A mother's love is invincible

review of new films & DVDs

Based on Japanese writer and artist Lily Franky's best-selling autobiographical novel, Tokyo Tower, Mom and I and Sometimes Dad is a heart-warming film about a wayward son and his loving mother.

Masaya (Joe Odagiri), the son, grows up in a dysfunctional family where his eccentric artist dad likes to drink when he is not beating up his wife (Kikikilin) - or doing both at the same time.

The brave woman leaves her husband and single-handedly raises Masaya, who later moves to Tokyo to study at art school.

Dazzled by city life, Masaya squanders most of his time and money dating, playing mahjong and drinking. Yet his mother never gives up on him. She works in a small restaurant in the countryside to support Masaya's extravagant lifestyle, always supports his talents and insists he complete his university education.

After being pulled from the brink of making a complete mess of his life, Masaya develops into a talented artist. But his happiness is short-lived: soon after coming to live with him in Tokyo, his mother is diagnosed with cancer.