Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother)

2008

Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother)

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80%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 752

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Movie Info

Veteran Japanese filmmaker Yoji Yamada's 80th feature film concerns a mother living in 1940s-era Tokyo who is forced to care for her two daughters alone after her husband is jailed for expressing reformist views on the Japanese invasion of China. Professor Shigeru Nogami (Mitsugoro Bando) is an outspoken man with some particularly unpopular political views, and for his role in speaking out against the Japanese invasion of China he is promptly jailed. In the wake of his imprisonment, Professor Nogami's devoted wife, Kayo (aka Kabei, played by Sayuri Yoshinaga), is suddenly relegated to the status of single mother. As Kayo does the best to care for the couple's two young daughters, her stern policeman father (Umenosuke Nakamura) proves little help. Thankfully for Kayo and the two children, the people of the neighborhood are more concerned with the well-being of her family than her husband's political views. One of the professor's former students in particular, the clumsy but well-meaning Yamasaki (Tadanobu Asano), does his best to ensure that the Nogami family is properly cared for until the day his mentor can return.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Art House & International, Drama
Directed By:

Yoji Yamada
Written By:

Yoji Yamada, Emiko Hiramatsu
In Theaters:

Jan 26, 2008 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Sep 8, 2009
Runtime:

133 minutes
Studio:

Strand Releasing

Cast

Sayuri Yoshinaga
as Kayo

Mitsugoro Bando
as Shigeru Nogami

Tadanobu Asano
as Toru Yamasaki

Miku Sato
as Teruyo Nogami

Keiko Toda
as Teruyo Nogami, Adult

Mirai Shida
as Hatsuko Nogami

Tsurube Shôfukutei
as Senkichi Fujioka

Umenosuke Nakamura
as Kayo's Father

Rei Dan
as Hisako Nogami

Denden

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News & Interviews for Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother)

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Critic Reviews for Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother)

All Critics (15) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (2)

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Audience Reviews for Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother)

Mar 07, 2010

Yoji Yamada is one of today's most brilliant directors. I have really enjoyed his period pieces, which have brought back fun memories of classic Samurai movies. Yamada has a subtle and quiet voice which he usually uses well. Kabei: Our Mother seemed like it came from a different director altogether. Set out like a series of memoirs, the film relied heavily on an intrusive narration and episodic structure. I never felt at ease, or intrigued, by the films pace. There were segments I enjoyed, most involving Asano, who kept his emotions in the open without making them obvious. The end was also very melodramatic, with screaming and crying forcing their way in. It was all very 'bitty', but each individual 'bit' had something to enjoy.

Luke B Super Reviewer
May 17, 2009

The Japanese classicism of Ozu is alive and well in director Yôji Yamada. Sayuri Yoshinaga's complex performance as the mother in this is simply stunning

Tobias X Super Reviewer