  finding out just how meaningless- or meaningful- Matsuko‘s life actually was.

Borrowing from the upbeat, American musicals of the 1940‘s as well as music video and bildungsromans, Memories of Matsuko, evolves with a gemlike quality which is due, only in part,  to the multifaceted nature of the storytelling.  The set design and musical numbers sparkle with a kind of candy- coated color  and inventiveness. Memories of Matsuko’s departures into comedy, absurdity, song and dance imbue the film with an unexpected freshness that might take time to get used to but to which it  is eventually worth succumbing. The most powerful feat of the story and direction is that somehow, through the absurdity and humor, the main characters evolve into figures able to evince great sympathy, and in some cases, awe.  However, the philosophical conclusions of the protagonist, Sho, almost rationalize Matsuko's struggles with the pat utilization of the archetype of the virgin/whore or the idea of the woman as a some sort of sacrificial lamb, causing the film to have the slight whiff of a well-intentioned triteness. Indeed, the effect of the 1940's razzle dazzle causes the film to veer between a welcome irony on the themes of true love and an antiquated exaltation of the "hooker with the heart of gold." Also, the kinetic aspects of the film can be a bit grating. Nevertheless, Memories of Matsuko is almost a breathtakingly beautiful film. “Almost” because, Nakashima draws out the film just a bit too long, smothering an otherwise lovely piece with just the slightest touch of overkill. 

Comments

[J.Bradley]

Looks like interesting Nippon kitch. Kinda' reminds me of the '05 movie "Kamikazi Girls". So is this getting stateside disribution or is it just something on video? Here's a trailer anyway. I think for obscure releases like this you oughta' include a link for it.

http://www.nipponcinema.com/trailers/memories-of-matsuko-trailer

[Melanee Murray]

By the same director. Sorry, should have mentioned that in the review
Melanee