2004 ‘茶の味’ Directed by Katsuhito Ishii
A spell of time in the life of a family in rural Tochigi prefecture. Yoshiko is not an ordinary housewife, instead working on an animated film project. Uncle Ayano is looking to get his head together after living in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Sachiko is concerned with why she seems to be followed by a giant version of herself.
Maya Banno Takahiro Sato Tadanobu Asano Satomi Tezuka Tatsuya Gashûin Tomokazu Miura Anna Tsuchiya Tomoko Nakajima Ikki Todoroki Kirin Kiki Kaiji Moriyama Ryo Kase Kenji Mizuhashi Hideaki Anno Yoshinori Okada Susumu Terajima Shinji Takeda Emi Wakui Tsuyoshi Kusanagi Saki Aibu Keisuke Horibe Yuka Nomura Yoji Tanaka Shunichiro Miki Machiko Ono Kenichi Matsuyama Issey Takahashi Ryu Morioka Kotaro Shiga Show All…
Cha no aji, 녹차의 맛, O Gosto do Chá, El sabor del té, Okus čaja, A tea íze, Вкус чая, Ukus caja, Nokchaui mat, 茶之味
★ Gonzo's Top 200 Favorite Films of All Time
The girl just wants to do a back flip on the horizontal bar so that she could get rid of that giant version of herself that keeps watching her. Who can't relate to that?
I know quirky, absurdist humor isn't everybody's cup of tea (pun intended), but if you're thinking of dipping your toes into the weird (and wonderful) side of comedy, this film would make a great introduction as there's just something irresistibly enchanting and endearing about it.
Equal parts thoughtful and bonkers, The Taste of Tea is like Ozu on crack. You need this in your life.
The taste of tea:
Bitter, dry, and most importantly, acquired. A variety of leaves provides for a range of flavors, allowing you to pick and choose one to steer towards depending on mood (though ultimately it's best to warm up to all kinds so as to grow your palette). The process to prepare it is perhaps as important as the product itself, a ritual of sorts that imparts an indeterminable essence which makes it all the more agreeable and pleasant – steep it gratefully, stir it gingerly, strain it carefully, and breathe in its aroma lovingly. You were a part of it, instrumental in its development, doesn't it taste so much better that way?
The taste of family:
Refer to the above.
Great Tea. Quite rich, a really lovely color. Touch of Ozu on the nose with Ōbayashi overtones. Hints of Kore-eda on the palate and a whole lotta of mushrooms.
Magic is what you feel when your heart leaps. Magic looks like giants and mud men through the eyes of a child. Magic is the reacclimation, finally—when you can actually feel something click inside you, like a warm hug—to the place your soul will always belong. Art is magic: the power to create something from scratch that profoundly affects others. The power to heal, giving people a chance to see and experience life from a different point of view, that’s magic, too. Magic is nothing much happening, but in the specifics of this supposed nothing, finding everything. Magic is family, love, progression. Life is magical and full of light if you look at it right. Do you believe?
Day #19 of Japanuary!
Continuing with the theme of watching Japanese films throughout January, I decided to watch a film directed by Katsuhito Ishii.
Wow, no film has ever made me feel as cozy and happy as The Taste of Tea made me feel. Watching this movie was the equivalent of receiving a nice, warm hug. It's surreal at times, even bizarre, but it's entirely relatable. Each member of the Haruno family and all of the peculiar characters they encounter have different struggles and different stories to tell.
The mother, Yoshiko, has lofty career aspirations. The grandfather, Akira, tries to help Yoshiko accomplish her career goals and lovingly observes the whole family. The son, Hajime, struggles with talking to girls.…
The Taste of Tea. Cha no aji. 2004. Directed by Katsuhito Ishii.
The Taste of Tea (2004) is arguably one of the best films ever made. We will definitely be adding it to our top 500+ list. The film carefully utilizes cloudscapes, animation, surrealism, and modern dance for storytelling. It is like picking up one’s favorite book and you just cant put it down. The 143 minute run time is a blink. It is as if this film pays homage to all the classic films such as samurai films, animated films, surreal art, and David Lynch films. There is so much talent in The Taste of Tea.
Katsuhito Ishii injected the rural Tochigi, Japan with Tokyo and filmed his ideas…
A little bit Roy Andersson, a little bit Little Miss Sunshine, The Taste of Tea is a strange fruit in the most complimenting way possible, and criminally underrated for its pure brilliance.
In a perfectly bizarre yet tranquil world of rural Japan, a motley crew of eccentric family and friends go through different chapters in life while making spontaneously fun adventures of their own. Despite an overall unshowy, episodic storyline, The Taste of Tea manages to extract the most humanity and philosophy out of mundane existence while retaining an unmistakable Japanese identity.
From the little sister who sees a giant version of herself to the brother who goes out of his way for his new crush in school, The Taste of Tea approaches daily life with its own unique magical realistic touch, rich, breathtaking style, as well as an impressive ensemble that knows how to toy with emotion and tears from the audience. Highly recommended.
We hear them, their emotions become ours, true and shared. The sunflower is the taste of tea. Animators. Revelations. People look at the sun to the taste of it all. Susumu Terajima literally goes through shit in this. The big spitting image of ourselves, representing the quest of a child to conquer this through trying to achieve the best thing in childhood, backflipping. Flipbooks and music as your last contribution. The kind sound mixer hip uncle, Tadanobu Asano. Hideaki Anno cameo. One of the most precious on-screen families, through multiple recognizable genres in Japanese cinema, is this a bike ride home to someone that will know of your love? Citrus cinema and slacker pop music. To those who love, and look at the citrus skies, a universe that will know of what it means to taste, forever.
It's a fantasy film.
It's a drama film.
It's a philosophical film.
It's a self-discovery film.
It's a slice-of-life film.
It's a coming-of-age film.
IT'S A MASTERPIECE FILM
- Without a doubt unlike anything else I've seen. A masterpiece and an immediate favorite. Wisdom, humor, playfulness, innocence, uncertainty, this movie hits so many spots I didn't even know existed. I am attaching a youtube link below of a clip which I edited out from this film, do check it out-
Take one teaspoon of Hirokazu Kore-eda.
One dash of Naomi Kawase.
A healthy helping of magic mushrooms.
And a serving of your sweetener of choice.
Leave it all to simmer through the sieve of invigorating country landscapes and family ties so boiled to perfection in their eccentricities that they’ll almost have you believing your own is normal. Almost…
Stir for roughly 140 mins. Leave to cool for 1-2. Pour.
Sit back and savour the refreshingly delectable flavours of The Taste of Tea. Slice of fantasy cake recommended on-side.
(Tadanobu Asano as the story-spilling weird uncle with an existential crisis is real cinema!)
Japanuary #26!
I psyched myself out of watching this so many times. I anticipated more of a challenging viewing experience but to my surprise it's simply a well paced film about family life, with a few signature eccentricities. There are surrealist quirks and imaginative embellishments but ultimately is about the meditative nature of daily life in the Countryside. Like a modern Ozu film. I was especially taken with Sachiko storyline and her experience with her inner/outer-self. I thought about it so much I did a drew it.
wizardboobs.tumblr.com/post/123792584798/tender-moments-the-taste-of-tea-drawing-i-did
