Fuyajô

This film was made right before the lost decade began in Japan. It's beautifully shot and well acted by the two famous leads. For me it serves as a nostalgic snapshot of Tokyo pre 2000 and the years before Japanese decline. This film has perhaps aged well and is better now 30 years later than when it was released because China has grown to become the world's factory and Japan has declined. This juxtaposes with the dual language speaking characters with familial histories from China and Japan beginning with World War 2. Additionally I've come to really appreciate late 1990s movies shot on 35mm with a soft and grainy image. I appreciate film making was different when film stock was very expensive and directors couldn't view what they shot immediately on a 4K studio monitor. 1990s directors couldn't rely on as much post processing either. The story in this film isn't the most amazing but it's good enough and it's worth revisiting the world it takes place in.