Tokyo Park

Tokyo Park or Tokyo Koen (東京公園, Tōkyō Kōen, literally Tokyo Park) is a 2011 Japanese drama film directed by Shinji Aoyama. It is based on the novel Tokyo Koen by Yukiya Shoji.[1][2] It was released in Japanese cinemas on 18 June 2011.[3]

Tokyo Park
Theatrical release poster
Directed byShinji Aoyama
Written byShinji Aoyama
Masaaki Uchida
Norihiko Goda
Based onTokyo Koen
by Yukiya Shoji
Produced byHiroaki Saito
Yasushi Yamazaki
StarringHaruma Miura
Nana Eikura
Manami Konishi
Haruka Igawa
CinematographyYuta Tsukinaga
Edited byHidemi Ri
Music byIsao Yamada
Shinji Aoyama
Distributed byShowgate
Release date
  • 18 June 2011 (2011-06-18) (Japan)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Plot

Miura Haruma takes on the role of Koji, a college student aiming to become a professional photographer. One day, he receives an unusual request to shadow the client's girlfriend and take pictures of her; this assignment leads to subtle changes in his relationships with the women around him. Nana Eikura plays the ex-girlfriend of Koji's childhood friend, while Manami Konishi plays Koji's sister after one of her parents remarries, and Haruka Igawa plays the woman that Koji is photographing.

Cast

Release

Tokyo Koen was showcased at the 64th Locarno International Film Festival to compete for the Golden Leopard award in August 2011.[4] The film was awarded a special Golden Leopard to honor Aoyama's career.[5]

Reception

Mark Shilling of The Japan Times gave the film a rating of 3.5 stars out of five. He noted that the film was "a new outlook and approach" by the director Shinji Aoyama. He described the character Koji as "an amiable, passive empty slate on which the more aggressive, knowing types around him can write their own dramas".[6] Neil Young of The Hollywood Reporter said Tokyo Park was Aoyama's most mainstream, conventional film. He cited "the insipid blandness of a daytime soap-opera, lacking anything resembling urgency, edge or originality", saying that the cinematography was "picturesquely banal" and the score was "jauntily intrusive".[5] Jay Weissberg of Variety felt that the film existed in an airless state despite its outdoor sequences.[7]

References
  1. "goo movies movie summary". goo movies (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  2. Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 157. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  3. "東京公園 on eiga.com". eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  4. 三浦春馬主演「東京公園」、ロカルノ映画祭コンペ部門に出品決定. eiga.com (in Japanese). 13 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  5. Young, Neil (14 August 2011). "Tokyo Park: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. Schilling, Mark (24 June 2011). "'Tokyo Koen (Tokyo Park)': Life, love and lust through a lens". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  7. Weissberg, Jay (18 August 2011). "Variety Reviews - Tokyo Park - Film Reviews - Locarno". Variety.


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