Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

20 century boy wrote:Did someone already recommended this one?

Not sure if anyone recommended it, but the movie was talked about a while back... Maybe a year ago? :sweat:

Re: "Happily Ever After", I saw it but Abe's acting (or lack thereof, he spent most of the film either giving monosyllabic grunts or turning over that table) ruined it for me.

I know they explained at the end why Nakatani stuck with him but by then, too little, too late for me.

Found Geezer's comment on "Happily Ever After", guess we disagree on this one.

Geezer wrote:I just watched Jigyaku no Uta (Happily Ever After)

The copy I have is poor... to make it worse, the screen is covered with Chinese hard subs.

I haven't been able to find English subs for it yet.

And I still thought it was wonderful.

The movie was Directed and co-written by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. The goof ball who brought us "Keizoku" "Trick" "Stand Up" and "2LDK" et. al..

The stars are: Miki Nakatani, Hiroshi Abe, and Toshiyuki Nishida

Some people will be disappointed that this movie isn't a straight, 2 dimentional, cartoonish comedy all the way through.

I wasn't.

This is a romantic comedy. And the leads are Miki, as a plain, homely woman (they put moles all over her face, and even gave her a wart on the side of her nose) who seems to have lived her life under a cloud of bad luck. And the man she loves, Hiroshi. A quasi sociopathic, low level yakusa thug. The guy who'd be listed as "third thug from the left" in most yakusa movies.

And of course Nishida, who plays Miki's dad. One of the more unsuccessful career criminals in the history of movies.

These are not the most conventional of characters for a love story. But this director, and these actors made the movie a joy for me to watch... even though I couldn't understand two thirds of the dialogue.

gaijinmark wrote:Re: "Happily Ever After", I saw it but Abe's acting (or lack thereof, he spent most of the film either giving monosyllabic grunts or turning over that table) ruined it for me.

I know they explained at the end why Nakatani stuck with him but by then, too little, too late for me.

It was a lousy movie. Abe, as you pointed out, was terrible in it. A gorilla would have done just as good an acting job as he did. They tried to make Nakatani look physically unattractive--how stupid is that. And Nishida Toshiyuki's considerable talent was wasted in his role as the dad. The script was horrible with flashbacks constantly disrupting the narrative flow.

shin2 wrote:A gorilla would have done just as good an acting job as he did.

Obviously, that's the desired effect.

shin2 wrote: The script was horrible with flashbacks constantly disrupting the narrative flow.

I didn't mind the flashbacks.

Is it the jagarico barbecue taste that made me enjoy the movie more than the normal? :nut:

^ oh controversy - makes me want to check it out.

While traveling I watched a few Japanese movies - nothing special, Vampire Girl versus Frankenstein Girl, which was soo trashy, it was enjoyable and then Bandage. I love films about music and bands (perhaps not Nana 2 though and I read in the JT that Beck sucks) and even Akanishi Jin is ok since he - the spoiled J-Pop star - plays a spoiled J-Rock star. Don't think it requires much acting skills. Problem is that this is meant to play in the early nineties but it feels and is styled very much like it's 2010.

EstherM wrote:^ oh controversy - makes me want to check it out.

Honestly, first half is hilarious, second half is ok.

the spoiled J-Pop star - plays a spoiled J-Rock star

:rofl:

And Nishida Toshiyuki's considerable talent was wasted in his role as the dad

Please indicate a few parts were Nishida Toshiyuki's talent is obvious because wether he's in tantei knight scoop or in tiger and dragon, I don't see much diffference...

They tried to make Nakatani look physically unattractive

Is she?

20 century boy wrote:Please indicate a few parts were Nishida Toshiyuki's talent is obvious because wether he's in tantei knight scoop or in tiger and dragon, I don't see much diffference...

Didn't see the first title you mention; I thought he was pretty good as the rakugo master in the second.

If you're looking at Jdorama series, try Shiroi Kyoto and Aoi Tokugawa Sandai for starters; both are English subbed. Movies--Gakko I (for which he won the Japanese Academy award for lead actor) and Gakko II are two movies in which he played the lead that are available with English subs; Uchoten Hotel and Magic Hour also have English subs--he had minor roles in each. Unfortunately most of his movies (he's probably been in over 50) and dorama haven't been subbed; I wish they were because I like him a lot as an actor, but I'm not fluent enough in Japanese to understand more than a third of the usual dialog.

CROWS ZERO 1 & 2. Hmmm. Fell asleep a couple of times despite all the testosteroney brawling... or maybe because of it? :headscratch: Other than the crazy-a$$ Yamada Takayuki's high-octane performance I don't see why anyone would want to sit through a 4-hour video game starring the oldest-looking high schoolers known to man. Cool soundtrack though. :mrgreen:

Ender's Girl wrote:CROWS ZERO 1 & 2. Hmmm. Fell asleep a couple of times despite all the testosteroney brawling... or maybe because of it? :headscratch: Other than the crazy-a$$ Yamada Takayuki's high-octane performance I don't see why anyone would want to sit through a 4-hour video game starring the oldest-looking high schoolers known to man. Cool soundtrack though. :mrgreen:

:rofl: Didn't the hotness of Miura Haruma help at all to keep you awake? :P

EstherM wrote:

:rofl: Didn't the hotness of Miura Haruma help at all to keep you awake? :P

Heyyy how did you know about Miura??? *giant sweat drop* Hehe :beaten:

