A DVD TO "ALWAYS" WARM OUR HEARTS

Always Sanchome no Yuhi (Sunset on the Third Street) (English Subtitles)Special Edition Japanese Movie Sold Out Release: 2006/06/09 | DVD | 6800yen

It's rare that I would focus this column on just one movie in particular, but this is no ordinary movie. Few movies can cross cultural barriers so completely and touch your heart in some way. Virtually anyone can find something to relate to in the lives portrayed therein.

Director Takashi Yamazaki has successfully recreated life in 1958 Tokyo by assembling an extremely talented cast and crew. This is the latest adaptation of Ryohei Saigan's classic manga, translated to the scene with a heartwarming charm little seen today.

Though depicted in many pictures and advertising art, Tokyo Tower is not the main locale of the film, but rather a supporting character that, as it grows and nears completion reflects Japan's struggle to emerge from the post-war occupation to its eventual rise as an economic superpower.

Seven characters dominate the film, but they come to life with thanks in no small part to a powerhouse ensemble cast. The interaction breathes real life into not only their personalities, but make the relationships very real. You can't help but believe they've all known each other for years.

Saigan's "slice of life" story is a simple, universal tale. Teenage Mutsuko (Maki Horikita, who previously starred in "Hinokio" and "Crying Out For Love") leaves her provincial home for "the big city" and a job at what she thinks is a major automotive company. She is crushed to learn that a small auto repair shop on Third Street has employed her. Her boss is the proud ex-soldier Norifumi Suzuki (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi of "Lorelei"). He's a man well known in the neighborhood for his hair-trigger temper, held somewhat in check by his loving wife, Tomoe (the brilliant Hiroko Yakushimaru, last seen in "Tetsujin 28-Go!"), and their young son Ippei (Kazuki Koshimizu making an impressive debut).

There are others on the street also striving to better themselves. Hiromi ("Last Samurai's Koyuki) has just abandoned her shady life as a club dancer to start a sake bar. She soon finds herself reluctantly saddled with young Junnosuke (Kenta Suga, who befriended Minya in "Godzilla Final Wars," and practically steals the film). The boy has been abandoned by his unwed mother and Hiromi manages to pass him off to Ryunosuke Chagawa (played with wonderful comic timing by Hidetaka Yoshioka from the popular "Tora-san" series). Chagawa is a struggling novelist, desperate to establish himself as a writer of serious fiction. He despises children like Ippei, who interrupt him to buy candy and toys from his shop. No one knows he sells adventure stories to a boy's magazine.

Yamazaki, whose previous works include "Juvenile" and the stunning time-travel adventure "Returner," draws on his past experiences with visual effects to also create an impressive and realistic recreation of life half a century ago. CGI, miniatures, and just plain old-fashioned camera tricks breath life into bustling old Tokyo, but it is the finely detailed creation of Third Street on a Toho sound stage that makes you believe you're in a real world. The details are amazing, right down to well-worn dirt paths.

It's no surprise that the film was not only a box-office smash, but swept the Awards of the Japanese Academy. Best Picture, Director, Screenplay (Takashi Yamazaki and Ryota Kosawa), Actor (Hidetaka Yoshioka), Actress (Koyuki), Supporting Actor (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi), Supporting Actress (Hiroko Yakushimaru), Newcomer of the Year (Maki Horikita), Art Direction (Anri Johjo), Cinematography (Kozo Shibazaki), Editing (Ryuji Miyajima), Lighting (Ken'ichi Mizuno), Score (Naoki Sato), and Sound (Hitoshi Tsurumaki). The picture has also amassed accolades from the Blue Ribbon Awards, Hochi Film Awards, and the Kinema Junpo Awards Film Concours.

Don't settle for the single disc standard edition because the bonus material included with the special edition adds so much to the film experience, especially when you discover which shots were special effects. You'll be surprised just how many there are, that's how well integrated they are. A gift box includes a 3-D viewer with 5 images of the street set, a 5x7 reproduction of the poster art and two family photos, and a CD-ROM of the official website (Windows and Mac compatible). A lavish 130-page full color book is also included, a superb companion piece to the 164 minutes of bonus material on the second DVD.

I also recommend picking up Naoki Sato's delightful and memorable award winning score , complete with great color pictures. There's also a new CD anthology " SYMBIONT -Naoki Sato BEST TRACKS " which includes selections from his other hits, "X," "Water Boys" and "Lorelei" and much more!