Aristocrats

Yukiko Sode's 2021 Japanese film is adapted from Mariko Yamauchi's novel and follows two women in Tokyo. Hanako comes from a wealthy family, has attended the right schools all her life and is now expected to marry the man her family approves of. Miki came from the provinces, finished university on her own means and is trying to hold on in the city. They meet through the same man, and the film refuses to build the expected story of jealousy; the women do not see each other as rivals but realise they stand at two ends of the same structure. The account shows class division in Tokyo through places: which district you live in, which restaurant you go to and who knows whom. The tone is calm and the observation detailed. Who it's for: viewers who like Japanese social drama and stories about women. Who it's not for: anyone expecting plot; the film is built on observation.