Noriko's Dinner Table (2006) [Film Review]

Noriko’s Dinner Table; or, Dirty Horrible Things
     You wanna put a memory in here?
Note: This review was originally written for an external site in April this year, but I decided against its publication in view of the sexual misconduct allegations involving Sion Sono. After over half a year, there are no recent news on the matter, so I am posting my text on the blog. The review appears in its unabridged form.

Let’s take a trip back to the past and explore Sion Sono during his pre-Love Exposure fame. Back in 2002, Siono made cult indie horror called Suicide Circle. This movie focused on the taboo topic of suicides and questionable morality of the Japanese youth in an extremely dark, brutal, and harrowing manner. The innovative (and undoubtedly postmodernist) project would not have gained so much popularity nowadays had it not been for its 2006 follow-up Noriko's Dinner Table.

Release Info

Directed by: Sion Sono Starring: Kazue Fukiishi, Tsugumi Otake, Ken Mitsuishi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 紀子の食卓 Runtime: 159 min

Synopsis

Meet Noriko (Kazue Fukiishi) who is a 17-year-old girl from a small town. She desires to enrol at a Tokyo university' however, her overprotective father (Ken Mitsuishi) objects to the idea. He is afraid that Noriko may meet some random stranger and become pregnant. Still, Noriko decides to run away from home. In Tokyo, she meets up with a friend whom she chatted with via an online website, Ueno Station 54 (Tsugumi Otake). Noriko changes her identity and joins her friend's business that rents out people to act as part of family members. After a few months, Noriko's younger sister Yuko (Yuriko Yoshitaka) joins her as well.

Depression Walk With Me

The film in question takes place before, during, and after the events presented in Suicide Circle. Some Sion Sono online fans claim that it is impossible to understand Suicide Circle without Noriko’s Dinner Table, but I dare to say this is not the case at all. Noriko’s Dinner Table is a strong enough movie to stand on its own and does not require the knowledge of Suicide Circle to be enjoyed.

Evidently, the story of the film presents us with the character of Noriko, an introverted girl who spends her free time chatting on a website haikyo[dot]com (literally ruins[dot]com). A friendship she forges there encourages Noriko (Kazue Fukiishi) to abandon her family and boring small-town lifestyle. She arrives in Tokyo and joins her friend, Kumiko (Tsugumi Otake), who goes by the moniker “Ueno Station 54”. Soon after, Noriko’s sister, Yuka (Yuriko Yoshitaka), joins them as well. Noriko’s father (Ken Mitsuishi), desperate to track down his missing daughters, also rushes to Tokyo. Will he be able to re-establish his family?

In terms of its narrative structure, Noriko’s Dinner Table feels more like a novel rather than a movie. This stems from the fact that the film was inspired by Sono’s original novel Suicide Circle: The Complete Edition in which the director outlines the events from the perspective of four major characters: Noriko, Yuka, Kumiko, and Tetsuzo. The movie expands on the themes of suicides and the fragility of life by adding the motif of the degradation of family unit. What seemed to be a perfect family in a photograph is not always like that, according to Sono. There is a generational gap which renders the parents unable to recognise the individuality and true worth of their children.

Another concerning matter is the meta-theatricality presented in the film. Almost every main character assumes an additional identity. Noriko becomes Mitsuko, Yuka becomes Yoko, whereas Kumiko introduces herself as Ueno Station 54. These are parentless people who pretend to be fake family members for money. This in turn allows them to confront their emotions and provide a much-needed catharsis, especially towards the bloody finale. In my opinion, Noriko’s Dinner Table does better in this performance-within-a-performance modus operandi than the recent Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car (2021).

Excellent cinematography cannot go unnoticed. I would not say that the controversial technique of “shaky cam” was utilised, but definitely the majority of scenes were shot in a handheld way, which really enhances the otherworldly perception of reality, as if what we are seeing is a dream. As for the flashback memories of Noriko, it was a surprise to see 8mm footage.

With regard to performances, Kazue Fukiishi definitely steals the movie as Noriko, but at times, it is Tsugumi Otake as Kumiko who feels as the story’s primary heroine. Yuriko Yoshitaka does well in a supporting role, especially in view of the fact that this was the actress’ onscreen debut. Last but not least, Ken Mitsuishi is unforgettable as the father.

Recommendations
All things considered, if you wish to avoid the overt creepiness of Suicide Circle and jump onto something more palpable, then I recommend Noriko’s Dinner Table. I think if you like postmodern horror vibes, you can’t go wrong with Sion Sono and his certainly larger-than-fiction idiosyncratic style when it comes to filmmaking.

Overall score: 7/10

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