Wonder if I could find it... With English subs of course.
Here's a review by Mark Schilling about the movie. Some pretty good actors are in it: Natsukawa, Tsutsumi Shinichi, Emoto Akira, Yo Kimiko. I don't think it's come out yet on DVD in Japan.
Hospital drama about Japan's first liver transplant makes cut
By MARK SCHILLING
Hollywood once used permanent sets for the dozens of Westerns it cranked out annually �\ the frontier town, ranch house and corral all in one convenient location, built to last. I sometimes imagine something similar for Japan's endless procession of hospital dramas. They all seem to use one generic set, populated by full-time extras dressed as doctors, nurses and patients.
This realism extends to the entire production, including operation scenes that could serve as instructional videos. The story, about the first liver transplant in Japan, is based on an actual incident, while the medico hero, played by the always excellent Shinichi Tsutsumi ("Climber's High," "Always"), is exactly the type to make such a breakthrough: Skilled, dedicated �\ and more than a little unworldly. That is, he doggedly presses on without making the usual calculations to advance his interests, personal and professional �\ or simply guard his back.
Based on a novel by Toshihiko Ogane, a veteran surgeon, the film is on the serious, methodical side, reflecting the temperament of its no-drama, results- oriented hero. What saves it from dullness and sterility is its angle of approach. We view the hero, Dr. Toma (Tsutsumi), through the eyes of an operating-room nurse, Ryoko Nakamura (Yui Natsukawa), who faithfully records his exploits in her journal �\ and silently carries a blazing torch for him.
The story begins in the present, with Nakamura's doctor son (Hiroki Narimiya) witnessing his mother's cremation and voicing his anger at the fumbling response to her illness. Going through her possessions later, he comes across her journals from the 1980s and reads her outraged accounts of incompetent doctors killing patients in front of her eyes.
In 1989, Dr. Toma arrives at her hospital, fresh from his study of liver- transplant surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Toma proves himself to be superbly skilled and Nakamura starts to see her profession �\ and him �\ in a new light.
His miracle-worker reputation, however, does not endear him to his colleagues at a nearby medical-school hospital, who have been handling difficult operations for Toma's lower-status city hospital, while accepting its deference as their lordly due. Toma is not only upstaging but outclassing them and they don't like it one bit.
Then Toma decides to perform Japan's first-ever liver transplant to save the life of the town's crusty but lovable mayor (Akira Emoto). To do that, however, he must end the life of a young man, brain dead after a traffic accident. But he is the beloved son of nurse Takei (Kimiko Yo), a member of his operating team. Meanwhile, Toma's rivals are conspiring to have him roasted by the media and arrested by the police if the operation fails.
Most directors �\ and certainly nearly all working for television �\ would use this story to pump audience tear ducts hard. Narushima, who made the mordantly funny crime comedy "Yudan Taiteki" ("The Hunter and the Hunted," 2004) and the tiresomely hokey thriller "Midnight Eagle," 2007) doesn't completely avoid cliched theatrics, as exemplified by Katsuhisa Namase's slithery turn as the unscrupulous leader of the enemy camp.
The film's main focus, though, is squarely on Toma and his life-or-death work, which he self-deprecatingly compares to knitting. After seeing dozens of hyped on-screen operations, it was a revelation to witness Toma in low-key, closeup action, with enka singer Harumi Miyako warbling in the background. My first thought was, "So this is what a liver operation is really like." My second was, "I want this guy to work on me."
Tsutsumi plays Toma as humanly likable, if saintly selfless. Instead of relying on showy effect �\ the flashing eyes and jutting jaw �\ he drills down to the character's essence. That is, his total concentration on the patient in front of him. Everything else, including his love life, comes a distant, distracted second.
Playing nurse Nakamura, Natsukawa is similarly shy and dedicated, but capable of emotion in a way that Toma is not. She is the quietly passionate sun to his workaholic moon, though he only sees her as a colleague, not a woman.
