Audience Member
I didn't expect it is a satirical drama/ comedy noir upfront. Average overall, but I still think it is a bit too slow & dragging- just like every other Japanese film I have ever seen.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
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Audience Member
One of the greatest love shown.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/16/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Movies that hold your attention and assault you with its storytelling beauty are very few and far between. Villonâ(TM)s Wife is one such movie that had a simple yet an achingly beautiful story to tell. The movie wouldnâ(TM)t be half of what it is, if it hadnâ(TM)t been for the breathtaking leading lady.
With Japan during post-war as the setting, the story begins with Mr. Otani (Tadanobu Asano) on the run, after having robbed a modest pub of 5,000 yen. The owners are hot on his trail and wonâ(TM)t back down unless he pays them back, or else theyâ(TM)ll take the matters to the police. Otani, a promising novelist on a spiraling decline, was once a regular customer there, and would daily drink himself to stupor, never once bilking on his tabs. This routine, however, stopped soon after, until the day he went too far and robbed the place. The owners of that eatery chase Otani to his house, where they meet Sachi (Takako Matsu), Otaniâ(TM)s beautiful wife. Undoubtedly, Otani refuses all the allegations and makes a quick run, but fearing for her husband, Sachi decides to take charge of the situation and requests the owners to let her work for them as a âhostageâ? till they get their money back. This way, she can earn enough to run her house, which Otani has been overlooking for too long now, and even pay for their ailing son. Now with Sachi to help out at the joint, the eatery soon starts brimming with drooling males, showering Sachi with praises and exorbitant tips. Otani, on the other hand, is busy being a debauch and a lousy family man. After the stolen money is restored to its rightful owners by one of Otaniâ(TM)s sleeping partners, Sachi decides to continue with her present job, to make up for Otani's previous debts. Gradually, Sachi learns about her husbandâ(TM)s philandering nature, which once involved the wife of the pub owner. But being a saint that she is, she never takes offence or even mentions of this particular finding to her husband, and carries on with her family life like clockwork. However, it doesnâ(TM)t take a genius to realize how hurt she is from inside, and is only putting up a front to survive in the mess that her husband has brought on the family.
Among auxiliary characters are Okada (Satoshi Tsumabuki), a twenty-something guy, and a patron at the pub. Itâ(TM)s obvious that Sachi is the only reason he frequents the place, and soon starts accompanying her on her train ride to home, even though his destination is a couple of stops before that of Sachi's. This leads Otani into suspecting his wife of having affair with this particular person. To add insult to Sachiâ(TM)s injury, he even invites Okada to his place for a sleepover, anticipating a weak moment where his wife would go astray. Then thereâ(TM)s the girl Akiko (Ryoko Hirosue), who obsesses over Otani and visits the same pub on the off chance that she might run into him. Sheâ(TM)s gone all out for him, and being with him seems to be her only goal in life. Midway through the movie, another character Tsuji (Shinâ(TM)ichi Tstsumi) is introduced whom, we soon learn, Sachi once loved immensely. She had even shoplifted a scarf to save her poor lover from cold, but is caught red-handed. Instead of helping Sachi, Tsuji tiptoes out of the situation, but Sachiâ(TM)s beauty catches Otaniâ(TM)s eyes and he couldnâ(TM)t help himself from reeling her out of the fix. Presumably, Sachiâ(TM)s indebted and marries him eventually to ease the burden of that favor. Back in the present, Otani picks Akiko as his next excuse to carry on with his miserable life, and a little later, they both decide to commit love-suicide only to fail at it, which leads the movie into its finale. The conclusion to this piece of gem may be termed as a compromise, but itâ(TM)s a hopeful compromise nonetheless.
The gorgeous Takako as Sachi deserves every word of praise there is in the dictionary. The radiating skin, the mesmerizing smile, the sultry voice, but a river of anguish and hurt beneath that entire exterior is not something every actor is adept at rendering, but Takako does it with elegance. She epitomizes a dutiful, demure, unquestionably loyal wife, which a patriarchal society like ours has come to expect since the time began. It was Takakoâ(TM)s performance that made this movie from average to good and from good to unforgettable. Tadanobu as the grief-stricken husband and on a self-destruct mode is brilliant. There are moments when you abhor him for being so insensitive and brutal to his loving wife, and thatâ(TM)s possible only through a nuanced performance. Heâ(TM)s also able to evoke a strange sympathy for being so lost in his melancholies, and struggling to find that moment where heâ(TM)d realize what he has in life is probably enough to survive with content. Itâ(TM)s a rare feat to have viewers sway to both extremes, and Tadanobu pulls it off with extreme ease. It goes without saying that for a movie to be so beautiful and memorable, the direction, too, needs to be spot on. This department was never left anything to be desired, because Kichitaro Negishi, the director, handled this soulful movie with inconspicuous deftness, and providing the surging painful emotional undertones at the same time. Having two brilliant actors in tow goes a long way in making a decent fare into something truly memorable, and director used them like a masterful conductor; especially Takako. It wonâ(TM)t be wrong to say that the movieâ(TM)s true soul lies in Takako, and sheâ(TM)s the only reason why this movie has become one of my all-time favorites
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/20/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I can't help recalling the similar episode portrayed in Matsumoto Seicho's novel, Zero Focus. It appears that a fair account of the subtle overturn of the social status of Japanese men and women after WWII has also been portrayed in this movie too.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
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Audience Member
One of the greatest love shown.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/25/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Nuanced, succinct (at least the parts not dealing with death) and classy. Exceptionally beautiful.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
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