Tokyo Godfathers: The Magic of Chance
There’s no real way to talk about this film without talking about the man behind it. At least, I don’t think so.
“Once-in-a-generation” is a title that’s been given to a lot of filmmakers, and while it’s rather subjective, many who are given the label are undeserving of it. From my understanding, a “once-in-a-generation” director is one who’s done things with films that no one else has even thought of doing, and executes them flawlessly. There’s a vast majority of directors, that recycle everything that’s been done before, and do it so poorly that they might as well not have done it at all.
Then there’s Satoshi Kon.
Tokyo Godfathers follows a homeless trio — an old hermit, a trans woman, and a teenage girl — who find a baby girl abandoned in a garbage pile on Christmas Day, and traverse the streets of Tokyo to return the baby to her mother. Hijinks ensue.
The oddest thing about the film is its simple plot. Satoshi Kon — who was taken away from us way before his prime — is a master of what you’d call the mindbender. Despite the simple premise of his other three films, following the events and transpire within them is a different matter. His other films, particularly Perfect Blue (which will be the subject of its own review) weave through fantasy and reality with such deft precision, that it might have you questioning the things you are seeing on screen. Truly, there’s no way to know what goes on in a Satoshi Kon film until the very end, by which point you are well and truly hooked.
Tokyo Godfathers eschews all of this, however, for a straightforward Christmas comedy plot. And because of this I was skeptical going into the film for the first time. What if this is his one bad film? I thought. Ten minutes in, however, and my fears were proven to be misplaced.
Let me start with the first thing I was looking out for when I watched this film: the comedy. Would this be funny? Mr. Kon’s filmography before and after this consists of everything that comedy was not, so this was a reasonable concern. I’m glad to say that he was able to hold his own in such unfamiliar territory. While not very strong in the initial minutes of the film, by the second act you’ll find yourself laughing at loud more than once. Most of comedy relies on coincidences — in keeping with the themes of small miracles — and it’s incredible that he’s able to stack up as many as he can in this film without it coming off as contrived. As much as humor is subjective, at least one or two jokes will have you rolling.
But of course, there’s more to this film than the comedy. The characters drive the story just as much as the coincidences that occur push them along their mission. Special mention goes to Hanna, the trans woman, who’s handle with more grace and respect than you’d expect for a film from 2003, and is easily one of the central characters of the film.
Then, finally, I love how lighthearted this film is — another departure from Satoshi’s earlier and later much darker fare. Having watched so many dark, cynical films; an idealistic comedy about miracles is the palette cleanser just anyone needs.
It’s funny. It’s wholesome. It makes you feel the plight of its characters, and shows you the hearts they have underneath their flaws. And just when you’ve comfort in this warm, happy tale about overcoming huge odds on Christmas… it flips the script. Because mind bending was in Mr. Kon’s blood.
God took him from us too soon.
I give it an 8/10
