Sundance veteran Ira Sachs continues to use legendary Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu as his starting point to explore contemporary New York City. Like his previous gem LOVE IS STRANGE (2014), which structured itself around Ozu's TOKYO STORY (1953), Sachs tackles the difficult issue of gentrification and makes it especially challenging to his viewers by presenting the story from the gentrifier's perspective.
Using both of Ozu's films I WAS BORN BUT (1932) and GOOD MORNiNG (1960), the moral dilemmas of modern society encroaching on the present (and perhaps old fashioned) world is explored from a child's viewpoint. Sachs seems to have nestled himself nicely into a mature genre of strong character-driven, social issue films.
With standout performances by both the glorious Chilean actress Paulina Garcia (from 2013's Gloria) and newcomer Michael Barbieri, who plays the wise-talking "little man" Tony with the kind of natural charm that Anthony Michael Hall projected in John Hughes' SiXTEEN CANDLES (1984) and Jodie Foster in Martin Scorsese's ALiCE DOESN'T LiVE HERE ANYMORE (1974). Ira Sachs is on an Ozu roll. Let's hope he reimagines LATE SPRiNG (1949) or EARLY SUMMER (1951) next.
Using both of Ozu's films I WAS BORN BUT (1932) and GOOD MORNiNG (1960), the moral dilemmas of modern society encroaching on the present (and perhaps old fashioned) world is explored from a child's viewpoint. Sachs seems to have nestled himself nicely into a mature genre of strong character-driven, social issue films.
With standout performances by both the glorious Chilean actress Paulina Garcia (from 2013's Gloria) and newcomer Michael Barbieri, who plays the wise-talking "little man" Tony with the kind of natural charm that Anthony Michael Hall projected in John Hughes' SiXTEEN CANDLES (1984) and Jodie Foster in Martin Scorsese's ALiCE DOESN'T LiVE HERE ANYMORE (1974). Ira Sachs is on an Ozu roll. Let's hope he reimagines LATE SPRiNG (1949) or EARLY SUMMER (1951) next.