Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

Thanks to shin2 I got to watch Shonen Merikensakku (the Brass Knuckle Kids) tonight.

http://www.meriken-movie.jp/

And I have to say... I had a blast. No, I'm not a punk rock fan. But it never bothered me. That whole movement always reminded me of the soft ball teams I played on either at work or with different theater groups. People with no athletic ability or talent whatsoever... who were just having a great time giving it their all.

Miyazaki Aoi was terrific as the human embodiment of cuteness. And "the kids" the left over, 50 year old band members who wanted to have some fun again were great.

It made me laugh, and it felt like the two hours went by in about half an hour.

Not one for the ages... but it'll put a smile on your face.

Geezer wrote:Thanks to shin2 I got to watch Shonen Merikensakku (the Brass Knuckle Kids) tonight.

http://www.meriken-movie.jp/

And I have to say... I had a blast. No, I'm not a punk rock fan. But it never bothered me. That whole movement always reminded me of the soft ball teams I played on either at work or with different theater groups. People with no athletic ability or talent whatsoever... who were just having a great time giving it their all.

Miyazaki Aoi was terrific as the human embodiment of cuteness. And "the kids" the left over, 50 year old band members who wanted to have some fun again were great.

It made me laugh, and it felt like the two hours went by in about half an hour.

Not one for the ages... but it'll put a smile on your face.

The movie had some mad laughs...Kudo Kankuro the writer has carved out quite a niche of comedic films & dramas.

Film review of AIR DOLL by director Hirokazu Koreeda...I know at least shin2 enjoys many of his works.


============================

AIR DOLL (2009)

For the past few years, Hirokazu Koreeda seems to be consciously trying to move toward a more commercial form of filmmaking, or at least toward making films capable of reaching audiences (particularly homegrown audiences) wider than festival and arthouse crowds. His pacifist samurai film Hana (Hanayori mo Naho, 2007), which starred multi-media idol and cover boy Junichi Okada, was a very clear attempt in that direction and saw the filmmaker promptly snubbed by the major festivals that normally vie for his presence. A planned biopic of perennially popular actress Yoshiko Yamaguchi / Ri Koran seems to have fallen through, but even with the seeming return to his Ozu-inspired arthouse roots that was Still Walking, Koreeda sought to reach a mainstream audience by casting the ubiquitous handsome romantic lead Hiroshi Abe as the father of the family.

While the artistic success of these ventures may be a matter of debate, there is little doubt that Koreeda's latest effort Air Doll is both his most commercial film and one of his most accomplished. Beginning life as a work-for-hire adapted from a short manga by Yoshiie Gouda, Air Doll is the story of an inflatable sex doll that gains life and goes in search of what it means to be human. Straying from the cramped, rickety house of her owner, lonely mama's boy Hideo (Itao), the doll goes out on daily treks around the neighbourhood, befriending a variety of individuals, taking a job at a video store and even starting a relationship with her mild-mannered co-worker (Arata).

Just as the titular doll escapes the confines of her existence, so does the film grow well beyond its modest origins. Koreeda's adaptation of the source material - he also wrote the screenplay - is according to all accounts a very liberal one, retaining from the manga only the basic idea of the doll coming to life and going his own way from there. Conversely, the source material also pushes the director into areas he may not have explored otherwise. One example of this is the choice of cinematographer Mark Lee (In the Mood for Love), whose elegant and languid tracking shots are decidedly un-Koreeda-like but give Air Doll a visual splendor rarely found in Japanese films these days (cinematography remains one of current Japanese cinema's weak points).

Though the most immediate reference for Air Doll's search for the true meaning of humanity would be Pinocchio, the central theme is one recurrent in Japanese literature, Frankensteinian though it may be. Ian Buruma devoted an entire chapter of his best-known collection of essays, A Japanese Mirror (a.k.a. Behind the Mask), to "The Human Work of Art", in which he makes ample reference to the work of literary great Junichiro Tanizaki. Tanizaki's first published work The Tattooist (Shisei, 1910) deals with the transformation of an innocent maiden into a man-eating femme fatale through the manipulation of her body - in this case a tattoo of a spider that covers her entire back. Air Doll more closely resembles another such story of Tanizaki's, the novel Naomi (Chijin no Ai, 1924), in which a shy, unmarried engineer's attempts to groom a teenage girl into an ideal Western-style lady see her transforming instead into a loose-moraled, manipulative wench with a string of boyfriends.

Both these classics were adapted for the screen by Yasuzo Masumura, the former (Spider Tattoo / Irezumi, 1966) starring Ayako Wakao and the latter (A Fool's Love / Chijin no Ai, 1966) starring Michiyo Okusu. Air Doll lacks the dark side that characterises so many of Masumura's protagonists, presenting the living doll as an ingenue and most of the flaws in the people around her as symptoms of a sick society: a lonely old man, a beauty-obsessed middle-aged woman, a shy nerd, and a bulimic shut-in. Koreeda sets the story in one of Tokyo's remaining shitamachi, an old neighbourhood of little independent houses, while ominous high-rises wait on the other side of the river for the aging abodes to crumble, impatient to take over the turf.

