Late Autumn

Marriage? It’s all right for some… That’s Yasujiro Ozu’s measured assessment in this bittersweet late masterpiece. Realising their late friend’s widow (Setsuko Hara, the daughter-in-law from Tokyo Story) has been alone too long, three middle-aged male friends initiate a bumbling plan to find her a husband. Meanwhile, Hara herself hopes to marry off her 20-something daughter (Yoko Tsukasa), while the latter, living at home, is worried about leaving her mum on her own. Given that none of the parties is swift to share their thoughts with anyone else, it’s a recipe for hurt and misunderstanding, played out as a wistful comedy of human errors.