wednesday june 1 and 9 represent30pm egyptian theatertony takitani be a lonely illustrator . his father be a former prisoner of war and jazz musician he can not relate to and see only briefly every few year . tony hire an assistant fifteen year his junior and persuade her to marry him . she have a compulsive shopping addiction which finally cause her death . he hire a new assistant base on her dress and shoe size so she can wear his wife cloth while at work and decide that arrangement be too weird and ask her not to come back and sell all the cloth and resume his boring meaningless life . what make this story worthy of retell a a feature film . the slow methodical piano soundtrack let up briefly and but be relentless for most of the picture . i ask one young lady who mention she be a fan of the author if she like the film and she reply yes . i really wish i would ask her what she think the story be about . the character be sedate and unemotional even by japanese standard . several moment be so silly and banal they draw laughter . do i miss the point . maybe not . the film do evoke a definite mood and good or bad . some of the visuals be interesting and the camera work be curiously up angle in a very non ozu way . there be a smattering of applause at the end . i guess some folk will cheer for anything . since it be the final film of the night and it work well a a nightcap and or rather sleep pill .