The presence of this social context and the striking use of Tokyo's cityscapes certainly confirms that Air Doll is well and truly a Koreeda film, one closely related to his most celebrated work Nobody Knows. Still, it is his most playful film yet, perhaps even his most optimistic, though balanced by a tragic undercurrent.

But to return to Masumura, Air Doll is also Koreeda's most overtly erotic creation. Its sexual nature is inherent in the premise and although sexuality is hardly characteristic of the director's work, there are thankfully no signs of prudishness in Air Doll. This is truly a film about an inflatable sex doll, with all the situations this entails. Even after she has been given the gift of life, the doll continues to believe that her function is to give sexual pleasure, and thanks to the very short skirt of the maid's uniform she wears on her outings, the men around her seem to agree.

This is one reason why the casting of Bae Doona is a masterstroke. Certainly not a classical screen beauty, the Korean actress nevertheless oozed sex appeal in a number of her earlier roles, most notably in Park Chan-wook's Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. In Air Doll she is magnificent, and not only for her sex appeal: she combines such contradictory traits as innocence, eroticism, cuteness, vulnerability, and inhuman outlandishness all into a single performance - traits that most actors would have trouble expressing individually. There may be a few Japanese actresses capable of pulling off the role (Rinko Kikuchi and Hanae Kan spring to mind), but the added fact that we know Bae is Korean only helps set the character apart from all those around her.

Like his main actress, Koreeda succeeds in expressing contradictory emotions in a single film, and often within a single scene or even a single shot. The culmination of this is the film's finale, which is equal parts erotic, harrowing, horrific, and blackly humorous. Though overlong (another weakness of recent Japanese film) at 126 minutes, Air Doll is a great achievement on the part of a director who has already been praised to the heavens by some - it may well be the film that convinces all the others.

DVD Beaver review of AK 100: 25 films of Akira Kurosawa: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews48/ak100_25_films_of_akira_kurosawa.htm

[image]

bmwracer wrote:DVD Beaver review/comparison of Imamura Shohei's Black Rain: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview3/blackrain.htm

[image]

Thanks, :) picked it up a few days ago, think it's on of the first films Mikke worked on. New to this thread, forum in general, movies are almost too much of an obsession with me, :banghead: you'll see me around here too much!

You've got 177 pages to catch up on... :mrgreen:

bmwracer wrote:You've got 177 pages to catch up on... :mrgreen:

Thanks, just put the pot of coffee on but this kind of talk never makes me drowsy! :victory: Like all movies, though prefer older ones, got a boxload yesterday to keep me occupied, first 4 Red Peony movies, 8 all together, they are from the late 60's, watched the first one, could not take my eyes off the screen! :woot:
[image]

Cool.

Do you know about asiandvdclub.org?

Lots of asian dvd rips available for download via BT.... Great site. :victory:

bmwracer wrote:Cool.

Do you know about asiandvdclub.org?

Lots of asian dvd rips available for download via BT.... Great site. :victory:

No, but I do know, thanks, will go now and check it out...my wallet may thank you more! :applaud:

hitomi #1 wrote:No, but I do know, thanks, will go now and check it out...my wallet may thank you more! :applaud:

I accept cash. :beaten:

One thing about that site: you have to register and maintain a good upload to download ratio (>1.0) or they'll ban you from the site.

bmwracer wrote:
I accept cash. :beaten:

One thing about that site: you have to register and maintain a good upload to download ratio (>1.0) or they'll ban you from the site.

Yup, noticed that, I have so, so many movies that are unavailable over here, sure(hope) I can make a few contributions. :fingerscrossed: Jpopsuki is the same way, think it's fair, been on too many sites where someone just joins, then grabs 100 files and are never heard from again. :angry:

I really wanna watch this film that Kimura Takuya is in. I COME WITH THE RAIN. here`s the info :victory:

The Below Information is from Wikipedia

Main Cast and Characters

Josh Hartnett as Kline
Elias Koteas as Hasford
Lee Byung-hun as Su Dongpo
Takuya Kimura as Shitao
Shawn Yue as Meng Zi
Trần Nữ Yên Khê as Lili
Eusebio Poncela as Vargas
William Chow Tze Ho as Mi Fu
Thea Aquino as Erotic dancer
Russ Kingston as Felix Sportis
Jacob J. Ziacan as Hospital orderly

Plot
Kline, a former Los Angeles police officer turned private detective, is hired by a powerful pharmaceutical conglomerate boss to investigate in Asia the disappearance of his only son, Shitao, whom he has not seen in person since the boy was ten. Now in his 30s, Shitao has gone missing in the Philippines where he had been helping in an orphanage.

Kline flies out to Mindanao and the trail takes him to Hong Kong. There, enlisting Meng Zi, an old friend and former colleague now working for the Hong Kong police, Kline follows a faint trail left by the ethereal Shitao. The path leads to local organized crime syndicate boss Su Dongpo, who is making trouble for the underworld, triggered by an overriding passion for his drug-addicted girlfriend Lili.

Caught in the crossfire between Su Dongpo's mafia drug ring and the Hong Kong police, Kline found himself alone, in this unknown city, when Meng Zi is victim of an assassination attempt and hospitalised.

