An elderly couple leaves their seaside home for Tokyo, where they are treated like a nuisance and whisked away to a spa by their ungrateful children and only shown kindness to by their widowed daughter-in-law. Soon as they return home and the mother becomes deathly ill, it may too late for the children to mend their bonds with their ephemeral parents. "Tokyo Story" is a sad and stark film from the Japanese lengend Yasujiro Ozu, which holds a particular relevance in this day and age. Chisu Ryu and Cheiko Higashiyama turn in heartbreaking performances the aged couple who must come to terms with their selfish children before meeting their own demise. Setsuko Hara turns in an incredibly affecting performance as well playing the selfless widow. Ozu's films are simple and touching and require a certain frame of mind to appreciate. Admittedly, I was in the the kind of hurried state this film laments against and did not get all I should have out of it, which I certainly intend to do at a very near date.
