by Chris MaGee
For most Takeshi Kitano fans “Kikujiro” sits pretty low on the list of favorites by the director, but I have to admit that his story of a boy being chaperoned by a bumbling low-life is one of my top 20 favorite films of all time. It’s got the perfect mix of whimsy and sadness along with the wonderful score by Jo Hisaishi and is a fantastic example of Kitano’s elliptical editing style. That being said, it’s already been done so I’m a little bit disturbed by the recent rumblings of some upcoming films that seem to be treading the same territory. First there was the report last month that “Dainipponjin director Hitoshi Matsumoto is working on a tearjerker about a bumbling, low-life entertainer who suddenly gets saddled with taking care of a young boy, and today Tokyograph has a report of yet another project which even stronger echoes of Kitano’s film.
“Boku to Mama no Kiiroi Jitensha”, based on the Fuyuki Shindo novel “Boku no Yuku Michi”, tells the story of a young boy, played by Akashi Takei (Heaven's Bookstore) who discovers that his mother isn’t off studying abroad, but is in fact living on Shodoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture. Wanting to reunite with his mom the boy sets out with his bicycle to make the long journey by himself. Keita Kono, director of the cute 2006 kids movie "Helen the Baby Fox" is set to helm.
For most Takeshi Kitano fans “Kikujiro” sits pretty low on the list of favorites by the director, but I have to admit that his story of a boy being chaperoned by a bumbling low-life is one of my top 20 favorite films of all time. It’s got the perfect mix of whimsy and sadness along with the wonderful score by Jo Hisaishi and is a fantastic example of Kitano’s elliptical editing style. That being said, it’s already been done so I’m a little bit disturbed by the recent rumblings of some upcoming films that seem to be treading the same territory. First there was the report last month that “Dainipponjin director Hitoshi Matsumoto is working on a tearjerker about a bumbling, low-life entertainer who suddenly gets saddled with taking care of a young boy, and today Tokyograph has a report of yet another project which even stronger echoes of Kitano’s film.
“Boku to Mama no Kiiroi Jitensha”, based on the Fuyuki Shindo novel “Boku no Yuku Michi”, tells the story of a young boy, played by Akashi Takei (Heaven's Bookstore) who discovers that his mother isn’t off studying abroad, but is in fact living on Shodoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture. Wanting to reunite with his mom the boy sets out with his bicycle to make the long journey by himself. Keita Kono, director of the cute 2006 kids movie "Helen the Baby Fox" is set to helm.
Now compare this with the story of “Kikujiro” where a young boy sets out on a journey to reunite with his absent mother only to find out that she’s isn’t doing quite what he thought she was (I won’t say what and spoil the film for those who haven’t seen it yet). Okay, there’s no bumbling low-life in “Boku to Mama no Kiiroi Jitensha”… or none that we know of. Comedian Sadao Abe (Maiko Haaaan!!!, Kamikaze Girls) is set to co-star and he would make a perfect bumbling low-life. I guess we’ll have to wait until next spring when “Boku to Mama no Kiiroi Jitensha” is set to hit Japanese theatres.
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