Tokyo!

Reviewed by:
Eric Alt

Directed by: Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-Ho

The Skinny: Three directors come together to create a trio of short films set around the titular Japanese city. Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) shows how a young woman's uncertainty can have bizarre transformative effects, Leos Carax (Pola X) introduces us to the most disturbing sewer-dweller since the C.H.U.D.s, and Bong Joon-Ho (The Host) plays with technology and human isolation.

The Good: Bringing such varied directors together anthology-style can often be hit-or-miss (see Paris, je t'aime), but Tokyo! succeeds, first by keeping things manageable, limiting it to only three, and second by choosing off-the-beaten path talent. Gondry is the biggest name and, predictably, delivers the best story. But Carax has us itching to see what he'd do with a straight-up horror movie (Hollywood, call this dude), and Joon-Ho continues to master stories that kind of sneak up on you (if you haven't seen The Host, you should).

The Bad: Despite being shorts, the stories unfold slowly and don't really concern themselves with whether or not you can follow everything they're throwing at you. And although we give this movie a high rating based on its own merits, we have to admit that this isn't likely to be on your "must see" list. But if you're curious, it's worth a watch.

Well, Ayuuuuuumi: Ayumi Ito, who stars in Gondry's segment, is... what's the word? Adorable. Hm, turns out we did know the word.

Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is probably a rental, but if you're in the mood to walk on the strange side, check it out.