Ozu
films might look gloriously old fashioned, but it is still relatively
commonplace for three generations to live under the same roof in Japan. Such
will be the case when thirtysomething Aya Yamanaka reluctantly allows her
seventy-something father to move in on short notice. Much to Old Man Yamanaka’s
surprise, the third generation will be represented by her fifty-something
boyfriend, Yasaki Ito. Things are sure to get awkward, but the real issues of
their father-daughter relationship predate their current living conditions in
Yuki Tanada’s My Dad and Mr. Ito (trailer here), which screens
during the 2017 Japanese Film Festival of San Francisco.
Ito-san
is an older, goofy cat, who is always called Ito-san, sort of like Tora-san,
except he actually got the girl. Yamanaka met Ito-san when they were both
working at a ghastly convenience store. For reasons she still has trouble
putting into words, Aya discovered she enjoyed his company. He now works as a
part-time school maintenance man is she is full-time at a bookstore. They do
not have loads of money, but they were happier than most people.
In
contrast, old Yamanaka pushed his daughter-in-law to the brink of a nervous
breakdown. He and his son eventually agreed he would move in with Aya before
they knew Ito-san existed. Yet, despite his trepidations, Ito-san probably gets
along with the Yamanaka patriarch better than the grown siblings. This shaggy-looking
quinquagenarian might be a little eccentric, but he is highly perceptive and emotionally
mature, so he subtly pushes Yamanaka and her brother to work out their issues
with their father while they still can.
The
Japanese film industry invented the yakuza and kaiju movies, but they still
hold an overwhelming comparative and competitive advantage when it comes to
domestic dramas. It started with Yasujiro Ozu and Yasujiro Shimazu, continued
through the prolific output of Yoji Yamada and bubbles up here once again. Hinako
Nakazawa’s adaptation of Hisako Kurosawa’s novel is wistfully sentimental at
times, but it is also relentlessly honest and grounded. Life is messy in this
film, so if you can get through it yourself and do little things here and there
to help other get by, you are kind of heroic, like Ito-san.
Lily
Franky never breaks a sweat exercising his acting muscles, but he is still terrific
as Ito-san. It is a deceptively effortless performance that wears well over
time. Likewise, he and Juri Ueno forge the laidback chemistry of not
particularly passionate lovers, who are comfortable as a couple and more
relaxed in their own skins when they are together. Ueno is never flashy, but
she makes Aya a quietly resilient force to be reckoned with. Tatsuya Fuji is
definitely playing a classic grouchy grandpa, but he keeps the shtick dialed down
to virtually nil.
