UNDER THE OPEN SKY
After being released from prison, an aging ex-yakuza member faces a society that has no use for him as he struggles to find work and track down his estranged mother.
Besides a shorter haircut and a few dozen additional wrinkles, former yakuza strongman Mikami (Kôji Yakusho) appears not to have changed much following his 13-year stint in prison for murder. Unfortunately for him, Japan has. The dispirited Mikami unknowingly touts his violent past like a scarlet letter, drawing resentment on the very streets where he once elicited fear and respect. As he struggles to make ends meet, Mikami finds an odd circle of sympathizers, including young TV producer Tsunoda (Taiga Nakano). Even if a return to crime would mean a sure fire hit, Tsunoda attempts to find a redemptive story in Mikami’s attempt to reenter society and investigate the whereabouts of his estranged mother. But with each social encounter, Mikami’s old vicious side threatens to be unleashed, potentially ruining any chance at freedom and peace. Famed for films including SHALL WE DANCE? and TAMPOPO, Japanese actor Yakusho delivers his most heartrending and pensive performance as a conflicted man searching for a new purpose in life.
CAST: Kôji Yakusho, Taiga Nakano, Masami Nagasawa, Isao Hashizume
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