The Taste of Tea (Cha No Aji) (2004)
Japan, Japanese with English subtitles, color, 143 min
Written and Directed by Katsuhito Ishii
Starring Tadanobu Asana (Ayano Haruno), Satomi Tezuka (Yoshiko Haruno), Tomokazu Miura (Nobuo Haruno), Tatsuya Gasyuin (Akira Todoroki), Takahiro Sato (Hajime Haruno), Maya Banno (Sachiko Haruno), Anna Tsuchiya (Aoi Suzuishi)

If someone were to tell me that I'd be going to watch a two and a half hour film about the everyday lives of a rural Japanese family, I'd make sure to bring my Ipod so that I'd have something to do. Fortunately, The Taste of Tea, a surreal film by writer-director Katsuhito Ishii, made it unnecessary for me to update my playlists.

The Taste of Tea (released in Japan in 2004 as Cha No Aji) chronicles the daily lives of the Haruno family, who live in a suburban, almost rural area just outside of Tokyo. Each member of the family has his or her own battles that they fight every day, some more bizarre than others.

At first some of the characters may seem overtly insane. Grandpa, played expertly by Japanese screen veteran Akira Todoroki, always sticks a tuning fork in his ear and bursts out into song at random. Sachiko, the youngest child, played by Maya Banno, is constantly seeking for a way to be rid of a giant version of her that seems to follow her everywhere.

But underneath all the craziness are simple, basic themes such as coming of age, living life to the fullest, and being a family. The mother, Yoshiko, played by Satomi Tezuka, attempts to re-enter her career as animator; a dream she gave up on to raise her children. The father, Nobuo, played by Tomokazu Miura, is an overworked professional hypnotist, but still finds the time to practice his craft on his family (much to their delight) and play Go with his son.

The show is stolen by Takahiro Sato, who plays Hajime, the only son. Hajime is a regular teenager going through all the trials and tribulations that we remember from growing up. At the forefront of these is his awkwardness with girls. Early in the story, we learn Hajime never forgave himself for letting a girl he liked leave without letting her know how he felt. He believed that he would never love again. But then, he falls for the new girl in class, Aoi, and spends the rest of the film trying to figure out how to talk to her. His behavior is both comical and touching because everyone is able to relate to his story.

The plot layout is not so much linear as it is fragmented, telling the stories of each family member in pieces, as their lives progress through the days. It is much like Pulp Fiction or Love Actually in that each piece of the story is presented as seemingly unrelated, but all tie together somehow towards the film's conclusion. This adds to the surreal, almost magical quality of the film. Unlike Pulp Fiction, however, all the events take place chronologically, so the only confusing part is wondering why we're watching a man with a bowl haircut decked out in day-glo, who's seemingly completely unrelated to the family, singing about mountains in a Tokyo high-rise.

Along with the rich depth of the characters, The Taste of Tea is visually satisfying. The film is beautifully shot in both Tokyo and the Haruno household outside the city. Special effects add to the general ambience of the film, creating vivid imagery such as Sachiko being watched by her gigantic doppelganger and a sunflower engulfing the universe.

Overall, The Taste of Tea does not disappoint. Even with its long running time, you never feel like the movie is long. Watching the characters develop is like watching your kids grow up and it's easy to lose yourself in the lives of each one. Towards the end, the film is unexpectedly touching. There's also a lot good old fashioned physical and ironic humor to ensure that you'll be smiling throughout.

—Bryan Choi