Aristocrats(HKAFF 2021)

Raised in an upper-class neighborhood of Tokyo, Hanako has lived a charmed life in her privileged bubble. Raised in a humble country-side family, Miki goes to Tokyo to study in a prestigious university, only to end up as a hostess to make ends meet. One day, the two women’s paths cross over Koichiro, a promising young man from an aristocratic family. Based on a novel by Mariko Yamauchi, Yukiko Sode’s dramedy is a clever analysis of the social classes of Tokyo, taking jabs at the elite with light but exacting barbs. Anchored by three of the best Japanese actresses of their generation, this is one of the smartest Japanese films of the year.