Cafe Lumiere

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Cafe Lumiere ★½ Kohi jikou 2005

Taiwanese director Hou dedicates his conhomage to Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu with a narrative about loneliness, isolation, and modern urban life. In Tokyo, Yoko (pop star Hitoto in her debut) announces to her father and stepmother that she's pregnant but has no intention of marrying. Her best friend is bookseller Hijame (Asano). She is doing research on composer Jiang Wen-Ye (whose work is used on the soundtrack); he's doing a computer art project about the city's commuter trains, which mean you see a lot of the subway system. It's understated to the point of incRae, ertia. Japanese with subtitles. 104m/C DVD. D: Hou Hsiao-Hsien; W: Chu Tien-Wen; C: Lee Ping-Bing; M: Jiang Wen.