(aka 'The Taste of Tea' or 'Cha no aji')
Directed by
Katsuhito Ishii
The Taste of Tea is a whimsical,
lovely movie about the members of a strange family and their concerns, fantasies
and relationships. I can’t say it truly breaks new ground, but the surrealistic
flights of fancy are a welcome touch to the genre, and the incidents of the
family’s life are treated with such tenderness, wit and charm, that it is hard
not to fall a little bit in love with the Todorokis.
The Taste of Tea is set in a small, rural town, and primarily follows the Todoroki family over the course of a summer. All the family members are distinct
individuals, though the primary focus is on the two young children. Maya Banno,
who plays the daughter, Sachiko, is simply adorable without ever becoming
cloying, and Ishii coaxes a fine performance out of her. Sachiko, though haunted
(or perhaps annoyed is the better word) by visions of her onlooking giant self,
never for a moment feels like less than a real girl. Hajime (Takahiro Sato) is a
shy and introverted teenager, who alternates between being obsessed by girls and
frightened by them. Two scenes with Hajime: one in which he can’t contain his
excitement at the idea of sharing a hobby with the new girl in school, and
another in which some other students try to play a prank on him, are great
examples of the light touch with which Ishii handles his material.
Excerpt from Cinema Strikes Back (David Austin) located HERE
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 13th, 2004 - Cannes Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: VIZ Pictures (2-disc Limited Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution | VIZ Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC | |
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There is also a single-disc version of the film
by VIZ Pictures released at the same time, with, no doubt, the same
interlaced transfer.
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The Japanese DVD version (WITH English subtitles) from Big Time Entertainment is most likely the best version on DVD.
Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
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| Runtime | 2:23:15 | |
| Video | 1.66:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.24 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate: |
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| Audio | Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • 'Making
of...' (1:31:09) |
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| Comments: |
We seem to be seeing a lot of this lately - a dual-layered transfer that is interlaced. This reminds me of a HK DVD (of a Japanese film) - prevalent combing (see last capture), slightly washed colors and somewhat hazy at times. CRT acceptable only. It is a shame because the film is a real winner and North American audiences aren't given the chance, with this release - and Viz's single disc counterpart - to see the film in its best light. Subtitles appear acceptable to some degree with only a couple of errors, but are very bright yellow and distracting. They are removable though and the 5.1 audio sounds competent though rarely tested.
Disc 2 contains the extras - a 1.5 hour English subtitled 'Making of...' documentary that had me drifting after about 20 minutes (it wasn't that bad - I just wasn't into it) and a weird animation trailer entitled SUPER BIG (no subtitles) for about 3 minutes. Definitely not worth the extra $10 in my opinion. I'm considering the Japanese DVD version as I enjoyed the film so much but it is pricey at $45 US. A quirky, enjoyable movie that we recommend seeing if you get the chance. |
DVD Menus
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Disc 2 Menus
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Subtitle Sample
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Screen Captures
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| DVD Box Cover |
|
CLICK to order from:
|
| Distribution | VIZ Pictures - Region 1 - NTSC | |
|
|
There is also a single-disc version of the film
by VIZ Pictures released at the same time, with, no doubt, the same
interlaced transfer.
|
|
|
|
The Japanese DVD version (WITH English subtitles) from Big Time Entertainment is most likely the best version on DVD.
Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
|
Mail cheques, money orders, cash to: or CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
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Gary Tooze
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Thank You!
