Harmonium

Directed by Koji Fukada
Film Movement
2016
120 Minutes
Japan
Japanese
Drama, Asian
Asian Studies
Not Rated
DVD $29.95
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PPR $200.00
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DRL $499.00
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PPR+DRL $599.00
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Toshio (Kanji Furutachi) sees his seemingly ordinary life take an ominous turn when Yasaka (Tadanobu Asano), a mysterious friend from his past, arrives unexpectedly. Recently released from prison and in need of a helping hand, Toshio gives him a job and generously takes him in to live with his wife and daughter. Toshio soon regrets this decision, as Yasaka gradually disrupts the family before finally causing irreparable damage. Koji Fukada's acclaimed companion piece to his black comedy Hospitalite treads darker waters as it unravels a searing tragedy that has captivated critics and audiences alike.

"A quietly unnerving thriller built on the damage caused by secrets, betrayals, and resentment — one that suggests the psychology of a Patricia Highsmith novel with a Japanese sensibility — this subtle film is recommended." - Video Librarian

Cast

  • Mariko Tsutsui
  • Tadanobu Asano
  • Kanji Furutachi
DVD Features

Bonus short: Birds, directed by Koji Fukada\n\nNYAFF interview with Kanji Furutachi

Sound: Stereo 2.0 and 5.1 Surround Sound

Discs: 1

  • Highest Rating
    "[M]asterful performances. [T]his tale approaches a family’s flawed construct with the critical seriousness of Robert Bresson or Fukada’s compatriot Nagisa Oshima."
    Maggie Lee, Variety
  • Highest Rating
    "[C]ommands attention from start to finish. The film’s insights into the isolation evident in the relationships most take for granted — marriages, parent-child connections and long-term friendships — don’t merely hit their targets; they smash them with a sledgehammer."
    Sarah Ward, Screen Dailly
  • Highest Rating
    "...deeply involving and uncannily affecting..."
    Jessica Kiang, The Playlist
  • Highest Rating
    "A chilling slow burner that’s as much about the breakdown of a relationship as it is a mystery, it skulks towards its bleak conclusion and stunning final shot."
    Simran Hans, The Guardian
  • Highest Rating
    ""Harmonium" has plunged headlong into tragedy, but not quite in the way you might imagine. It keeps the guessing games going..."
    A.A. Dowd , AV Club
  • Highest Rating
    "CRITIC'S PICK. ...this chilly tale of violent secrets and unvoiced misery relies heavily on the skill of actors who seem to know that one false move could tip the whole enterprise into comedy."
    Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times

Gallery

Awards & Recognition

Jury Prize
Un Certain Regard
Cannes Film Festival
Official Selection
Special Presentation Programme
Toronto Int'l. Film Festival

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