Geezer wrote:

Boy, I'm not used to coming onto this page and agreeing with everyone so much. I enjoyed Kamikaze Girls as well, and I have to admit I was a bit shocked. I'm not a Kyoko Fukada fan. But as with the series Remote they found a part that suited her limited talents, rather than asking her to be a real actress and play somthing else.

Exactly...

Quote:

I loved Gakko... and I dozed off in the middle of Cha no Aji. And for some reason I didn't feel any need to go back, once I woke up, to see what I'd missed.

Gotta agree with your sentiment re: both movies. Gakko, thumbs up. Cha no Aji, thumbs down.

From the Midnight Eye website on Japanese Cinema:

The makers of Midnight Eye pick their traditional best and worst of the past year. This year the group consists of:


The Best:
1. Strawberry Shortcakes (dir: Hitoshi Yazaki)
Incontestably the best Japanese film of the year. Everything about it seems calculated for the Sex and the City and shojo manga crowds, but the result is closer in spirit, integrity and perceptiveness to Ryuichi Hiroki's Vibrator and It's Only Talk.

2. Sukiyaki Western Django (dir: Takashi Miike)


3. Tokyo Tower (dir: Joji Matsuoka)
The other big pleasant surprise of the year. What seemed like another Always turned out to be one of 2007's most engrossing and sober dramas. Suzuki Matsuo can write and Joe Odagiri can act!

4. Retribution (Sakebi, dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa)
The ultimate Kurosawa horror film. One hell of a way for one of its great masters to (as I interpret it) say farewell to a genre.

5. Tekkon Kinkreet (dir: Michael Arias)
Like looking at Tokyo's shitamachi reflected in a funhouse mirror. Kids that can fly were one of the most beautiful and hopeful symbols in any cinema this year.

6. Sakuran (dir: Mika Ninagawa)
This has 'vehicle' written all over it: for its star Anna Tsuchiya, who gets another opportunity to nurture her rebel image, and for its director, a hip and adulated photographer making her directorial debut. Both of them deliver in spades, but it's the script by Moon and Cherry director Yuki Tanada that holds everything together and lifts the whole thing up to a higher level.

7. Black Belt (Kuro-Obi, dir: Shunichi Nagasaki)
This year's little movie that could. Or rather that might have, since it made no impact at home or abroad. Once again, the seeming simplicity of Shunichi Nagasaki's films make him fly under the radar of most gatekeepers.

8. Funuke: Show Some Love You Losers (Funukedomo, Kanashimi no Ai o Misero, dir: Daihachi Yoshida)
Debuting in Cannes, this hasn't done much since. Shame, because it's one of the darkest comedies to come out of Japan in years. A brilliant bit of self-parody on the part of Eriko Sato and breakthrough performances by Aimi Satsukawa and especially Hiromi Nagasaku (watch for her in the upcoming Don't Laugh at My Romance).

9. Maiko Haaaan!!! (dir: Nobuo Mizuta)
Nonsensical silliness is making quite a comeback, thanks largely to the various members of the Otona Keikaku troupe. Usually it's either a matter of firing on all cylinders hoping that some of the jokes will stick (Yaji and Kita) or throwing in so much unmotivated absurdity that it renders the whole exercise pointless (The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia). Maiko Haaaan!!! (four A's and three !'s) however, finds a genuine touch of tragedy in its lead character's uncontrollable one-upmanship.

10. United Red Army (Jitsuroku Rengo Sekigun - Asama Sanso e no Michi, dir: Koji Wakamatsu)
I guess most people would put this higher on their list. It's a sledgehammer of a film, for sure, and a very necessary one. But too often it felt as if Wakamatsu, too pre-occupied with getting the facts across, forgot to actually direct his film. In those moments United Red Army plays like the most basic made-for-TV docudrama (not helped by the video format - see also pal Masao Adachi's Prisoner/Terrorist). Thankfully, such scenes only form a small part of this three-hour powerhouse, but they're numerous enough to leave a nagging sense that United Red Army is not quite as good as it could have been.

