Noriko's Dinner Table

After seeing "Suicide Club", I approached this film with some trepidation. However, this is not "Suicide Club 2". Its a story of two sisters Noriko and Yuka, who live with their parents in Toyokawa, a sleepy seaside town. Mousy Noriko is unhappy with this existence and runs away to Tokyo. There she meets Kumiko, who runs a fantasy service in which young ladies act as daughters for lonely men, amongst other things (the "family rental" concept is a great idea for this film). Yuka eventually runs away also, and does the same thing. Their father pieces together clues as to their whereabouts and doing and goes to Tokyo to find them. First of all, the settings are excellent. Like New York City and London, you see Tokyo in all its glory, neon etc. The story itself is also great, flowing & unfolding slowly until it reaches an explosive climax. However, that would only make a good film if the acting was merely adequate. The acting is uniformly superb. Kasue Fukiishi plays Noriko so well, you don't realize she's acting. Likewise, Yuka (Yuriko Yoshitaka) and Kumiko (Tsugumi) also give great performances. This film is much more psychological than "Suicide Club", and for that it shines. I was almost breathless through parts of this, and I watched it on DVD. Its only recommended you watch "Suicide Club" first, buts it not essential, to get the gist of this powerful film. Who expects any film that is labeled a sequel to be much better than the first? I so highly recommend this film. It is actually one of my favorites. I expect great things from the three young actresses in this film. Based on their performances in this film, especially Ms. Fukiishi's, I know I will not be disappointed.

Love it or hate it, 'Noriko's dinner table' is oddly fascinating. Technically both a prequel and sequel to Sion Sono's much more grisly 'Suicide Club,' there are definite connections, and 'Noriko' works to fill in some gaps in the narrative writing of the 2001 film. At the same time, this readily seems like a strong standalone feature, with greater weight and meaning beyond visceral shock and loose threads - this is much less a thriller than it is a psychological drama. I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, but it has a feel all its own, and is peculiarly grabbing.

Far be it from me to employ a tawdry metaphor, but the story in 'Noriko's dinner table' makes me think of a sandwich. What initially impresses as the superficial plotline is reaffirmed more concretely in the end, and between these bookends is considerable substance that truly makes this film what it is. The tale begins as teenager Noriko, feeling uneasy and out of place with her life and family, runs away from home to meet an otherwise unknown acquaintance from an Internet bulletin board, and to seek her own way. It's a simple beginning, but where the narrative goes from there is distinctly captivating. Scenes play out with the actors also narrating the course of events and providing characters' inner thoughts, only further ingratiating the picture to us with its particular style.

With each fiber that comprises the narrative, there's a measure of subtlety to the active plot, while themes of 'Noriko' are much more plainspoken. The movie explores the idea of the lies we live, and what that does to us; the lies we choose, that we find meaningful; disconnection from family, from society, or from our own persons; and in the midst of it all, finding ourselves - or, alternatively, losing ourselves. It's filled with ideas of empathy, and what we can be for other people. More underhandedly, 'Noriko' also touches on notions of everyone and everything having a purpose - how discovering and fulfilling that purpose can bring true happiness, and be gainful in a very existential and philosophical sense. That all these concepts are tied into the darker, more foreboding aspects of the story makes us question ever more deeply what they mean for us.

This is also where it's especially worth mentioning 'Suicide Club,' because 'Noriko' is intended in part to round out some details of its predecessor. In the themes of this feature, and to a smaller extent in elements of the narrative, it does provide us a more complete image of what Sono was doing with 'Suicide Club.' Even so, when more predominantly considering the latter, adding 'Noriko's' contributions into the very mixed bag that the bloodier flick represents also serves to further confuse its plot. Its an unfortunate cycle - the facets of this movie that would bolster its antecedent, failing to fit neatly, then also consequently dampen the narrative here with their inclusion. In whatever ways one ties into the other, that 'Noriko's dinner table' broadly stands so well on its own somewhat magnifies the weaknesses and lesser coherence of 'Suicide Club,' and the kickback with their link is not advantageous.

There are definite deficiencies with this picture, also including camerawork that I don't necessarily find impressive. Yet the broad narrative writing is solid, and fantastic. So it is with the characters, too, and while a little hit or miss, the assembled cast is overall pretty swell as they inhabit their roles. Kazue Fukiishi is a solid lead as chief protagonist Noriko, capably realizing the girl's dissatisfaction, confusion, and shifting sense of identity. Yuriko Yoshitaka, portraying Noriko's younger sister Yuka, demonstrates able skill in a character arc that somewhat mirrors the protagonist's. I'm personally most taken with Tsugumi, who as Kumiko embodies a part requiring notable range, poise, and force of personality, and she deftly maneuvers the nuance. To emphasize these three is hardly to discredit anyone else involved though, and it's also worth mentioning the contributions behind the scenes of hair, makeup, costume design, and set decoration. Everything in this movie looks pretty great to these eyes.