Leaving behind his 5-star hotel for a shabby murder scene apartment in order to get inside the mind of Shitao, Kline gradually loses himself in the terrifying memories of a serial murderer, Hasford, whose speciality was dissecting his victims' limbs while they were still alive, then reassembling them into installation sculptures.

After a few weeks immersed in his haunted memories, torn between good and evil, Kline is about to leave Hong Kong when he finds Shitao, who has become a mysterious vagrant with healing powers.[3][4]

Wonder what language it's in, so many people from so many countries, wonder if it'll be like 2046 where only he spoke Japanese. :doh:

hitomi #1 wrote:Wonder what language it's in, so many people from so many countries, wonder if it'll be like 2046 where only he spoke Japanese. :doh:

It`s amazing cast isint it?? The language is completely in ENGLISH

[image]

I got a copy of Miki Nakatani's "Shiawase no Kaori" ("Flavor of Happiness") and I was bound and determined to save it as my Christmas movie.

So I watched it last night.

And then I watched it again this evening. (I have a problem reading subtitles when Miki is on screen so I usually have to go back for a second viewing to find out what was really going on.)

Like so many other movies and series about the art/craft/skill of cooking, this one owes a lot to Ang Lee's 1994 Yin Shi Nan Nu (Eat Drink Man Woman). But unilke so many of those other movies... this one remembers that "Eat Drink" was about more than cooking. More than the process. "Eat Drink" was about a family, and relationships. Not some contrived competition.

"Flavor of Happiness" is about a woman restarting her life. Finding her place in the world. And an old cook leaving a marker that says he'd been here.

It's a small, unpretentious, subtle movie. And Nakatani and Fuji Tatsuya both give honest, memorable performances.

I have the feeling that it's the kind of movie that won't seem at all dated, 10 or 15 years from now.

hitomi #1 wrote:Wonder what language it's in, so many people from so many countries, wonder if it'll be like 2046 where only he spoke Japanese. :doh:

Well, Kimura's character in 2046, Tak, was Japanese... :mrgreen:

Like KAZ said, the dialogue on ICwtR is mostly in English. Which shouldn't be a problem for Lee Byung-hun, whose English is very decent. Not too sure about KimuTaku, though... :hehe:

The general consensus among critics and the, like, 872 regular viewers (lol) who actually saw this movie in theaters in Japan AND Korea, is that Kimura's performance is the weakest link. So... even if I'll be watching this as soon as I get hold of a copy, I'm not expecting to be blown away by Kimura's acting. Well, to be honest if it weren't for Kimura AND Byung-hun, I wouldn't be watching this at all. The subject matter plus the (supposedly self-indulgent) iconoclasm and violence aren't something I'd normally go for. :bleh: (But then this film was partly shot in my country, so I probably would've seen it anyway, KimuTaku or no KimuTaku. :sweat:)

P.S. And can I just add that Kimura looks positively hideous on the movie posters, gaaahhhh! :shakehead:

Geezer wrote:I got a copy of Miki Nakatani's "Shiawase no Kaori" ("Flavor of Happiness") and I was bound and determined to save it as my Christmas movie.

So I watched it last night.

And then I watched it again this evening. (I have a problem reading subtitles when Miki is on screen so I usually have to go back for a second viewing to find out what was really going on.)

Like so many other movies and series about the art/craft/skill of cooking, this one owes a lot to Ang Lee's 1994 Yin Shi Nan Nu (Eat Drink Man Woman). But unilke so many of those other movies... this one remembers that "Eat Drink" was about more than cooking. More than the process. "Eat Drink" was about a family, and relationships. Not some contrived competition.

"Flavor of Happiness" is about a woman restarting her life. Finding her place in the world. And an old cook leaving a marker that says he'd been here.

It's a small, unpretentious, subtle movie. And Nakatani and Fuji Tatsuya both give honest, memorable performances.

I have the feeling that it's the kind of movie that won't seem at all dated, 10 or 15 years from now.

Looks like your're a Miki fan, I've become one over the years. I really am a big fan of Abe, but I admit it was her who really carried this film, just watched last week, she was so, so good :woot: ...30 Lies or so, while not a great movie, was so enjoyable, I know, have 177 pages to catch up on, thought I would add it in. :hehe:
[image]

For Geezer.

============================
Nakatanifs gSweet Little Liesh is complete

[image][image]


Nakatani Mikifs (33) new movie "Sweet Little Lies" is complete and had its first preview screening today. Both Nakatani and actor Omori Nao (37) attended the screening to greet the audience and introduce the movie.

The title basically describes the theme of the movie. Itfs all about those sweet little lies, especially among married couples, that donft intend to hurt anybody but somehow are still necessary in life. Whatfs Nakatanifs standpoint about lies? "Itfs basically my job to lie, since Ifm always playing another person. However, in my real life Ifd like to live in an honest way."

"Sweet Little Lies" is slated for a release in March 2010.

Tu_triky wrote:[image]

Happy guy.... :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Happy guy.... :beaten:

Haha. Dude seems a bit sullen, huh?