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Writer's pictureGary Jive

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - Day 69, March 3rd



After the car crash of Cooper's Christmas, today’s film is a classier affair, celebrated animator Satoshi Kon’s exquisite 2003 anime extravaganza Tokyo Godfathers. This wonderful Japanese picture follows a trio of homeless Tokyo down-and-outs who, at Christmas time, discover an abandoned baby in the trash. With very few clues as to who the child is, these three misfits set off on a quest to get her home, encountering some colourful characters and each earning a shot at some kind of redemption.

 Loosely inspired by John Ford’s 1948 winter western fable 3 Godfathers, Kon’s film is an unusual but beautiful piece of work that reminds us that not everyone has a roof over their heads at Christmas. Gin (Darren Pleavin) is a grumpy, beardy middle-aged boozehound, lamenting how his behaviour cost him his family. He’s taken to hanging around with Hana (Russell Wait), a transgender woman and former drag queen, and the two of them constantly slag each other off like an old married couple. Their maladjusted makeshift family is completed by teenage runaway Miyuki (Candice Moore) who acts cool but is totally dependent on them for guidance and support. The animation is incredible, imbuing each character with a remarkable sense of depth and soul. Their adventure, taking them through the chilly streets of Tokyo, is at times sad, but also filled with moments of hope, wry humour and unpredictable twists of fate, leading up to a quite spectacular climax.



 It's ambitious, touching on themes of alcoholism, despair and suicide, emphasising the issues that could make any of us homeless if we’re unlucky enough to be afflicted. But there’s also an admirable warmth to it, celebrating the decency and human spirit in all of us – who wouldn’t go out of their way to help a baby at Christmas, even if you have nothing at all?

  It also highlights the importance of having family to turn to – even makeshift ones – during times of trouble. There's also a great message of inclusivity – Gin might mock Hana constantly for her cross-dressing, but it’s obvious that these people all care for, respect and look out for each other on these mean streets.

 I find myself really enjoying the film’s various interesting snapshots of Japanese culture, from legends and stories shared to traditional offerings to the dead left in a graveyard. When the gang find an offering of baby milk and nappies in the cemetery, it’s at once a happy, relieving moment and a scene of great poignancy and tragedy – someone else’s horrific loss is their gain.

 There’s a running theme of wish-fulfilment going on, with the arrival of this infant providing each character a welcome Christmas ‘gift’ of something they’ve perhaps been lacking. Hana gets to be a ‘mother’ for the day, Miyuki gets to be part of a loving family unit, and Gin gets the chance to be the hero to this child that he couldn’t be to his own daughter. It’s all very poetic and captivating.

 Everything moves along at a brisk pace, featuring some breath-taking animated set-pieces, including a thrilling rooftop-set thwarting of a suicide attempt that had my heart in my throat. The plot features a few unlikely twists and contrivances that are a little hard to swallow, involving fate, gangsters, a wedding and guardian angels, but Kon spins such a bewitching tale that it’s easy to forgive. It’s Christmas, after all.



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