Watches
March 06, 2023
It's nice to see Zeze go back to director darker dramas. After a tough start, Zeze had to work pretty hard to prove himself a worthy director, so I understand that he wants to enjoy the mainstream now that he finally has the chance. It's not really his strong suit though (or I just don't care enough for those slicker dramas). Tomorrow's Dinner Table is a step in the right direction.
Yu Ishibashi is 10, but he's really three different kids, living in different parts of Japan. The boys are quite ordinary, but they'll soon face scorn from their parents when small irritations start to fester. Raising a kid while dealing with societal pressures isn't easy, and it's usually the kids that suffer the most.
The performances are strong, the styling is proper (though not too remarkable) and the premise is interesting. Zeze does well switching between three similar but different narratives to underline the core theme of the film. It's a strong and memorable drama, it just doesn't stand out quite enough in an already overcrowded niche to be a personal favorite.