The Worst:
For Those We Love (Ore wa, Kimi no Tame ni Koso Shini ni Iku, dir: Taku Shinjo)
The director credited for this monstrosity was Taku Shinjo, but the movie belonged entirely to its screenwriter/producer Shintaro Ishihara - none other than the governor of Tokyo. This mingling of politics and cinema is getting rather alarming, especially when the results are fascistic revisions of the past that function as an extension of dubious government policy (is it any surprise that this year's worst American film - see below - followed the same agenda?). Thankfully, Ishihara's pompous paean to insane human sacrifice did not attain the box office success he and part of the LDP hoped for, which means Ishihara's next project, reportedly a negation of the Nanking massacre, will probably be indefinitely postponed. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief, but don't let your guards down yet.

Tu_triky wrote:

From the Midnight Eye website on Japanese Cinema: The makers of Midnight Eye pick their traditional best and worst of the past year. This year the group consists of: The Best: 1. Strawberry Shortcakes (dir: Hitoshi Yazaki) Incontestably the best Japanese film of the year. Everything about it seems calculated for the Sex and the City and shojo manga crowds, but the result is closer in spirit, integrity and perceptiveness to Ryuichi Hiroki's Vibrator and It's Only Talk. 2. Sukiyaki Western Django (dir: Takashi Miike) 3. Tokyo Tower (dir: Joji Matsuoka) The other big pleasant surprise of the year. What seemed like another Always turned out to be one of 2007's most engrossing and sober dramas. Suzuki Matsuo can write and Joe Odagiri can act! 4. Retribution (Sakebi, dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa) The ultimate Kurosawa horror film. One hell of a way for one of its great masters to (as I interpret it) say farewell to a genre. 5. Tekkon Kinkreet (dir: Michael Arias) Like looking at Tokyo's shitamachi reflected in a funhouse mirror. Kids that can fly were one of the most beautiful and hopeful symbols in any cinema this year. 6. Sakuran (dir: Mika Ninagawa) This has 'vehicle' written all over it: for its star Anna Tsuchiya, who gets another opportunity to nurture her rebel image, and for its director, a hip and adulated photographer making her directorial debut. Both of them deliver in spades, but it's the script by Moon and Cherry director Yuki Tanada that holds everything together and lifts the whole thing up to a higher level. 7. Black Belt (Kuro-Obi, dir: Shunichi Nagasaki) This year's little movie that could. Or rather that might have, since it made no impact at home or abroad. Once again, the seeming simplicity of Shunichi Nagasaki's films make him fly under the radar of most gatekeepers. 8. Funuke: Show Some Love You Losers (Funukedomo, Kanashimi no Ai o Misero, dir: Daihachi Yoshida) Debuting in Cannes, this hasn't done much since. Shame, because it's one of the darkest comedies to come out of Japan in years. A brilliant bit of self-parody on the part of Eriko Sato and breakthrough performances by Aimi Satsukawa and especially Hiromi Nagasaku (watch for her in the upcoming Don't Laugh at My Romance). 9. Maiko Haaaan!!! (dir: Nobuo Mizuta) Nonsensical silliness is making quite a comeback, thanks largely to the various members of the Otona Keikaku troupe. Usually it's either a matter of firing on all cylinders hoping that some of the jokes will stick (Yaji and Kita) or throwing in so much unmotivated absurdity that it renders the whole exercise pointless (The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia). Maiko Haaaan!!! (four A's and three !'s) however, finds a genuine touch of tragedy in its lead character's uncontrollable one-upmanship. 10. United Red Army (Jitsuroku Rengo Sekigun - Asama Sanso e no Michi, dir: Koji Wakamatsu) I guess most people would put this higher on their list. It's a sledgehammer of a film, for sure, and a very necessary one. But too often it felt as if Wakamatsu, too pre-occupied with getting the facts across, forgot to actually direct his film. In those moments United Red Army plays like the most basic made-for-TV docudrama (not helped by the video format - see also pal Masao Adachi's Prisoner/Terrorist). Thankfully, such scenes only form a small part of this three-hour powerhouse, but they're numerous enough to leave a nagging sense that United Red Army is not quite as good as it could have been. The Worst: For Those We Love (Ore wa, Kimi no Tame ni Koso Shini ni Iku, dir: Taku Shinjo) The director credited for this monstrosity was Taku Shinjo, but the movie belonged entirely to its screenwriter/producer Shintaro Ishihara - none other than the governor of Tokyo. This mingling of politics and cinema is getting rather alarming, especially when the results are fascistic revisions of the past that function as an extension of dubious government policy (is it any surprise that this year's worst American film - see below - followed the same agenda?). Thankfully, Ishihara's pompous paean to insane human sacrifice did not attain the box office success he and part of the LDP hoped for, which means Ishihara's next project, reportedly a negation of the Nanking massacre, will probably be indefinitely postponed. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief, but don't let your guards down yet.

