Plot: We follow several stories as people traverse the Tokyo nightlife. One woman relies on hard drugs to get herself through the day at her office job, a Pakistani worker isn't finding the promised happiness in Japan and has no money to return home, and some low-ranking criminals get into a little scuffle. Just another ordinary night in Tokyo.
Watches
January 18, 2023
A classic 'seedy underbelly of a city' vignette. Junk Food serves an alternate view of Tokyo, far removed from the flashy glitz and glamour that is usually associated with Japan's capital. It's not a very original take of course, films like these are a staple of every nation's cinema, but Yamamoto's attempt is appropriately gritty and raw, so it didn't disappoint.
The plot feels a little unhinged, but this is mostly a mood piece anyway. Yamamoto plays around with both narrative and form and delivers a pretty neat and condensed little crime/drama. It may lack the punch of some of the better films in the genre and I'm not sure how memorable Junk Food will prove to be, but it was an easy watch with enough quality to please a wide array of film fans.