A teenager named Noriko Shimabara runs away from her family in Toyokawa, to meet Kumiko, the leader of an Internet BBS, Haikyo.com. She becomes involved with Kumiko’s “family circle,” which grows darker after the mass suicide of 54 high school girls.
One of the most ambitious tonal mash-ups in memory, Noriko's Dinner Table is a domestic comedy, a bloody psychological thriller and a comment on the fragility of identity.
– Matt Zoller Seitz,
New York Times,
13 Jun 2007
rotten:
Too long by half.
– Leslie Felperin,
Variety,
13 Jun 2007
fresh:
Although certain aspects of [director] Sono's opus may get lost in translation, you don't need to know Japanese to understand the pitfalls of contemporary communication.
– Raven Snook,
Time Out New York,
16 Jun 2007
rotten:
Noriko's Dinner Table is both prequel and sequel to Suicide Club -- but never its equal. It's twice as long and three times as ponderous.
– James C. Taylor,
L.A. Weekly,
5 Jul 2007
fresh:
Noriko's Dinner Table embraces [suicidal] tendencies with gusto and striking originality. The film is a boldly fragmented and tantalizing saga.