Animator Satoshi Kon (MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, PERFECT BLUE, and the hallucinatory PAPRIKA) brings us this heartwarming story about family set on a snowy Christmas Eve in Tokyo. Three disparate homeless people – a wino & gambler, a drag queen, and a runaway – find an abandoned baby in the trash and set out to find the child’s parents. As the film unspools, we slowly get to know this trio and come to genuinely care about them, their past, and come to admire the determination to make things right. Beautifully animated and told with great heart, the film is at times both poignant and comedic with moments that melt the heart. The interactions between the trio show the human side to those who most people fail to see (the homeless) and give them an admirable sense of honor. While not overtly a Christmas film (there are no carols or chestnuts roasting on an open fire), the themes of family and love for one another are universal and applicable to the season. Solid voice acting, superb animation, and a deft and subtle directorial hand makes TOKYO GODFATHERS an absolute delight. TOKYO GODFATHERS would be a terrific film even if it hadn’t been animated. Highly recommended both for the holidays and as an example of how good anime can be.
5 out of 5 stars
~ Thom Carnell
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