One of the best Ozu films: Late Autumn

Yasujiro Ozu's Late Autumn (1960) has all the great Ozu elements: A smart and beautifully written screenplay (by Ozu and Kogo Nota, writing partner throughout their careers), subtle and careful direction, beautiful production and art direction - practically every interior scene is a work of art; if nothing else, watch some of this movie for the color-coordinations - and terrific acting, esp from the two frequent Ozu stars, Chishu Ryu, who appears in Ozu films over the course of his entire adult life, and Setsuko Hara, frequent female lead). This is by no means an action film; the plot unfolds quietly and deliberately - and over the course of 2 hours gives us a careful look into the lives and mores of a small group of characters: A group of 3 men, old friends who meet up at a memorial service for a friend who'd died 5 years back, and who begin a discussion about the widow and her 20-something daughter. In a somewhat comical, rueful manner the 3 old guys become matchmakers, seeking a suitable husband for the young daughter - who seems to claim that she will never leave her widowed mother - and trying to arrange for one of the guys (the Ryu character) to marry the widow (Hara). It looks as if this is headed toward a comic conclusion w/ multiple marriages and everyone happy, but it's much darker and more subtle than that, with various bruised egos,  arguments, estrangements, shame, and reconciliation along the way; in part, this is an examination of Japanese culture of its time, understated, feelings rarely expressed directly, everyone smiling and being polite even as they grit their teeth. In other ways, it's a universal story of love, devotion, loneliness, and the clash between generations - one of the finest scenes is the young office worker telling off the 3 old, meddling men. Like many Ozu films, this one ends on a plangent, sorrowful note that will surprise most viewers - one of his best works for sure.