Laundry (2001)

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Three highly unlikely characters forge a friendship in this offbeat Japanese comedy from first-time director Junichi Mori. Teru (Yosuke Kubozuka) is a big but kindhearted soul whose intellect has been running at half-speed ever since a childhood accident left him with a small amount of brain damage.… More Three highly unlikely characters forge a friendship in this offbeat Japanese comedy from first-time director Junichi Mori. Teru (Yosuke Kubozuka) is a big but kindhearted soul whose intellect has been running at half-speed ever since a childhood accident left him with a small amount of brain damage. Teru earns his keep by keeping an eye on his grandmother's Laundromat. One day, a lovely woman named Mizue (Koyuki) comes in to do her wash, and when she leaves a garment behind, Teru runs out to return it to her. They strike up a friendship, and Teru becomes increasingly infatuated with Mizue until she abruptly moves away without warning. One day, lonely Teru sets out to find Mizue, and ends up hitching a ride with Sally (Takashi Naito), a rough-hewn type who makes his living training pigeons for wedding receptions. Sally finds a kindred spirit in Teru, and together they find Mizue. Mizue welcomes the two men into her home, and the three become inseparable, until Sally one day announces that he's getting married, leaving Mizue and Teru to decide just what sort of life they can have together. Laundry received its North American premier at the 2001 Montreal Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi