Cha no aji, (The Taste of Tea) (2004)
Average Rating: 7.9/10
Reviews Counted: 13
Fresh: 13 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 7 | Rotten: 0
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 1,567
Movie Info
Filmmaker Katsuhito Ishii takes a break from the post-Tarantino excess of such highly-stylized outings as Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl for this low-key look at an eccentric family residing in a quiet countryside town just north of Tokyo. The Haruno family is a five-piece clan living the simple life in Japan. The summer sun shining gently down, this quiet quintet is transformed into a six-piece when urban-dwelling uncle Ayano (Tadanobu Asano), a successful music producer, arrives to visit
Oct 12, 2004 Wide
Feb 20, 2007
Cast
-
Mayo Banno
Sachiko the Daughter -
Takahiro Sato
Hajime the Son -
Tadanobu Asano
Ayano the Uncle -
Satomi Tezuka
Yoshiko the Mother -
Tomokazu Miura
Nobuo the Father -
Tatsuya Gasyuin
Grandfather -
Ikki Todoroki
Ikki Todoroki -
Tomoko Nakajima
Akira Terako -
Anna Tsuchiya
Aoi Suzuishi -
Kirin Kin
Granny -
Emi Wakui
Narrator -
-
-
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All Critics (15) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (0)
Quirky with a capital Q...
Top CriticThe film could easily lose a half-hour, but it rewards with a promise that there are unexpected marvels in the world and moments of real grace.
'Weird but cool,' as one character says -- yet the movie is also remarkably touching.
The most charming comedy in town, writer-director-editor Katsuhito Ishii's 2003 piece is a modern Japanese variation on You Can't Take It With You, with some lovely fantastical flourishes.
A description someone gives of a song involved in one of the film's many detours neatly summarizes the movie itself: 'It's more cool than weird, and it stays in your head.'
A tad too long, Tea is nevertheless touching and funny, with charming performances. You might say it's as calming as a hot cup of green tea.
I'm haunted by its whimsical surreality -- and by it's startling conclusion.
The title is well-suited for an Ozu film.
The imagery is joyous, delightfully imaginative, serene and beautiful, and ultimately enchanting.
A messy, heartfelt entanglement of tangential indulgences into the wild eccentricities of human behavior.
...a film that celebrates the small joys of life, and it does so in a way that's both engaging and understated.
pure pleasure
Audience Reviews for Cha no aji, (The Taste of Tea)
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Movie: ID: 770719480 Title: Cha no aji, (The Taste of Tea) Release Date: 2004-10-12 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 6 Status: 1
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I liked the surrealistic edge. I'm glad I finally got to see it!