Okay so maybe he was partly the reason why I picked up the CROWS ZEROES. But dude, he had like THREE ridiculously short scenes in the whole thing, so if anyone ever watches this for Miura alone they will come away sorely dissatisfied. And speaking of his, um, purported hotness (:sweat:), there wasn't much of that here. His hair, for one, looked ridiculous -- it was like he was wearing a yellow doily over his black hair. :bleh:

Ender's Girl wrote:

Heyyy how did you know about Miura??? *giant sweat drop* Hehe :beaten:

Okay so maybe he was partly the reason why I picked up the CROWS ZEROES. But dude, he had like THREE ridiculously short scenes in the whole thing, so if anyone ever watches this for Miura alone they will come away sorely dissatisfied. And speaking of his, um, purported hotness (:sweat:), there wasn't much of that here. His hair, for one, looked ridiculous -- it was like he was wearing a yellow doily over his black hair. :bleh:

I happen to visit your blog from time to time :mrgreen: and you're right, I remember, he looked as if some angry Italian mama had thrown overcooked spaghettis at his head. Shame on you movie set hairdresser, oh well he was probably running out of hair ideas! :shamefulcry:

shin2 wrote:

Didn't see the first title you mention; I thought he was pretty good as the rakugo master in the second.

Tantei Knight scoop is a TV program Nishida Toshiyuki is hosting. :) It's very entertaining, I always watch it when in Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U0roO-rvf8

20 century boy wrote:Tantei Knight scoop is a TV program Nishida Toshiyuki is hosting. :) It's very entertaining, I always watch it when in Japan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U0roO-rvf8

Thanks for providing the link. Pretty funny. I guess aged nikuman doesn't have the same cachet as aged wine. Looked like some horrible musubi when they finally got the lid off.

Maeda Maeda to star in Hirokazu Koreeda's "Kiseki"
Thu, September 16, 2010 (12:17pm EDT)
Comedy duo Maeda Maeda, consisting of two brothers in grade school, have landed a starring role in the next film by acclaimed director Hirokazu Koreeda. Titled "Kiseki," the movie will depict the bonds of a family in the Kyushu region.

Koreeda decided that he wanted to make a film set in Kyushu, due to the scheduled completion of the Kyushu Shinkansen in March 2011. Koreeda is said to be fond of trains, and he has also been interested in doing another film about children ever since he became a father. His last film starring a child actor was the 2004 piece "Nobody Knows" ("Daremo Shiranai") with Yuya Yagira.

The story revolves around the brothers Koichi (played by 12-year-old Kouki Maeda) and Ryunosuke (played by 10-year-old Oushiro Maeda). Koichi lives with their mother and grandparents in Kagoshima, while Ryunosuke is with their father in Fukuoka. Their dream is for their divorced parents to reconcile so that they can live together as a single family again. With the coming completion of the Kyushu Shinkansen that will connect their two cities, the two boys hear that when the first trains meet, a miracle will occur. As a result, they recklessly concoct a plan to create a real miracle of their own.

Koreeda says that he was inspired to create the main characters after meeting the Maeda brothers at an audition. The rest of the cast will feature actors that have been in previous films by the director, including Nene Otsuka as the mother, Joe Odagiri as the father, and Kirin Kiki and Isao Hashizume as the grandparents. Yui Natsukawa, Hiroshi Abe, and Masami Nagasawa will also appear.

Filming begins on September 18 in Fukuoka. The movie is planned for a summer 2011 release.

Jav_sol wrote:
I really liked Love Exposure, thought it was awesome. But, like Sion Sono's other works, it might not be for everyone's liking. If like me, you enjoy Sono's films, then you'll be glued to your seat for four hours. :victory:

I watched this today, and wow, it took me all afternoon and all evening, thanks god it was a cold, rainy day. I loved it as well although in the beginning I was skeptical about the catholic theme. I find it difficult to describe though but somehow the mix of religion, gore, family traumas, crooks, fake sects, hard-ons, panties and teenage love works.

EstherM wrote:I find it difficult to describe though but somehow the mix of religion, gore, family traumas, crooks, fake sects, hard-ons, panties and teenage love works.

LOL, what a potpourri. :beaten:

EstherM wrote:

I watched this today, and wow, it took me all afternoon and all evening, thanks god it was a cold, rainy day. I loved it as well although in the beginning I was skeptical about the catholic theme. I find it difficult to describe though but somehow the mix of religion, gore, family traumas, crooks, fake sects, hard-ons, panties and teenage love works.

Leave it to Sono to somehow manage to make it all work. :victory:

Ender's Girl wrote:

Heyyy how did you know about Miura??? *giant sweat drop* Hehe :beaten:

Okay so maybe he was partly the reason why I picked up the CROWS ZEROES. But dude, he had like THREE ridiculously short scenes in the whole thing, so if anyone ever watches this for Miura alone they will come away sorely dissatisfied. And speaking of his, um, purported hotness (:sweat:), there wasn't much of that here. His hair, for one, looked ridiculous -- it was like he was wearing a yellow doily over his black hair. :bleh:

Well Takayuki's the reason I sat through the whole 2 movies so thank God for me? :hehe:

WD wrote:

Well Takayuki's the reason I sat through the whole 2 movies so thank God for me? :hehe:

Yamada Takayuki was the best thing about the CROWS ZEROS, I agree 9374837483 %. Shun was just so glum and boring and charmless the entire time. (Too bad 'coz I expected more from him.) Yamada stole the thunder from everyone else. Couldn't take my eyes off him -- even though he was dressed as a hobo hobbit in the second movie, lol. :mrgreen:

@ EstherM - :rofl: at your angry Italian mamma and her overcooked spaghetti!!! Too funny!!! :mwahaha: