Not Forgotten (2002)

Synopsis: Makoto Shinozaki's NOT FORGOTTEN is an entertaining, ambitious motion picture that defies easy categorization. The story concerns three aging World War II veterans living in modern day Japan, who... Makoto Shinozaki's NOT FORGOTTEN is an entertaining, ambitious motion picture that defies easy categorization. The story concerns three aging World War II veterans living in modern day Japan, who are wrestling demons from the past, while trying to come to terms with their rapidly approaching mortality. Ito, a charming widower, is shocked to discover that he might be falling in love; Kijima lives a solitary life, mourning the family that was taken from him during an enemy firebombing; and Heihachi is a restaurant owner who learns that his wife has terminal cancer. Entering into the mix is a cult-like group, Utopia, who trains impressionable young adults with the purpose of scamming the elderly out of their entire savings. When Kijima, Ito, and Heihachi figure out that Utopia has been working their evil on them, they use their suppressed anger to take a final stand once and for all. Shinozaki's film is a jarringly fresh viewing experience, which hops between genres in a wholly original manner. Equal parts romantic comedy, war drama, and thriller, NOT FORGOTTEN also manages to be a moving commentary on the universal topic of aging, set in a contemporary Japan that is still trying to find its post-World War II identity. [More]

Starring: Tatsuya Mihashi, Minoru Ohki, Tomio Aoki, Keiko Utsumi

Starring: Tatsuya Mihashi, Minoru Ohki, Tomio Aoki, Keiko Utsumi, Akiko Kazami, Saburo Shinoda

Director: Makoto Shinozaki

Director: Makoto Shinozaki
Screenwriter: Makoto Shinozaki, Ryo Yamamura
Producer: Yuji Sadai, Naoki Kai, Katsuichi Sawai

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