Written, directed, edited by and starring Takeshi Kitano (Sonatine, Hana-Bi – you also might know him from Battle Royale or Takeshi’s Castle), Kikujiro is a bittersweet road trip across the Japanese countryside accompanied by an absolutely gorgeous score by the great Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle). One lonely summer in Tokyo, young schoolboy Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi) finds photos of his long lost mother along with her address way out in Toyohashi. Setting off on a quest to find her, Masao is joined by his neighbour Kikujiro (Takeshi Kitano) – a loveable ex-yakuza fool. On their travels these two outcasts forge a bond of laughter and tears as they encounter all sorts of surprises and strange characters.

While Takeshi Kitano is celebrated for directing offbeat yakuza sagas and serene dramas, he is better known in Japan for his illustrious career as a comedian, movie star and TV personality (he even paints, sings, tap dances and designed a video game). With Kikujiro, Kitano brings all aspects of himself to craft a graceful journey through slapstick, manzai-style comedy, heavy pathos and moving sentimentality with stunning minimalist framing and an affecting childlike sensibility. An excellent entry point to one of Japan’s modern masters of cinema, Kikujiro generously delivers on the good laugh / cry cocktail, garnished with a sweet main theme that’ll be stuck in your head for weeks.