(Note: "Kazoku Game" is the original Japanese title of the TV drama series and movie, known as "Family Game" in English. It is not related to the 1983 film "The Family Game.")
In a nutshell, it's an incredibly bizarre film but a masterpiece. It cynically portrays the everyday problems of an ordinary family in a peculiar and unique way.
The visual composition is skillful, capturing the linear dining scenes and aerial shots of the schoolyard and dry atmosphere of the housing complex. Particularly memorable are the repeated and striking dining scenes that evoke "The Last Supper." The absence of music, with only ambient sounds, is perfectly suited to the film. The actors' performances appear entirely unscripted, giving a remarkably natural feel to the film.
It realistically depicts the daily life, family dynamics, education, academic performance, adults, and adolescent children in old Japan. The content is uniquely humorous and laugh-inducing. Every scene is unsettling due to the peculiar camera work. The extended long take of the final dining table scene is truly impressive. The insertion of wide-angle landscapes, the close-ups and pullbacks, the circling camera movements, and the static long take shots are all superb. The low-angle and aerial angles, along with the rhythm of the cuts, are highly satisfying.
In the composition of "The Last Supper" scene, the family tutor's escalating indulgence in food and drink, disregarding the father's lecture, is exceptional. The film provides insight into the surreal aspects of family life, with a seemingly detached yet satirical portrayal, teaching us about the nature of visual expression.
The Family Game (1983) ORIGINAL TRAILER