The Taste of Tea plays like a Japanese version of
Little Miss Sunshine. The comparison doesn't give enough credit to
The Taste of Tea since this Japanese film goes into more subtle and more unsubtle territory than anything produced in America. This is a movie about a family. They live together, but have some very separate lives. There is comedy in some of their interactions and the grandfather character especially has some over-the-top moments. The tone of the film is more sweet and sad than funny or slapstick. Funny moments are usually bittersweet because they show how each character has some vulnerability. The father is hard-working but wants his wife to succeed in her goal to be a successful anime artist. The grandfather seems like a clown but has real dedication to the family and their dreams. The son is trying to figure out how to be a man and is exploring his feelings for a girl at school. The themes could be drawn from lots of other movies, but the execution here is better than most. A perfect example of this comes from the scenes with the little girl in the family. She is a dreamer and is at the point where she wants to grow up... she's very serious throughout most of the film. The characterization of the girl and her acting tells a certain part of the story, but the film shows her literally divided into two people at certain points. Her "other" persona appears as a giant girl looking in on her activities or watching while she daydreams. In other cases, the films veers toward very dramatic moments where modern-day activity is interspersed with singing and dancing. This reminded me of Miike's
Happiness of the Katakuris. The Taste of Tea even manages to work in animation at several points.
There isn't a real plot here other than what each member of the family is going through. The father and the uncle character played by Tadanobu Asano are the least developed during the course of the film, but they have a strong presence on screen. Both seem to have deferred their dreams in some way while the other characters are finding happiness, until the end of the movie. By the time the credits roll, everyone has reached some point of change or resolution. When a film takes you on a journey, it is always an interesting experience. The Taste of Tea does this in a way that feels honest and humble. There is a strength behind the camera in the way shots are framed and in the use of color. Rather than create a strict narrative, the Director lets us find our way though things with this family and experience life through their little moments. If you're looking for something scripted and tight, you won't make it through all 145 minutes of The Taste of Tea. Compared to movies that revolve around a single story element or multiple stories coming together in a time and place, this feels unfocused. In the time I spent watching these characters on screen, I really started to like them. Their stories were interesting and some of the fantasy elements just focused my attention on the mystical, unexplained feelings we all have from time to time. The Taste of Tea has an Eastern sentiment flowing through it where the journey is stressed over any specific destination. My advice? Enjoy the ride.
