Mio-Tsukushi Ryouri-Chou

Directed by the legendary producer/publisher/director Haruki Kadokawa, Mio's Cookbook (Mio-Tsukushi Ryouri-Chou) is an intimate film starring Honoka Matsumoto as Mio. Honoka Matsumoto starred in a film in 2019 called "Mio On The Shore" another quiet intimate film where she also played a character named Mio.

Japan makes a lot of narrative feature films about food, I'm not sure if there's a name for this genre, I just call them FOODIE movies. They are a bit like Western evangelical films but instead of Jesus it's food that brings salvation and people together. Set in the Edo Era young Mio has come from Osaka after surviving a tragic childhood and has settled in Edo (Tokyo). She works as a cook for a kindly resturaunt owner but the Edo patrons are not fond of her style of regional cooking, and this leads Mio to doubt herself. Mio's dish is chawamushi, a kind of egg custard filled with goodies like seafood.

This is definitely a slice-of-life film, a bit coming-of-age with most of the drama in the form of ghosts from the past. A subplot concerns Yoshiwara, Edo's red-light pleasure quarters. Mio has gentleman suitors but Mio's main goal is to create a delicious meal. Honoka Matsumoto commands the screen even though Mio is a very inward, quiet character. It is not the type of role that asks for dramatic fireworks but a calm soulfulness and Honoka Matsumoto pulls it off well. It is an old fashioned film, pleasant yet bittersweet and visually looks great in an old-fashioned wide screen way with many candle lit scenes. Kadokawa directs with a steady hand.

It's too modern to feel all right as an ancient era. All the costumes worn by all the characters were to too neat, to custom tailored, the fabrics and woven techniques were just too modern. All the characters also looked too modern. The tempo was too slow and too one-way forward. This movie was more like adapted from a Japanese manga instead of a story created by a more matured writer. The story-line, the plot and the scenario were just too lame and weak. Acting of the leading roles were okay but not great at all. Watchable, but need patience to sit through to the end. Felt like watching an animation movie that played by real actors. Okay for female viewers or teenage girls.

A delightful, heartwarming tale. Beautiful costume and food. A great story. Fairytale in nature but well executed. Excellent storytelling and cinematography. Highly recommended.