Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2331 Location: in South Atami Country:
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:38 pm Post subject:
Here Mark Schilling's (he is the resident movie reviewer of the Japan Times) top movies 2009.
Source: Japan Times
BEST FILMS OF 2009
And the best Japanese films of 2009 were . . .
By MARK SCHILLING
Staff Writer
1. "Fish Story":
Can a punk-rock song, recorded in 1975, save the world from a comet on course to destroy the planet in 2012? In his 10th film, Yoshihiro Nakamura answers this question with four radically different stories in four different periods — and ties them up in a glorious final five-minute sequence that is pure cinematic satori.
2. "Dear Doctor":
The most promising director of her thirtysomething generation, Miwa Nishikawa hits a new peak with this finely layered character study of a phony doctor in a rural village. Tsurube Shofukutei deserves every acting award out there for his shape-shifting performance as the kindly-seeming, but deeply devious doc.
3. "Summer Wars":
Mamoru Hosoda assumes the title of Japan's premier animator with this human-scaled but stunningly imaginative film about an online "war" between a rogue AI program and a boy math prodigy, aided by a large, rambunctious family in rural Nagano.
4. "Villon no Tsuma":
Based on a story by Osamu Dazai, Kichitaro Negishi's unsparing, finally cathartic portrait of a troubled marriage features career-peak performances by Takako Matsu as the plucky, self-realizing wife and Tadanobu Asano as the alcoholic, unfaithful, but somehow sympathetic, writer husband.
5. "Zero no Shoten":
Isshin Inudo's mystery about a woman's search for her missing newlywed husband in Kanazawa in the dead of winter channels the stylistics of Alfred Hitchcock, while echoing the social-mask-vs.-true-face themes of Douglas Sirk. 6. "Nankyokyu Ryomin":
Shuichi Okita's dramady, centering on the gung-ho cook (Makoto Sakai) for a Japanese research team in Antarctica, offers up big helpings of wry humor, likable characters and absolutely scrumptious-looking chow.
7. "Live Tape":
Tetsuaki Matsue's docudrama of singer-songwriter Kenta Maeno's New Year's Day stroll through Kichijoji unfolds in one 74-minute take that amuses, surprises, entertains — and finally moves, as the too-cool Maeno reveals his own insecurities and regrets, summed up in a stirring final number dedicated to his dead father.
8. "Instant Numa":
Satoshi Miki's comedy about an endearingly flaky woman's search for her eccentric antique (i.e., junk) dealer dad is packed with small comic gems, delivered in Miki's trademark dry style of spot-on timing and blithe disregard for logic.
9. "Symbol":
Hitoshi Matsumoto's man-in-a-room comedy takes inspiration from the final sequence of "2001: A Space Odyssey," but the silly, inspired slapstick gags are pure Matsumoto.
10. "Ultra Miracle Love Story (Bare Essence of Life)":
Satoko Yokoyama's drama about a mentally challenged man's crush on a new kindergarten teacher in his rural Aomori town is a bold, original blend of the real and fantastic, comic and dramatic.
Comes always handy if one needs inspiration on what to watch.
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 10:38 am Post subject:
KAZdoramma wrote:
^^^^YEY! ZERO NO SHOTEN! the new hirosue movie that came out recently in japan, went to see the other week,,,wot a winner
and ofcourse the movie i suggested earlier on the anime thread, SUMMER WARS, a great watch too
Don't know if anyone has seen the original ZERO NO SHOTEN, it's from 1961, near the top of my fave list, probably seen it at least 10 times, here's the trailer for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXc3MFMHMyg _________________
Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 4313 Location: Nagoya Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:44 am Post subject:
hitomi #1 wrote:
Don't know if anyone has seen the original ZERO NO SHOTEN, it's from 1961, near the top of my fave list, probably seen it at least 10 times, here's the trailer for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXc3MFMHMyg
I`VE sen it but i prefer the new one with Ryoko chan in it _________________
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:50 am Post subject:
KAZdoramma wrote:
I`VE sen it but i prefer the new one with Ryoko chan in it
Okay, I'm convinced, shame I'm gonna have to wait so long to see it, but they do have a few trailers I can check out.
This was the film I mentioned earlier, probably Sato's first big role, from 1980, mainly got it because I'm a fan of Bunta, good movie but so long. _________________
Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 4313 Location: Nagoya Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:03 pm Post subject:
hitomi #1 wrote:
Okay, I'm convinced, shame I'm gonna have to wait so long to see it, but they do have a few trailers I can check out.
This was the film I mentioned earlier, probably Sato's first big role, from 1980, mainly got it because I'm a fan of Bunta, good movie but so long.
Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 3125 Location: S.F. Bay Area Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:39 pm Post subject:
Tu_triky & BMW
The guy looks like he's handling it a lot better than I would if someone just came up and told me that the movie's over, and from here on out, no one will be paying Miki to pretend to be my wife. _________________
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject:
KAZdoramma wrote:
WoW this film is an old one!
I really like old films, even though I wasn't around for them been discovering how good they are. Like all movies from 1940 until now, but really like the 1960-80 era, most people feel as that was the best era by far for Japanese films, only problem is finding them, new movies you can over here, older ones are harder to find. Older ones depend more on a good plot, not much special effexts back then, I also really enjoy seeing more traditional Japanese culture, I'm very interested in it, I'm too much of a softie. This thread is really, really good though, like hearing about the new films coming out, seems as though most know more here than other sites. I do like to ramble, hah hah, an average post for me is normally 5 times that of a regular post, keep up the good work everyome, I enjoy it.
Another old one is getting ready to be played in a little while, sigh, yes an old one. Need to start on some dramas after this!!!!
_________________
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:49 am Post subject:
Geezer wrote:
Tu_triky & BMW
The guy looks like he's handling it a lot better than I would if someone just came up and told me that the movie's over, and from here on out, no one will be paying Miki to pretend to be my wife.
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:21 pm Post subject:
31st Yokohama Film Festival awards
The awards for the 31st Yokohama Film Festival have been announced. The biggest winner was Miwa Nishikawa's "Dear Doctor," which earned a total of five awards, including Best Picture.
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Older ones depend more on a good plot, not much special effexts back then, I also really enjoy seeing more traditional Japanese culture, I'm very interested in it, I'm too much of a softie. 
This thread is really, really good though, like hearing about the new films coming out, seems as though most know more here than other sites. I do like to ramble, hah hah, an average post for me is normally 5 times that of a regular post, 
