Taichi Suzuki has a thing for losers. If there¡¯s a common thread running through the director¡¯s movies to date, it¡¯s that they all involve characters who¡¯ve hit rock bottom, whether it¡¯s an aspiring filmmaker (2012¡¯s ¡°The Brat!¡±), a retired boxer (2022¡¯s ¡°Life in the Fast Lane¡±) or, in the case of ¡°Laugh, Everyone!,¡± a rakugo comic storyteller.
With his shaven head and ample physique, Tamon Saito (Tomizo Nobe) looks like an overgrown baby. A 50-year-old virgin, he¡¯s spent his whole life running away at the first sign of trouble, though that hasn¡¯t stopped him from following his father into the rakugo tradition after the latter was forced to retire due to dementia.
There¡¯s just one problem: He¡¯s hopeless. The extent of Tamon¡¯s comedic shortcomings is revealed during the film¡¯s opening scenes as he performs his regular set at a vaudeville theater in Tokyo (the real-life Asakusa Engei Hall, lending an air of authenticity to the proceedings).
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