Having watched Sono's 'Suicide Club' and found it enjoyable but wanting, and being vaguely aware of the association with 'Noriko's dinner table,' I wasn't sure what to expect. But I'm genuinely, pleasantly surprised. It's a little bit uneven, and not altogether perfect, but much more so than not it's admirably well-written. While the execution sometimes falters, most scenes are wonderfully orchestrated. The end result is a film that's engaging, entrancing, and not just satisfying, but rewarding. The story and characters are rich and enticing, focal points of a movie I'm happy to say I confidently recommend. If marginally imprecise, 'Noriko's dinner table' is a fun, warped, and pleasing feature, well worth seeking out.

This was a roller coaster through the sickness of the human mind and back up to blue skies. I watched this after suicide club (that in my opinion was very average to not so good) and was amazed. The movie did not even need the Suicide Circle background. The symbolisms were nicely presented and the metaphors were very tight to the storyline.

The atmosphere is heavy dramatic and suits the movie's concept fantastically. While watching you feel like you are passing from reality to fantasy and back again up to the point you don't know whats real anymore. We have to thank the very well presented characters for this (just enough info but not too much). This was a very very good movie. Long but good!

Director Sion Sono had done a film called, "The Suicide Club" that had an interesting story, but was just a mediocre movie. In fact it had seemed like there were holes in the story. This film pretty much fills in all the holes and has so much more added on. This movie is almost three hours long and jam packed with dialog. But really good dialog. It almost had a poetic feel to it. This is called semi-sequel, but actually it more or less takes place during the other movie. This film is listed as a horror film. But it is not the gore fest that "The Suicide Club" was. The movie had no scare factor at all. But mentally it was creepy. Two sisters run away from home and get into a business where others rent them to be part of their family. The creepy part is that they take on different names and personalities and they get so use it, they become these alternate people. It really does give the movie a creepy warped feeling at parts. The sisters are played by Kazue Fukiishi; who is a nerdy type girl who becomes more open with her other personality. Then you have Yuriko Yoshitaka; who basically turns into someone else, but mostly stays the same personality wise. The girl who runs the business is played by Tsugumi who has the most warped mind in the film. She loves role playing in these families because she never had one. She likes it so much, it is like she is trying to find the perfect family to stay with. The movie does run a bit long, but in some ways it is worth it because the words spoken and the meaning behind the movie are pretty powerful.

First, I will just state a few things about the movie before I give my review and comments.

-Yes, this is a continuation of sorts of the story started in Jisatsu saakuru (Suicide Club). -No, this is not a "horror" film, at least not in the modern sense. -Yes, as is stated, this is a long movie, and requires an open mind, and patience

It has been stated on several reviews of the first film that it meant to serve as a social commentary on the overly complacent stance taken by the general public in modern Japanese society. Whether that is true or not, the first film had a perfect blend of twisted "horror" imagery, with a stark use of satire. While the first one left many questions unanswered at the end, this entry into the series not only answers some of those questions, but opens new ones.

Shion Sono shows one again that not conforming to any convention can be a refreshing thing. This time around, he shows us a new story, not focusing on characters living through the main events of the story, but rather events taking place before, during, and after the events of the first film. This is all done with a much slower pace this time around, and focuses more on emotions and thought of the characters, rather than focusing on the events themselves. Most of the story itself is told though the narration of the four main characters, as they share their perspective of the events they are seeing. This gives a very intimate feel, though some may feel that the characters give a little too much detail.

This film leaves the big events of the series and instead focuses on little moments, moments that the characters share with others, or with themselves. The fact that this movie focuses more on emotions is what makes this movie shine. The performances are simply amazing. Using mostly lesser known Japanese actors, Sono has drawn out some of the most emotionally draining and shocking scenes in recent memory, and by the end of the film it is hard to think that these actors aren't all seasoned professionals. The film feels very real, and has a somewhat low budget home movie quality to it. This is the same quality that is given to many TV movies in japan. The effect is a movie that is stripped down to the basics, and is at some points very intense and hard to watch.

This is not "Suicide Club 2". There are no pop songs, or flashy Ziggy Stardust-type moments. at times this may feel like it is worlds away from the first film. For those that are looking for a good, emotionally charged film that builds on conventions and story-pieces that were started in the first film, I would whole-heartedly suggest seeing this film. It is not for everyone, and to some it may be frustrating. This is a movie for those that want to ponder a mystery much greater than any murder; inter-family relationships.