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Kamataki

Play trailer Poster for Kamataki 2005 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 94% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Devastated by the sudden death of his father, Ken (Matthew Smiley) slides into a suicidal depression. When he miraculously wakes up after jumping off a bridge, Ken is sent away to rural Japan to visit Takuma (Tatsuya Fuji), his father's brother. At first, Ken has trouble bonding with his sake-drinking, pottery-making uncle, who is the complete opposite of his calm and sensible father. As Ken and Takuma grow closer, Ken develops feelings for Rita (Lisle Wilkerson), a young American student.

Critics Reviews

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Eddie Cockrell Variety Kamataki is a film of rich, quiet pleasures... May 3, 2006 Full Review Jason Anderson Globe and Mail Kamataki is remarkable for its quiet intelligence... Rated: 3/4 May 3, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member I'd never heard this movie before, but it was great. It discribes Japanese culture very well. This is a kind of weird movie, but i was really attracted to many sceans. Kazuko Yoshiyuki is acting really good. Erotic and quiet. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a delightfully well-written piece by Claude Gagnon. It truly captures the essence of small-town Japan, from the bizarre to the poetic, from taiko drums to snack bar girls. However, in my opinion, the personal journey of discovery that Ken-Antoine undertakes would be far more believable and enchanting if Matt Smiley's performance weren't so completely lacking emotion. In fact, all of the Westerners in this film (Lisle Wilkerson is possibly the worst actress I have ever had to endure and should stick to voicing video game characters) are as cardboard as they come. If it weren't for the talented Japanese contingent of the cast (most notably Tasuya Fuji), I don't know if I would have lasted the entire film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member An excellent movie based on the traditionnal theme of mentor-mentee. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Kamataki is a very poetic film that will make you think about life, passion, relationships, love, death and almost anything that we have to deal with on a regular basis. It takes place in a small town in Japan and the actors are giving awesome performances. I liked it a lot and I recommend it. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Kamataki

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Cast & Crew

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Claude Gagnon

Director

Matthew Smiley

Ken-Antoine

Tatsuya Fuji

Takuma

Kazuko Yoshiyuki

Kariya Sensei

Lisle Wilkerson

Rita

Naho Watanabe

Mio
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Kamataki

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Movie Info

Synopsis Devastated by the sudden death of his father, Ken (Matthew Smiley) slides into a suicidal depression. When he miraculously wakes up after jumping off a bridge, Ken is sent away to rural Japan to visit Takuma (Tatsuya Fuji), his father's brother. At first, Ken has trouble bonding with his sake-drinking, pottery-making uncle, who is the complete opposite of his calm and sensible father. As Ken and Takuma grow closer, Ken develops feelings for Rita (Lisle Wilkerson), a young American student.
Director
Claude Gagnon
Screenwriter
Claude Gagnon
Production Co
NHK, Zero Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 3, 2009
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital