Tony Takitani

Interview, August, 2005 by Michael Koresky

TONY TAKITANI (Strand) Directed by Jun Ichikawa

Based on the short story by Haruki Murakami, Tony Takitani is a melancholy tale of love, loss, and haute couture: Buttoned-down technical illustrator Tony (Issey Ogata) becomes obsessed with the memory of his dead wife (Miyazawa Rie), who had herself been obsessed with designer clothes, cramming her wardrobe with name brands. When someone who defines herself solely by what she wears is gone, what happens to those left behind with closets full of fabrics that take her phantom shape? Simple and direct, yet as ethereal as a lullaby, the film tries to bridge the gap between material desire and spiritual longing.