‘Tony Takitani’: Haunting Murakami adaptation rendered beautifully in new 4K restoration

The best known of them, the piercingly melancholic 2004 relationship drama “Tony Takitani,” has now been restored in 4K. Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, it is said to be the author’s favorite screen adaptation of his work.

The Murakami connection made “Tony Takitani” a standout in Ichikawa’s oeuvre. But it was also a quietly devastating and deftly experimental expression of the director’s own style and concerns.

A fan of Yasujiro Ozu, Ichikawa made films that were Ozuesque even in their titles: “The Tokyo Siblings” (1995), “Tokyo Lullaby” (1997) and “Osaka Story” (1999). But he was also no mere Ozu imitator, making the dark comedy “Tadon to Chikuwa” (1998), with its bizarre CGI imagery.