is a 2009 Japanese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by

Kichitaro Negishi is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a ...

. It is based on the 1947 short story of the same name by

Osamu Dazai was a Japanese author. A number of his most popular works, such as '' The Setting Sun'' (''Shayō'') and ''No Longer Human'' (''Ningen Shikkaku''), are considered modern-day classics. His influences include Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, Murasaki Shiki ...

Synopsis

Sachi is the long-suffering wife of popular novelist Otani in post-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Japan. Brilliant but self-destructive, Otani spends his days drinking, running up debts, and looking for inspiration with other women. A visit from Miyo and Kichizo, the owners of the tavern which Otani frequents, informs Sachi that her husband has run up a fortune in debts and has stolen money from them. To pay off the debt, Sachi becomes a waitress at the bar, where her beauty and warmth bring in new customers. While working at the bar, she meets a young laborer, Okada, who falls in love with her. Also on hand are Sachi's old boyfriend, Tsuji, and her husband's mistress, Akiko. Though increasingly empowered by her new independence, Sachi retains her allegiance to her husband.

Cast

Takako Matsu (born June 10, 1977) also known as is a Japanese actress and pop singer. Personal life Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, ...

as Sachi *

Tadanobu Asano , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in ''Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in ''Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Kenj ...

as Otani *

Shigeru Muroi is a Japanese actress. She won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 19th Hochi Film Awards for '' Izakaya Yūrei''. Filmography Film * ''Something Like It'' (1981) – Aya * ''Burst City'' (1982) * '' Female Prisoner: Cage'' (1983) – ...

as Miyo *

Masatō Ibu is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is sometimes credited as Masato Eve. Filmography Films * ''Love Hotel'' (1985) *''Maison Ikkoku'' (1986) *''Empire of the Sun'' (1987) – Sgt. Nagata *'' Sukeban Deka'' (1987) *'' Toki o Kakeru Shōj ...

as Kichizo *

Ryōko Hirosue is a Japanese actress and singer, best known to international audiences for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced ''Wasabi'' and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film '' Departures''. She also starred in the 2008 comedy series ''Yasuko to Kenji ...

as Akiko *

Satoshi Tsumabuki is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough film was ''Waterboys'' for which he was nominated for the 'Best Actor' award at the Japanese Academy Awards, and won the 'Newcomer of the Year' prize. He is also the bassist and lead singer of the Japanese ...

as Okada *

Shinichi Tsutsumi is a Japanese stage and screen actor. Internationally, he is best known for his roles as Koichi Takagi in the ''Monday'' films, Tetsuya Ishigami in the ''Suspect X'' films, and Jo Sawashiro in '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon.'' In Japan, he is best kno ...

as Tsuji *

Ken Mitsuishi is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in films such as ''Chaos'' and '' Tokyo Playboy Club''. Filmography Film ;1980s *'' Tora's Tropical Fever'' (1980) *'' Foster Daddy, Tora!'' (1980) *'' Sailor Suit and Machine Gun'' (1981) *''Tora-san, the Ex ...

Mirai Yamamoto is a Japanese actress. Her father is Kansai Yamamoto. Personal life Yamamoto was born in Tokyo, Japan. She met Kippei Shiina in 1995 when they worked together on the series , and began dating him after they co-starred in the 1998 film ''Fuyaj ...

Release

The film premiered at the

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (WFF; french: le Festival des Films du Monde) was one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF (although the Toronto Internat ...

in September 2009 and was released theatrically in Japan on 10 October 2009. It was released in New York in July 2010 and had its UK premiere in December 2010.

Home media

''Villon's Wife'' was released on DVD in Japan in April 2010 and in Hong Kong in May 2010.

Awards

2009

* Best Director:

33rd Japan Academy Prize * Best Actress: Takako Matsu * Best Art Direction: Yohei Taneda and Kyōko Yauchi 34th

Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded by the ''Hochi Shimbun , previously known as , is a Japanese-language daily sports newspaper. In 2002, it had a circulation of a million copies a day. It is an affiliate newspaper of ''Yomiuri Shimbun''. ...

* Best Actress: Takako Matsu 2010

Kinema Junpo Award , commonly called , is Japan's oldest film magazine and began publication in July 1919. It was first published three times a month, using the Japanese ''Jun'' (旬) system of dividing months into three parts, but the postwar ''Kinema Junpō'' ha ...

* Best Actress: Takako Matsu 23rd

Nikkan Sports Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by the ''Nikkan Sports''. Categories *Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Film, Best Film *Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Foreign Film, Best Foreign Film *Nikkan Sports Film Award for Best Director ...

* Best Actress: Takako Matsu

References

External links

* * * * {{Kichitaro Negishi 2009 films 2009 drama films Japanese drama films Films based on short fiction Films based on works by Japanese writers Toho films Films directed by Kichitaro Negishi 2000s Japanese films