Osaka Story [was RE: Need help identifying a film]

[jacqui chen]

Ichikawa Jun's "Osaka Story" crops up occassionally on Yahoo! Japan auctions,
as ex-rental VHS. The only subtitled version I've seen is in Chinese 
(pirated of course, not recommended:))

Mark Schilling likened it, quite memorably, to Gershwin's ode of "Rhapsody in Blue".

At first it is rather sanitized manzai, mom'n'pops shops of Osaka, and nods to Ozu.
The 2nd half veers a bit into idol drama (star-making turn for Ikewaki Chizuru.)

Jacqui