Noriko's Dinner Table (2005)

Wow. I must say, of all the films out there, this one has a concept that has never been done before.When this film was released, most of its recognition stemmed from it being the director's follow-up to his cult favorite "Suicide Club" (2002). In fact, that is what sparked my interest, as I am a die-hard fan of "Suicide Club". However, after viewing this film, I have to definitely recommend not going in and expecting a sequel. This film takes place in the same universe, and its story may clear up a bit of the whys in "Suicide Club", but it has a different story completely. Different characters, different timeframe, different genre, everything, but standalone film or sequel - this is one of the best films I've seen.We pick up the story a bit of time before the events of "Suicide Club" (6 months prior to be exact). A 17 year old girl named Noriko Shimabara lives with her father Tetsu, her mother Taeko, and her sister Yuka. Utterly bored with life, she spends hours contacting various teenage girls through the website "haikyo.com" (present in the first film). Aching to leave home and meet those like her, Noriko packs her bags and runs off to Tokyo. The very next morning, she meets Kumiko - the founder of the website haikyo. But she is immediately swept into a bizarre game of acting as part of a family and getting paid for it. Eventually, she contacts her sister Yuka, who runs off to be with her sister. Their mother commits suicide, and 6 months later their father hears about a suicide cult in Tokyo that caused 54 girls to jump in front of a train. Tetsu has a feeling that Noriko is involved, so he starts a very long journey to get his daughters back. However, by the time he reaches them, 2 years have passed, and they have become completely detached from reality and from themselves.This is where the movie reaches its climax, and goes into the bizarre and gruesome territory that anyone familiar with the first film would be expecting. But this is NOT a horror movie in any sense of the word. It's almost pure drama. Even though it has a seemingly complicated plot, at heart it is simply a story about a girl's journey to her own soul and to the heart of life. And what a dark journey it is.The ending is a bit like the first one's ending, with a sense of accomplishment. It is quite the uplifting ending for an otherwise depressing film. But it gives no easy answers. I'll be looking forward to the third one, where the events from this film and the last film are finally tied up.The symbolism and messages in this film are incredible, and the plot was perfectly crafted to convey them all. I don't see how anybody could NOT like this movie. It is the perfect embodiment of all human emotion.10/10

Well, this is not Suicide Club 2 and you will be disappointed if you expect it to be... You need to watch it open-minded! It kind of feels more like a "watchable book" than a movie, it is a new viewing experience which only works if you open up to it. It is one of the most intense movies I have ever seen, it is all about emotion and - the only real parallel to Suicide Club - it cannot really be understood, it can only be felt... I will not talk about the plot here, as this is impossible without spoilers, so go to the discussion board if you want to know more. However, I recommend watching it first. Believe me, it's worth it, unless you expect it to be something you can expect...

Noriko's Dinner Table is quite possibly one of the best films I've ever seen.I will not give away any spoilers about the movie, but I will say that it is beautifully done. Each scene seems as if it were painstakingly and obsessively done, paying attention to the tiniest of detail. As with all of Sono's films, the camera angles and shots are unique, and make you feel like you're a part of the story that's unfolding.Many people consider the length of the movie to be it's downfall, and with good reason. 2 hours and 30 minutes is one long movie, but it holds together very well. In the end, you'll feel like you were a part of what was happening, and it will affect you, for better or worse.What many people are concerned about, however, is it's connection to Sion Sono's cult classic Suicide Club. There is a definite connection, and it does explain a little of what happened throughout Suicide Club. But it still leaves some small questions unanswered. Nothing is left unanswered in Noriko's Dinner Table, but there's still a little we don't understand from Suicide Club.This brings me to the meaning behind family in Noriko's Dinner Table. Sion Sono's ideas and meanings are portrayed, and excellently, through sometimes complex symbolism that may take a few watches to understand. The movie is separated into chapters, and the story, how it's told, is broken into pieces and presented to you at little bits at a time. You wont get the full picture until the end of the movie.Noriko's Dinner Table is an amazing film.I ordered it from Japan for about 30-some-odd bucks, and I can say it was worth the money and the two week wait to receive it in the mail. I've had it two days, and already watched it three times. It's amazing, not what I expected, but amazing.A quick note, do not expect what we saw in Suicide Club. A little of that same horror-esquire feeling is there, but it's really a drama at heart. An amazing drama.This is the mature, grown-up Suicide Club.Everyone should watch this movie.

This Japanese film is my closing film for this year's SIFF. It tells of a compelling family story, where "safe" is boring, and a child is off looking for that spark in life to spice things up. Turning her back to her family, Noriko makes her way to Tokyo to look up her internet friends, friends she came to know through an online forum. At first everything seems puzzling, until she realize that they are all "actors", folks providing "rental family" services to lonely people out there, yearning to belong.It's ironic that Noriko had turned her back on her real family, only to join a surrogate one, pretending to be close knit to a lot of other strangers. She takes on her online persona, and forgets about "Noriko", the life she left behind. Which makes it really strange - why would anyone want to abandon their own family, and comfort zone, to make believe with others? It's a social exploration of alienation, and on a separate note, tries to look at the trend of suicide clubs in Japan.One harrowing scene that was replayed, was that of 54 female students jumping off a train platform in unison. Taking on pseudo-security camera views, and plenty of blood with the smashing of heads on track (in full glory), it'll make you wince, yet wonder in astonishment, the question of Why.ßRunning parallel to Noriko's narrative, are a few others, like her dad's, her sister Yuka's (who also joined Noriko in her new role), and a forum founder Komiko. Taking on parallel and different points of view, it is no wonder that this film clocks in at slightly more than 2 1/2 hours. The father seeks Noriko and Yuka and wants to start afresh by welcoming them home, but find that the siblings have already disowned their lives thus far, preferring to pretend to be someone else, someone they have total control over, someone that they have created for themselves.The movie started off strongly, but the pace sagged around the half way mark, before picking up again for the grand finale. It also helped that almost all the female cast in this movie are eye-candy, contrasting the seriousness of the issues presented, with their outward cuteness and pretty faces.It's a pretty weird story, with strange characters, those who don't bat an eyelid over suicide, taking it as a form of higher calling. However you'll still be stuck at the Why question, as the movie doesn't offer any concrete answers, and somehow teased with an ending hinting of a possible sequel, that probably wouldn't be made.