Director Jun Ichikawa adapts a short story by Murakami Haruki to the big screen in Tony Takitani, a quirky, minimalist film that effectively tackles issues related to feelings of isolation, loss, and loneliness, fantastically translating Murakami's unique prose style to the cinema. Actor Ogata Issei (Yi Yi) portrays the title character, as the film traces his life, beginning with Tony's lonely childhood up to middle age. For Tony Takitani, being alone has simply been a fact of life. His mother passed away soon after she gave birth to him, and his father was never any good at being a parent, having more interest in playing in his jazz band than spending time with his only son. As he matured, Tony took an interest in art, displaying quite a natural talent, but even as his work receives some acclaim, his drawings seem to lack something in the way of feeling.

Things start to change for Tony when the beautiful Eiko enters his life. Portrayed by Miyazawa Rie (from The Twilight Samurai and Peony Pavillion), the mysterious Eiko captures Tony's heart and shows him a world of experience he has never known. But she also bears a terrible secret: it seems her taste in high fashion isn't just an interest, but an obsession, one that she can't control with tragic results. Will Tony recover from the loss? What will he do with her collection of designer clothes? And who is Hisako, a girl who bears an uncannily resemblance to Eiko?  All these questions and more will be answered in Tony Takitani, a rich, beautifully crafted film that more than does justice to the Murakami Haruki original.