A hodgepodge of images of and reflections on the eponymous metropolis, this self-proclaimed “city poem” filters its wide-ranging explorations of the Japanese capital through the subject of crows. This ubiquitous Tokyo bird, a nuisance to some and a source of wonder to others, serves as an ideal symbol for the film’s themes of death, evanescence and urban resourcefulness. While the frequent recourse to talking heads burdens the doc with a choppy cadence, directors John Haptas and Kristine Samuelson manage to offer moments of great humor—a crow stealing hairs from zoo animals to build his nest—and images of profound isolation, as in a throwaway shot of a lone man entering a massive motel-like apartment structure.
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