The film Tokyo Story (1953) (****) is a subtle masterpiece about Japanese culture in the early 1950s. Subtle, because the themes of the movie — aging, estranged adult children, the bustle of urban life, death — calmly build throughout the film, which runs about two hours and 15 minutes. A masterpiece, because it treats the characters, the locations, and the themes with careful and considerate generosity. In the hands of a lesser director, the film would have become tiresome, or maudlin, or would have created exacting ill-will about some of the children. The film needs some patience — the movie starts slowly, perhaps too slowly for film-watchers accustomed to intense action and the onslaught of computer graphics — but that patience is rewarded for those who have it. Strongly recommended.