The Critexts trio grieves collectively for our colleagues tossed away in the current upheaval. That's why I was so affected by this heartbreaking, emotionally intense story of how getting laid off blows one Japanese family to near ruin. In their non-showy way, the four leads of TOKYO SONATA — Dad, Mom, and two sons — have a power that makes you care for them so deeply: I actually had trouble describing this movie to someone without choking up. Filmed almost entirely in long shot with one gorgeous set-up after another, we feel as if we're peering in on something crushingly personal. And it ends on literal notes of redemption — a flourish as cathartic as it is thrilling. — Jeff Schultz