Tokyo Godfathers (another Satoshi Kon Film) 2003

Middle-aged alcoholic Gin (Toru Emori), teenage runaway Miyuki (Aya Okamoto) and former drag queen Hana (Yoshiaki Umegaki) are a trio of homeless people surviving as a makeshift family on the streets of Tokyo. While rummaging in the trash for food on Christmas Eve, they stumble upon an abandoned newborn baby in a trash bin. With only a handful of clues to the baby's identity, the three misfits search the streets of Tokyo for help in returning the baby to its parents.-WWW

Tokyo Godfathers-東京ゴッドファーザーズ Tōkyō Goddofāzāzu, though very, very different, kind of reminded me of Three Men and a Baby (and its sequel). There were a lot of Asian films (including Filipino Films) that had this plot too, but I must say that there is something about Satoshi Kon's (and Keiko Nobumoto's) style that enthralls me. Twists and turns are exciting (the scenes were unpredictable).

---

The movie starts with a Christmas service where the Pastor gives them a homily. After-which, the homeless people are fed. 

Gin, the alcoholic hobo who longs for his family, Hana the transvestite who claims that God made a mistake when He made him because he's meant to be mother, and the problematic runaway Miyuki find little Kiyoko ("pure child" ...Hana thought of this name because they found her on Christmas eve, the purest night of the year) while they were rummaging through the trash to look for Christmas treasures for themselves.(especially the teenage Miyuki). Miyuki and Gin were harassing each other when the baby cried.

Little Kiyoko became the glue of the three homeless people. She became Hana's miracle, Gin's family and Miyuki's hope.

At first, Miyuki and Gin were apprehensive to take Kiyoko along with them, but Hana insisted that by bringing her, they would be doing God's will.

Hmmmm, I might be tempted to tell the whole story so let me just say these:

1. I love the dialogue/humor
(i.e., "What do your desire? My magic or an ambulance?" "An ambulance" "Well! Aren't you rude?" )
2. I love the depiction and shifting of emotions
3. I love the lighting
4. I love the artistry
5. I love the story
6. I love the screenplay/treatment
7. I love the direction
(hmmm, too much loving might make me want to marry this movie) ;p

At any rate I must say that I highly recommend this film.

---

(Thanks again, Kristen)

---

(for me, it's important to know these)
Written and Directed by: Satoshi Kon
Collaborated by (screenplay): Keiko Nobumoto
Other Genres: comedy, drama, psychological
Music: Keiichi Suzuki
Character Design:Kenichi Konishi
Satoshi Kon
Art director: Nobutaka Ike
Animation director Kenichi Konishi
Key Animation:
Hideki Hamasu
Hiroko Kazui
Kumiko Kawana
Masashi Ando
Michiyo Suzuki
Shigeru Fujita
Shinji Otsuka
Toshiyuki Inoue
Co-Producer: Satoki Toyada
Color design: Kazunori Hashimoto
Editing: Takeshi Seyama
Sound director: Masafumi Mima
Co-director: Shougo Furuya
Director of Photography: Katsutoshi Sugai