Otoko wa tsurai yo 50: Okaeri Tora-san (2019)

Otoko wa tsurai yo 50: Okaeri Tora-san: Directed by Yôji Yamada. With Kiyoshi Atsumi, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Kumiko Goto. The 50th film in Tora-san series to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series. The adult Mitsuo, Tora-san’s nephew, who runs into Izumi, his first love, whom he had once promised to marry. The familiar faces of Kurumaya Cafe, which Tora-san’s family ran in Shibamata, also return. Catching up with old friends, it is always their dearest memories of Tora-san which everyone shares on such occasions.

“This was just beautiful. I could understand people not familiar with the Tora-san series not liking it nearly as much, but I feel like watching this without watching at least some of the others would be like watching the finale of a tv show that ran for 10+ seasons without seeing any other episodes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTora-san, Wish You Were Here is the 50th (and almost certainly last) film in the Tora-san series. Quite wonderfully, it was also released exactly 50 years after the first instalment. 48 films were made between 1969 and 1995, and after the seriesu0026#39; lead actor, Kiyoshi Atsumi sadly passed away in 1996, a re-edit (with a few new scenes) of an earlier film was released as entry #49 in 1997, and then 22 years later, the series concluded here.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a deeply nostalgic movie. Itu0026#39;s focused on the past, but gives enough insight into the lives of all the characters played by cast members still alive to satisfy as a series epilogue of sorts. Atsumi appears in numerous emotional flashbacks throughout, and his character, Tora, has something of a mythic weight, with many characters recalling him fondly, and missing him. Itu0026#39;s likely Tora himself passed away as did Atsumi, but as itu0026#39;s never explicitly stated, it creates this feeling that he lives on, even if itu0026#39;s just metaphorical; even if itu0026#39;s just in the hearts and minds of those he knew.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThere are so many great edits between flashbacks and present day events. Most of the truly effective and tear jerking moments contrast the past with the present for dramatic effect (and sometimes for humour, too).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFunnily enough, its tendency to look at the passage of time, growing old, and the nature of memories themselves reminded me of another great 2019 film, Martin Scorseseu0026#39;s The Irishman. Of course, that one is far darker and more depressing, and in no way is Wish You Were Here a crime film, but some of the themes are similar, as are some of the things the characters feel and deal with. Also: directors Scorsese and Yoji Yamada are both legendary directors who have been making movies for decades and are still blessing us with new movies to this day, and have both demonstrated a knack for looking at themes related to growing old. Yamada is indeed a good 10 years older than Scorsese, so itu0026#39;s arguably even more impressive that heu0026#39;s still capable of making great movies.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eComplaints here are minor. Of course, this wonu0026#39;t resonate nearly as much if youu0026#39;re not familiar with the series, but it really is a series worth watching all the way through. Not every instalment is great, but considered as a whole, the 50-film series truly is something special.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe only ways this might let fans down is the digital look of some modern day scenes- occasionally, it looks a little too saturated and glossy, compared to the seriesu0026#39; usual aesthetics. It may be about 10 minutes too long, as the sweet spot for a Tora-san film runtime tends to be 100-105 minutes, in my opinion. Also: it doesnu0026#39;t have any scenes besides flashbacks that take place in a truly distinct or unique Japanese location, which other Tora-san films almost always did.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut such complaints are minor, and itu0026#39;s better to end this far too long review on a positive, and by comparing it to another film it reminded me of, in a way: Cinema Paradiso.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThatu0026#39;s another one thatu0026#39;s about nostalgia; about looking into oneu0026#39;s past; about having a non-traditional father figure; about wondering about what a love could have blossomed into had it been able to grow. Also: Wish You Were Here has a somewhat similar montage near the end that is similarly tearjerking and bittersweet in the way Cinema Paradisou0026#39;s famous climactic scene was. While the whole movie was emotional, it was the last 5-10 minutes of Wish You Were Here that were emotionally devastating in the best way possible.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film was a close to perfect send off for the Tora-san series. There were problems here and there, but they essentially donu0026#39;t matter once youu0026#39;ve come this far, and once youu0026#39;ve fallen head over heels for the series.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYoji Yamada (who directed 48/50 of the films), his cast, co-writers, and crew made something truly amazing with the Tora-san series, and though 50 films that mostly adhere to a strict formula is a tough sell, I couldnu0026#39;t recommend the experience more highly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf Iu0026#39;m ever fortunate enough to travel internationally any time soon, and can make a trip to Japan, Iu0026#39;m going straight to Shibamata, Tokyo- Torau0026#39;s home. To paraphrase this final filmu0026#39;s title, I do truly wish I were there…”