Memories of Matsuko – Third Window Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 2006
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima
Writer: Tetsuya Nakashima
Cast: Miki Nakatani, Kana Okunoya, Eita, Akira Emoto, Teruyuki Kagawa, Mikako Ichikawa, Yusuke Iseya, Shosuke Tanihara, Kankuro Kudo, Gekidan Hitori, Ryo Arakawa, Shinji Takeda

Release Date: February 14th, 2011
Approximate Running Time: 130 Minutes 20 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (Blu-ray), Region 2 PAL (DVD)
Retail Price: OOP

"When the body of Aunt Matsuko (Miki Nakatani), who has been living as a tramp, is found murdered, her selfish young nephew Shou (Eita) is sent to clear out her apartment. Shou finds the place crammed full of garbage but, as he begins to sort through the rubbish, he finds himself becoming more and more interested in this strange woman. Conversations with neighbors begin to fit the pieces of the jigsaw together and Shou discovers that Matsuko has led a more than colorful life. From her early fall-out with her father, her progression through life included a career as a teacher, a series of love affairs and a spell in a massage parlor, until she ended up in jail for murdering her pimp. On her release, finding that her lover had gone off with another, she became involved with a Yakuza gangster, before being dumped again and becoming a recluse. Finally, she met her untimely death. All of Matsuko’s life story is portrayed in a series of extravagant musical set-pieces, which enable even the darkest episodes of her life to be seen in a unique and enjoyable way. All of these revelations about his aunt affect Shou greatly and lead him to the conclusion that he must change his own self-centered ways." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Memories of Matsuko comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.5 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB

The source looks excellent; it is a noticeable improvement over the Third Window Films DVD release. Flesh tones look correct, colors look vivid, image clarity and contrast are solid, and black levels are strong throughout. Also, compression is very good, and there are no issues with edge enhancement.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent, the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

All the extra content comes on a second disc (a single-layer DVD). Extras on this disc include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a Storyboard to Film Comparison (12 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), an Interview with soundtrack composer Gabriel Roberto (21 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and a Making of featurette (30 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with non-removable English subtitles). Other extras include trailers for other films released by Third Window Films.

Summary:

The nephew of a recently deceased woman cleans up her apartment. Because of her estrangement from the family, he never met his aunt. While cleaning her apartment, he gets to know her through the conversations he has with those who know her.

“Forgive me for being born."  These words are written on the wall outside Matsuko's apartment. What could have possibly made someone write the above sentiment? This is just one of many clues that give deeper insight into the downward spiral that ultimately led to her death.

Memories of Matsuko adopts the narrative structure outlined in Citizen Kane. It is a narrative that relies completely on other characters speaking on behalf of the protagonist. And it is through their recollections that Matsuko comes to life. That said, since there are several viewpoints at play, there is not a reliable narrator.

It is a formidable task to sum up someone’s life and untimely demise over the span of two hours. Thankfully, Memories of Matsuko does a great job of keeping things concise; there is no unnecessary filler. And nowhere is the narrative more effective than how it builds momentum via the flashbacks that give a glimpse into Matsuko's turbulent life.

From the get-go Memories of Matsuko is a roller coaster ride that, at times, is whimsical and often bleak. The earliest memories of Matsuko reveal a little girl who is desperate for affection from her father. He devotes most of his time to her sickly younger sister. This eventually leads to her leaving home. When she breaks away from her family, she struggles to find a stable relationship with anyone who is not abusive to her. And while all of these relationships end badly, she always finds within herself a reason to live and not give up.

The heart and soul of this production is the spectacular performance from its leading lady, Miki Nakatani (Ringu). She delivers a gut-wrenching performance that perfectly captures her character's despair. She would go on to win the Japanese Academy Award for best actress for her portrayal of Matsuko. Asuka Kurosawa’s (A Snake of June) portrayal of Megumi Sawamura is another performance of note. Matsuko became friends with her character while serving eight years in prison for murder.

Stylistically, with Memories of Matsuko, Tetsuya Nakashima picks up where he left off on his previous film, Kamikaze Girls. His films have a strong visual eye, and Memories of Matsuko is overflowing with stylish moments. And though this time around he delves into bleak subject matter, there are a few lighthearted moments, notably musical numbers. Pacing-wise, after starting off briskly, things slow down by the second act; thankfully, the final act gets things moving again, culminating with an evocative ending that provides a satisfying closure. Ultimately, through all of its peaks and valleys, Memories of Matsuko is an emotionally charged melodrama that stays with you long after its final moments.

It is a shame that the Third Window Films Blu-ray release is now OOP since it gave Memories of Matsuko a solid audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer