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Kabei: Our Mother Photos

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Movie Info

In 1940 Tokyo, a woman (Sayuri Yoshinaga) struggles to hold her family together after her husband is imprisonedfor his political views.

Cast & Crew

Sayuri Yoshinaga
Kayo
Tadanobu Asano
Toru Yamasaki
Rei Dan
Hisako
Miku Sato
Teruoyo
Mirai Shida
Hatsuko
Tsurube Shofukutei
Uncle
Mitsugorô Bandô
Shigeru Nogami
Umenosuke Nakamura
Kayo's Father
Yôji Yamada
Director
Yôji Yamada
Screenwriter
Emiko Hiramatsu
Screenwriter
Hiroshi Fukazawa
Producer
Takashi Yajima
Producer
Mutsuo Naganuma
Cinematographer
Iwao Ishii
Film Editor
Isao Tomita
Original Music
Mitsuo Degawa
Production Design
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News & Interviews for Kabei: Our Mother

Critics Consensus: Terminator, Night Are So-So Sequels
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Critic Reviews for Kabei: Our Mother

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

  • Partly because they're relatively rare, homefront movies usually offer a fresh perspective on the tragedies of World War II. That's the case once more with Kabei: Our Mother, a sad and stirring drama from the other side of the Pacific.

    July 10, 2009 | Rating: 3/4

    John Hartl

    Seattle Times

  • For those who prefer movies of substance, there are alternatives -- and I don't mean Terminator Salvation.

    May 22, 2009 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    V.A. Musetto

    New York Post

  • Enriched by Mutsuo Naganuma's velvety photography, the director's restrained emotional grammar is surprisingly affecting.

    May 22, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5

    Jeannette Catsoulis

    New York Times

  • Yamada and crew almost go so far as to suggest that the Japanese had their A-bombs coming to them, if it weren't for the achingly sympathetic family at the film's core.

    May 21, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Henry Stewart

    Slant Magazine

  • The film's comparisons of one woman's suffering to one nation's social descent aren't well drawn enough to escape its own melodramatic pitfalls.

    May 20, 2009 | Rating: 2/6 | Full Review…

    David Fear

    Time Out

  • This is not a story about lamenting the inevitability of time but rather of living in denial.

    May 20, 2009 | Full Review…

    Simon Abrams

    New York Press
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Audience Reviews for 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
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Kâbê (Kaabee) (Kabei: Our Mother) Quotes

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