Tokyo Godfathers (2003/2004)
I'm not fan of Japanimation and
usually leave smoke coming from the remote as I switch
the channels when it appears on The Cartoon Network.
Usually, the genre seems more like comic book on film.
There are several still shots (like comic book panels)
and the action is never smooth and fluid like Hollywood
animation. Some folks probably find this "arty" and
cool. I usually find it dull. With "Tokyo Godfathers,"
I finally found a film that allows me to see what
the hype is all about just a little more clearly.
Mainly this is because the film
has a wonderful story I can relate to. Animation is
cool and fun... for about five minutes. Then, if you
don't have a good story and interesting characters
and emotions involved, the film just becomes a simple
rehash of the animation you're already growing bored
with. This is why Pixar is so phenomenal. The animation
is way cool, but it wouldn't be worth a damn if the
stories and characters weren't there. Same could be
said for the recent arthouse release "The
Triplets of Belleville," which (re)introduces
a cool and fresh animation style. But the film would
get boring if we didn't care about what happens. And
the same is even more true of "Tokyo Godfathers."
While the animation is cool at times and several moments
featuring stills or a series of stills are beautiful
and artistic, it is the story, the characters and
the emotions that make this film a real gem.
Of course, there is a gay angle
to the film which appeals to a different sort of audience
from the standard "Cowboy
Be-Bop" type anime (i.e. me). The three main characters
here are homeless, a man, a gay transgendered man,
and a teenage girl. As the film progresses, we learn
more and more about these characters. We find out
where they came from and just exactly how each ended
up on the street. The manner in which scripters Satoshi
Kon and Keiko Nobumoto (the former responsible for
last year's acclaimed "Millennium Actress" and the
latter a former "Cowboy Be-Bop" scripter) evolve the
stories and the characters is simply masterful. We
grow to love these characters, to see their weaknesses
and desires, their failures and their heart, and we
grow to care for them deeply. These are characters
that engross us.
I suppose some might think that
the character of Hana, the transgendered man, is a
bit stereotypical. S/He wants to be a woman and even
claims to be a "mistake made by God." Hana is also
called "fag," "homo," "queer" and other names and
even refers to herself in this manner. When she runs,
her hands flit about quite a lot. But this is animation
and characters need to be broad and overt at times.
Hana is such a likeable, warm, loving, and realistic
character, that soon these negative quibbles are easily
overlooked. The filmmakers here never make Hana the
butt of a joke - or at least no more than any other
character. And while we wish Hana had a little more
self- love and a little more backbone at times, we
also have to remember that she is a homeless character.
She is not a perfect person nor is she truly capable
of taking care of herself, in a sense. We don't see
her as self-hating but rather, at times, beaten and
hurt. Anyone who senses a stereotype here isn't looking
at the big picture. Hana, like the other "Godfathers"
here, is a shown as a fully complex and realistic
person, with as many problems and triumphs as her
peers.
The plot is equally wonderful and
a perfect catalyst for exposing us to the characters.
One Christmas, the Hana finds a baby in the trash
and her mother instincts take over. Soon, the trio
are on a journey to return the baby to its birth mother
that includes stops at a gangster's brawl, a Spanish
tenement, a gay bar, and a hospital. Along the way,
several coincidences lead the characters to be reunited
with people from their past lives but the writing
here is so masterful, the animation so adept and the
voice work so charming that it never once seems contrived.
This is a beautiful story about interesting characters
with complex motivations and involving stories that
simply compel us every moment the "cartoon" is on
screen. In short, a masterpiece.
I sill don't think I like Japanimation
(or whatever you want to call it) but I love this
wonderful film. It had me laughing and crying and
filled my heart with hope and joy. That's something
that is rare even with flesh and blood performers.
Note:
In Japanese with subtitles.
Directed by Kon.
There are several visual references
in the film to the number 12-25, the numeric date
of Christmas.
Based somewhat on John Ford's 1948
film "3 Godfathers."
Released in Japan in 2003. The film
may have been released in L.A. in December 2003 for
a Oscar qualifying run. Released in many U.S. arthouses
in January, 2004.
