Villon's Wife
| Villon's Wife | |
|---|---|
 Original Japanese Poster. | |
| Directed by | Kichitaro Negishi |
| Written by | Yōzō Tanaka |
| Cinematography | Takahide Shibanushi |
| Edited by | Akimasa Kawashima |
| Music by | Takashi Yoshimatsu |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release dates | October 10, 2009 Japan |
Running time | 114 min. |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Villon's Wife (ヴィヨンの妻 〜桜桃とタンポポ〜, Viyon No Tsuma - ōtō to tanpopo) is a 2009 Japanese drama film directed by Kichitaro Negishi.
Synopsis
Sachi is the long-suffering wife of popular novelist Otani in post-World War II Japan. Brilliant but self-destructive, Otani spends his days drinking, running up debts, and looking for inspiration with other women. A visit from Miyo and Kichizo, the owners of the tavern which Otani frequents, informs Sachi that her husband has run up a fortune in debts and has stolen money from them. To pay off the debt, Sachi becomes a waitress at the bar, where her beauty and warmth bring in new customers. While working at the bar, she meets a young laborer, Okada, who falls in love with her. Also on hand are Sachi's old boyfriend, Tsuji, and her husband's mistress, Akiko. Though increasingly empowered by her new independence, Sachi retains her allegiance to her husband.
Cast
- Takako Matsu as Sachi
- Tadanobu Asano as Otani
- Shigeru Muroi as Miyo
- Masatō Ibu as Kichizo
- Ryōko Hirosue as Akiko
- Satoshi Tsumabuki as Okada
- Shinichi Tsutsumi as Tsuji
- Ken Mitsuishi
- Mirai Yamamoto
Background
Villon's Wife is based on the 1947 semi-autographical short work of the same name by Osamu Dazai.[1] The film premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in September 2009,[2] in New York in July 2010[3] and had its UK premiere in December 2010.[4] It was released in Japan as a DVD in April 2010[5] and with English and Chinese subtitles in Hong Kong in a Region 3 format DVD in May 2010.[6]
Awards and nominations
33rd Japan Academy Prize.[7][8]
- Won: Best Actress - Takako Matsu
- Won: Best Art Direction - Yohei Taneda & Kyōko Yauchi
- Nominated: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Director - Kichitaro Negishi
- Nominated: Best Screenplay - Yōzō Tanaka
- Nominated: Best Actor - Tadanobu Asano
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actress - Shigeru Muroi
- Nominated: Best Editing - Akimasa Kawashima
- Nominated: Best Cinematography - Takahide Shibanushi
- Nominated: Best Film Score - Takashi Yoshimatsu
- Nominated: Best Sound - Kiyoshi Kakizawa
- Nominated: Best Lighting - Tatsuya Osada
2009 Montreal World Film Festival.[2][9]
- Won: Best Director - Kichitaro Negishi
References
- ^ ヴィヨンの妻 ～桜桃とタンポポ～ (in Japanese). [AllCinema]. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
- ^ a b "Roma film wins top prize in Montreal". CBC. 2009-09-08. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ^ "Film: Villon's Wife". [Japan Society]. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ "Premiere Japan 2010". [Embassy of Japan in the UK - Events]. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ ヴィヨンの妻 ~桜桃とタンポポ~ (in Japanese). www.amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
{{cite web}}: External link in|publisher= - ^ "Villon's Wife (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)". [YesAsia]. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ "33rd Japan Academy Prizes" (in Japanese). [Japan Academy Prize]. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- ^ Schilling, Mark (2009-12-22). "'Villon's Wife' leads in Japan". Variety. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ^ "AWARDS OF THE WORLD FILM FESTIVAL - MONTREAL 2009". [World Film Festival]. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
External links
- "Villon's Wife at AllCinema" (in Japanese).
- Villon's Wife at IMDb
Reviews
- Scheib, Ronnie (2009-09-14). "Review from Variety".
- "Review from JFilm Pow-Wow".
- "Review from Japan Society".
- "Review from SON:sation".