I periodically visit this site. I even bought their book. And while I disagree more with their opinions than agree with them (not to be taken as a criticism of them by any means), they do provide interesting reading for those people who like Japanese cinema.

Of the films on their list, the one I am most curious to see is Tokyo Tower. I saw the dorama series (solely because Mitsuko Baisho and Shigeru Izumiya were in it), and I am curious how this theatrical version compares to the TV effort.

shin2 wrote:

I periodically visit this site. I even bought their book. And while I disagree more with their opinions than agree with them (not to be taken as a criticism of them by any means), they do provide interesting reading for those people who like Japanese cinema.

Yeah I'm just sharing info with other enthusiasts of Japanese film.

Quote:

Of the films on their list, the one I am most curious to see is Tokyo Tower. I saw the dorama series (solely because Mitsuko Baisho and Shigeru Izumiya were in it), and I am curious how this theatrical version compares to the TV effort.

I only have the 2005 version of Tokyo Tower, which isn't the film being referenced here....that was made last year.

The Worst only consists on one movie?

Tu_triky wrote:

I only have the 2005 version of Tokyo Tower, which isn't the film being referenced here....that was made last year.

From what I understand, both the film on Midnight Eye's list and the TV series are based on a bestselling autobiography.

It's about a young man who comes to Tokyo to go school and find a career. He was raised by a single mother who is a constant but not always welcome presence in his life, even after he leaves home. Eventually the mom, after being diagnosed with cancer, comes to live with him, and he finally recognizes how important she is in his life and how much she has sacrificed for him. The father, who has been previously absent from the son's life, also periodically begins to show up.

Is the 2005 version you have also based on this story?

shin2 wrote:

Is the 2005 version you have also based on this story?

No, it's entirely different. I have yet to see it in fact.

http://daelite.wordpress.com/2007/03/25/tokyo-tower-2005-love-with-a-younger-man-is-always-problematic/

shin2, I can get you the 2007 movie but it won't have subs.

Tu_triky wrote:

shin2, I can get you the 2007 movie but it won't have subs.

Tu_triky,


Thanks, but my Japanese isn't good enough to navigate through an entire film without subs. I'm sure it'll probably show up one of these days with subs. Thanks for the offer though.

Hey, did you see that Sakuran made the list? I watched the copy you sent me. Visually, it was very impressive. However, I thought the story wasn't as striking as the presentation. I've seen Anna Tsuchiya (?) in two films--she's got that punk rocker attitude down pat, even in a period movie.

shin2 wrote:

Tu_triky, Thanks, but my Japanese isn't good enough to navigate through an entire film without subs. I'm sure it'll probably show up one of these days with subs. Thanks for the offer though.

No problem....you're always welcome.

Quote:

Hey, did you see that Sakuran made the list? I watched the copy you sent me. Visually, it was very impressive. However, I thought the story wasn't as striking as the presentation. I've seen Anna Tsuchiya (?) in two films--she's got that punk rocker attitude down pat, even in a period movie.

