Kids Return
a TAKESHI KITANO picture
Synopsis
Two teenage boys learn a few funny and poignant lessons along the road to manhood… When Masaru is bullied at school, he and his friend Shinji take boxing lessons. Shinji shows talent and works toward becoming a competitive fighter. Masaru having no talent for boxing ends up working with the Yakuza. The two friends go their separate ways until life’s hard knocks brings them back together. Their friendship is renewed and they once again find solace and companionship. A reflection on the “best years of our lives”.
Stills
Press
"Tender, funny… Yet another perfectly crafted little gem to add to Kitano’s impressive canon of work."
BBC FILMS
"This was the first feature director Takeshi Kitano completed after he fractured his skull in a near-fatal scooter accident. With two pals forming a stand-up comedy team, there’s a strong sense of autobiography about this rites of passage picture…Cross-cutting with typical energy and invention…it provides a bruising encounter with the hard facts of life, Kitano’s trademark."
THE RADIO TIMES
"The film extends such warmth to its characters without indulging or excusing their flaws…their quests for a viable way to survive are, however, seen with all the director’s usual visual and rhythmic flair."
TIME OUT
Festivals
& Awards
Cannes Film Festival
Directors'Fortnight
Yokohama Film Festival
Best Cinematography,
Best Film, Best Supporting Actor
Awards of the Japanese Academy
for Newcomer of the year
Singapore International Film Festival
Karlovy Vary Film Festival
Valladolid Film Festival
San Francisco Film Festival
Cast & Crew
| Ken Kaneko | |
|---|---|
| Masanobu Ando | |
| Rea Morimoto | |
| Susumu Terajima |
| Director | Takeshi Kitano |
|---|---|
| Scriptwriter | Takeshi Kitano |
| Producers | Masayuki Mori, Yasushi Tsuge, |
| Takio Yoshida | |
| Cinematographer | Katsumi Yanagishima |
| Art Director | Hirohide Shibata |
| Editor | Takeshi Kitano |
| Sound | Senji Horikochi |
| Music | Joe Hisaishi |
Releases