If you’re based outside of Japan, you might naturally assume that the culture is dominated by manga, anime, overwrought historical dramas and young adult fiction. While this is true, to an extent, there’s often much more interesting fare bubbling just under the surface. Most of it never seems to travel but, when films do appear on the festival circuit, they’re usually pretty good. As was the case in 2007 when Adrift in Tokyo wowed at Fantasia Film Festival.
Fumiya’s (Joe Odagiri) life of leisure has finally caught up with him. The broke long-time university student owes a loan shark who now wants his money back, or else. However, Fukuhara (Tomokazu Miura) has a proposition for his ‘client’. He’ll cancel his debts, even give him one million yen, if the layabout agrees to walk across Tokyo with him so the older man can hand himself in at a police station for the murder of his wife.
Based on a novel by Yoshinaga Fujita, Adrift in Tokyo is a surprisingly deep offbeat indie comedy drama. Whilst on the surface Satoshi Miki’s film is an angsty buddy/’road’ movie, it has hidden depths and, in the end, becomes a sweet tale about family, loneliness and connections. Driven by two great central performances and an intriguing supporting cast, Adrift in Tokyo is an enthralling slice of outsider ennui.
Extras:
- Making Of (70 mins)
- Interview with director Satoshi Miki (18 min)
- Interview with actor Joe Odagiri (12 min)
- Stage Greetings with cast and director (11 min)
- Original Trailer
Adrift in Tokyo is released on Blu-ray by Third Window Films on 12 December.
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