Supermarket Woman (1996) [Film Review]

Supermarket Woman; or, Ideal Shop
     You know, it’s the customers that make a supermarket. The egg incident taught me how scary that can be. Take a look. Thousands of people living here… all wanting the best they can get for their hard-earned money.
Supermarket Woman is a penultimate movie directed by Juzo Itami before his untimely death. It took me quite a while to track it down, but finally, I got to see it. Similarly to his previous works, Supermarket Woman (starring his real-life wife Nobuko Miyamato in the leading role) is a funny, light, feel-good comedy.

Release Info

Directed by: Juzo Itami Starring: Nobuko Miyamoto, Masahiko Tsugawa, Yuji Miyake

Language: Japanese Original Title: スーパーの女 Runtime: 127 min

Synopsis
Kobayashi Goro (Masahiko Tsugawa) is the General Manager of a small “Honest Goro” supermarket which is co-owned by his brothers. All of a sudden, the business is threatened by competition in the form of “Bargain Galore” supermarket which gains fame for its price-cutting techniques. While spying in the hostile shop, Goro bumps into a colleague from grade school, Hanako Inoue (Nobuko Miyamoto). Hanako, being an experienced housewife, knows exactly how supermarkets are cheating their clients and what kind of treatment an average client expects. Goro, evidently impressed by Hanako’s knowledge, immediately hires her as the head of the Customer Service Department. An energetic woman starts to change the stale shop environment, turning “Honest Goro” into the best supermarket in Japan.

Shopping Specialist
Juzo Itami’s films always focus on some social topic: for example, Marusa no Onna (1987) was about taxes, and Minbo (1992) highlighted the issue of yakuza. Supermarket Woman, as the title suggests, is about the supermarkets, but not the big chain ones, those smaller in size where you can buy primarily food.

This film is definitely at the top together with Tampopo (1985) and The Funeral (1984). Contrary to these pictures, it does not contain dark humour. Rather than that, it is a heart-warming story about two friends joining forces and trying to serve their customers as efficiently as possible. Evidently, it is a fictional tale, but I like to think that in such a country as Japan, the supermarket workers are always trying their best.

Also, the unfavourable side of business is exposed as well. We get to see how the sellers cheat on meat, vegetables, and promotion. Without a doubt, these dubious practices are a common occurrence in the world of today and each customer should be cautious while doing shopping.

With regard to performances, Nobuko Miyamoto and Masahiko Tsugawa (who already appeared together in Itami’s A Taxing Woman movies) shine together on the screen as two friends who rely on each other. In addition, there are some great supporting parts done by Akiko Matsumoto and Yuji Miyake.

Recommendations
If you are a fan of Juzo Itami’s films, then definitely check out Supermarket Woman. It will uplift your mood after a hard day and also provide some food for thought (about supermarkets). All in all, Juzo Itami and Nobuko Miyamoto never fail to provide great entertainment.

Overall score: 8/10

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