Yeah Sakuran was a visual feast that overshadowed the movie's plot, if you will. I enjoyed it but yeah I was a bit surprised that it made the least.

I agree she does have the rebellious attitude down pat....I think it's her in real life so she doesn't have to dig too deep to act out the performance. I really enjoyed her performance as Ichigo the Yanki in Kamikaze Girls.

The only other role I've seen her in aside from Kamikaze Girls and Sakuran was her bit part as a koukousei in Taste of Tea...she was much younger there and her role was negligible.

Japanese entertainment needs more like her....there's too many of the frilly, fluffy airhead types already.

Tu_triky wrote:

The only other role I've seen her in aside from Kamikaze Girls and Sakuran was her bit part as a koukousei in Taste of Tea...she was much younger there and her role was negligible. Japanese entertainment needs more like her....there's too many of the frilly, fluffy airhead types already.

That shows how bored I was watching Taste of Tea: I didn't even know she was in it.

Japanese entertainment needs more young actresses who can actually act. The best actresses are in their 30's, 40's and older--which means in an industry where ageism is alive and well, there are fewer parts, substantive parts, for these women. So television and movies are saturated with young cuties who by and large seem cut from the same mold and who are led to believe that good acting consists of pouting, giggling, and occasionally talking real loud.

I recently saw Virgin Snow~ Hatsu-yuki no koi. I must say that Miyazaki Aoi is one of the best actresses I've seen in recent years. Superb cinematography, largely thanks to the Kyoto locations. The only complaint I have is the plot. I had high expectations for this, and somehow, something felt like it was missing. It may be the fact that I haven't seen a lot of Korean dramas; this definitely had more of a Korean flair to it, as the director was Koean.

However, Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru remains Miyazaki's best work. Definitely a defining role.
_________________

usagi_on_the_moon wrote:

However, Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru remains Miyazaki's best work. Definitely a defining role.

Really?

Though I have yet to see it, everyone's always raving about Nana...

But maybe not because of Miyazaki.

bmwracer wrote:

Really? Though I have yet to see it, everyone's always raving about Nana... But maybe not because of Miyazaki.

Speaking of Miyazaki Aoi...her film Virgin Snow (2007)<Hatsukoi no Yuki> is available at FSS WITH English Subs....get it while it's hot.

shin2 wrote:

That shows how bored I was watching Taste of Tea: I didn't even know she was in it.

Haha.

Quote:

Japanese entertainment needs more young actresses who can actually act. The best actresses are in their 30's, 40's and older--which means in an industry where ageism is alive and well, there are fewer parts, substantive parts, for these women. So television and movies are saturated with young cuties who by and large seem cut from the same mold and who are led to believe that good acting consists of pouting, giggling, and occasionally talking real loud.

An accurate assessment of the current reality. It is because of the business model of the geinokai (entertainment world)....the talent agencies have WAY TOO much control over the careers of those they represent.

Tu_triky wrote:

Speaking of Miyazaki Aoi...her film Virgin Snow (2007)<Hatsukoi no Yuki> is available at FSS WITH English Subs....get it while it's hot.

The bigger question: Is it worth the download?

bmwracer wrote:

The bigger question: Is it worth the download?

I haven't heard too much about it because ppl have been waiting for subs for a long time, I think. It's only about 700 MB...sorry I wish I had more to say re: the film.

Tu_triky wrote:

I haven't heard too much about it because ppl have been waiting for subs for a long time, I think. It's only about 700 MB...sorry I wish I had more to say re: the film.

I guess it's it's worth the download just to check out...

Time to fire up PC two.

bmwracer wrote:

I guess it's it's worth the download just to check out... Time to fire up PC two.

PC 2 ...haha...sounds like a spaceship.

Tu_triky wrote:

PC 2 ...haha...sounds like a spaceship.

More like a Univac.... Less the tubes.