Poppoya

A particularly Japanese take on duty and responsibility, Ken Takakura is a trainman at a rural train station. Sad, poignant, but ultimately redeeming of the choices he has had to make in order to fulfill his chosen occupation, if you are looking for action of any sort go elsewhere. This is a character drama and an excellent one. If all you know of Takekura is 'Mr. Baseball' and 'Black Rain' then you ought to see him in a role which allows him to demonstrate his strengths as an actor, delivering an amazing performance with very little overt emoting.

A moving japanese movie of 1999. This time Ken Takakura is not a member of the Yakuza but a railroad station officer. He is now 68, but looks even better than his young time. The most moving part is the telephone conversation between him and his friend's son regarding the closing the station. I am not sure whether this film will be available in the state but it is a must-see film for 1999.

We made the mistake of not having any tissues next to us while watching this. This movie does a brilliant job of portraying the life of a railroad worker who is so dedicated to his job, that the greatest joys of his life pass him by and he only realizes it when it is too late.

It helps if the viewer has an appreciation of Japanese culture and the importance of dedication to one's company (especially among the older generation) to really feel the impact of this movie. If you do not view this film from that perspective, then you will have difficulty empathizing with the main character and therefore miss the beauty contained therein.

Brilliant, beautiful, and poignant. 10/10

What more can I say about this movie the other reviewers have already said better. I just watched this movie on TV as a special presentation on one of the local foreign language TV stations here in Los Angeles. If you ever get a chance to see this movie, see it.

It has wonderful understated acting, direct but subtle writing, and beautiful cinematography. This is the perfect antidote to the summer blockbuster.

It is common to come across stories about the lives of ordinary people taking certain courses through life. Sometimes we can see things so simple that they catch our hearts and make us smile a little. This movie is a little bit of that, but it presents us with a tragedy that demonstrates the strength and loyalty of a railworker, who with such an attitude and indomitable loyalty always remains steadfast to his job. We come to wonder if he loves his job more than his life itself. This tragedy evolves around multiple flashbacks that gradually build an overall structure that makes us appreciate every moment.

Accompanied by an excellent direction that knows how to make use of transitions as well as small but meaningful scenes that give weight to the main story, Poppoya is a beautiful film that shows us how a lonely and simple life can bring more than we think into our hands. The cinematography presents us with an isolated and cold scene of loneliness and abandonment, but it is also in this kind of images where the small flames warm our hands and we can admire the true culture behind this work. With a fantastic plot twist that wraps our hearts around it, Poppoya is a great work full of emotions that works as an excellent mirror to a world of work, passion and family.