We Make Antiques!

Norio (Kiichi Nakai} owns a struggling antique business in Sakai near Osaka and is always looking for a real, rare find – but never succeeds. He meets a potter, a paper expert and a forger and they put together a plan to recreate a “genuine” Ryuko tea cup and sell it for millions in “We Make Antiques!”

Laura's Review: B-

Robin's Review: B-

In Western hands, with this story, we could have had a taut crime drama about a gang of forgers, each with a particular set of unique skills, scamming the ceramics art world for millions or a slapstick caper farce. Neither is the path director Masaharu Take and scribe Shin Adachi take with their very different story about the gang of amateur criminals trying to pull of their elaborate, clever scam. Instead of hard-boiled thugs, this gang is made up of every day guys who happen to have the skills necessary to create the object of their desire. This makes “We Make Antiques!” a light and whimsical look into a world very different than my own. It is quietly funny as its many con games, not just our gang’s, unfold. Some may consider this a slow burn but that is part of its charm. That, and the colorful and amusing members of the forgery team. This is the kind of gentle comedy that leaves a smile on my face.