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HOSPITALITE

Directed by Koji Fukuda
  • YEAR 10 - FILM 4 / 
  • Japan / 
  • 2009 / 
  • Japanese with English subtitles / 
  • 95 min
HOSPITALITE DVD & Online Streaming
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"Brilliant storytelling...undeniable artistry!"
– Chris Cabin, Slant
"A marvelous tension between a prim comedy of manners and unbridled slapstick."
– Ronnie Scheib, Variety

Synopsis

Mikio Kobayashi lives quietly with his wife, daughter, and divorced sister in downtown Tokyo, where xenophobic neighbors insist on them participating in community meetings, and the most exciting thing to happen is the disappearance of a pet parrot. But one day Kagawa appears, claiming to be the son of a financier who once helped Kobayashi's company. In return for his family's past help, Kagawa requests to move in, and Kobayashi's quiet lifestyle is quickly forgotten when Kagawa invites his Brazilian (or is she Bosnian?) wife and a myriad of eclectic and foreign visitors to join him in the cramped apartment. The Kobayashis are comically tossed about in confusion as Kagawa and his associates run amuck in their home. Kagawa, with the help of his visitors, manages to reveal old secrets and stir up the monotony of Mikio's former life with affairs, blackmail, and rampant youthful partying.

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Customer Reviews


Jeff in Seattle - Customer Review
A son of the man who invested in your business suddenly barged into your idyllic life and takes over your daily routine. I'd had high hopes for this little film, but it wasn't up to my standards. I like the characters involved, but the I wasn't involved as an audience.

Photos

Click photo to enlarge. Then copy as you would any online image.
Mikio (Kenji Yamauchi) and Natsuki (Kiki Sugino)
The Cast of Hospitalité
Natsuki (Kiki Sugino), Annabelle (Bryerly Long) and Kagawa (Kanji Furutachi)
Mikio (Kenji Yamauchi) and Natsuki (Kiki Sugino)
Director Koji Fukada
Hospitalité Poster

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