Review | We Make Antiques! film review: Japanese caper is more humorous high jinks than homage to tradition
2/5 stars
In the world of Japanese antiques, nobody can be trusted – or so it would appear in Masaharu Take’s comedy. We Make Antiques! portrays an industry overrun by duplicitous dealers and fraudulent forgers, where carefully crafted copies are passed off as priceless antiquities to unwitting collectors and institutions alike.
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Between the cons and the humorous high jinks, the director also looks to champion traditional artistry and handicrafts, even if they exist today only to imitate their priceless predecessors.
In the seaside city of Sakai, struggling antiques dealer Norio (Kiichi Nakai) believes he’s struck gold when he discovers a 16th century tea bowl amid a private collection of worthless knick-knacks. The bowl is revealed to be a fake, expertly crafted by local artist Sasuke (Kuranosuke Sasaki), who heads a team of forgers out of a nearby sushi bar.
Soon enough, slippery dealer Hiwatashi (Kogan Ashiya) and stuffy antiques expert Tanahashi (Masaomi Kondo) come sniffing around, and Norio and Sasuke spy an opportunity to join forces and get their revenge on their big-name rivals for past grievances.
Reuniting with his 100 Yen Love screenwriter Shin Adachi, Take sets the stage for a classic con artist caper, and assembles a menagerie of larger-than-life characters who orbit the central protagonists and escalate the overall absurdity.
Chief among these are Norio’s daughter, Imari (Aoi Morikawa) and Sasuke’s timid son Seiji (Tomoya Maeno), who begin an unlikely courtship, while the apparent emergence of such a rare 16th century antique attracts all number of government officials and overseas interest.
Imbued with a reverence for Japanese history, and featuring a number of intricate, almost educational montage sequences detailing the crafting and sculpting of Sasuke’s elegant imitations, We Make Antiques! approaches its niche subject matter with unbridled enthusiasm.
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Whether it will trigger a similar response from viewers is doubtful, however. The film fits a familiar Japanese cinematic mould, championing traditional culture and stoking interest in outdated art forms.
Sasuke and his team of skilled carpenters and calligraphers thrive thanks to their proficiency in obsolete craftsmanship; they question why it is highly valued by antiques collectors, yet allowed to die out in modern society.
Needless to say, Take encourages his audience to show a greater appreciation for the artistry on display, but the persistent cons and double crossing ultimately prove a tiresome distraction.
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