Do these soul mates finally connect? You may think you know the answer, but this small gem, so matter-of-fact in its telling, so moving in its conclusion, doesn't play by conventional rules. Something like Toma himself.
Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 189 Location: Ontario Country:
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 3:08 pm Post subject:
Hana & Alice: Worth it if only for the performances by Aoi Yu and Suzuki Anne - they were so good you'd think they have been friends since they were babies. Had to laugh when Aoi didn't have feelings for Masashi because he reminds her of Hannibal Lector. Only problem I had was with Kaku Tomohiro, just felt his performance was pretty bland here.
Yoji Yamada to breathe new life into Ozu's 'Tokyo Story'
Sunday 19th December, 04:49 AM JST
TOKYO �\
Veteran Japanese filmmaker Yoji Yamada will start shooting a film next spring based on Yasujiro Ozu�fs masterpiece �e�eTokyo Story,�f�f shifting its setting to the present day.
�e�eSince more than 10 years ago, I have been thinking that if we change the setting of �eTokyo Story�f to the present times, there will be a new story,�f�f the 79-year-old director who will mark 50 years next year since his debut said, referring to the new film likely to be screened in 2012.
Titled �e�eTokyo Kazoku (family),�f�f the film will follow a similar storyline to that of Ozu�fs work: two aging parents from the countryside visit their children in Tokyo but go home heartbroken after feeling unwelcome. The cast has yet to be finalized.
Yamada will also write a screenplay and take part in a production of a theater adaptation of �e�eTokyo Story�f�f for showings in January 2012.
As some here may have noticed, I am a huge admirer of Yamada's work; I have often stated that I think he is Japan's greatest living live-action filmmaker and that his career, when all is said and done (which I hope will not be soon), will put him in the pantheon of Japan's best filmmakers.
I have not seen Ozu's Tokyo Story, which I understand is supposed to be his masterpiece. I have seen three of Ozu's other films, two from later in his career and one which I think was in the middle of his career, and I have to say, regrettably, I'm not a fan. Maybe I need to view Tokyo Story to try and understand why critics and film historians go gaga over him, but based on what I've seen so far, I just don't get why he is so fawned over.
Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Posts: 911 Location: Deus Vult Country:
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:24 am Post subject:
Watched Ichi, the "reboot" of the Zatoichi movies with Ayase Haruka playing the titular role. While it's 50/50 with most Zatoichi purists, I enjoyed it and the reason for that was because this wasn't really a "true Zatoichi" movie. Sure it had the blind swordsman, cho-han gambling game, and the wandering savior plot. But instead of the invincible Ichi saving the day for the sake of good, the Ichi here was more of a damaged young girl who was acting more in self interest. This allowed her character to have more depth and development. She's also not as skilled as Ichi's of the past, and the fight scenes while adequate are not anything special. Ultimately what worked for me is that the movie is allowed to stand on its own rather than being a rehash of what's been done.
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 12121 Location: It was fun while it lasted. Country:
Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2010 8:26 pm Post subject:
shin2 wrote:
I have not seen Ozu's Tokyo Story, which I understand is supposed to be his masterpiece. I have seen three of Ozu's other films, two from later in his career and one which I think was in the middle of his career, and I have to say, regrettably, I'm not a fan. Maybe I need to view Tokyo Story to try and understand why critics and film historians go gaga over him, but based on what I've seen so far, I just don't get why he is so fawned over.
The only Ozu film I've seen is Good Morning:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053134/. They showed it down at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo a couple years ago. It was okay, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my afternoon, but yeah, I dunno what all the fuss is about, maybe Ozu is "an acquired taste."
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 4:52 am Post subject:
Know BMW may agree( ), but Ozu is one of the greatest directors ever! I've seen at least 10 of his films, like you said he's probably an "an acquired taste" but one worth tasting. Granted his films are not for everyone, tend to be a bit slow, actaully they're always slow and there's very little camera movement, but the stories are just so interesting, plus he's got most of the same cast in his films, after a while they feel like family, you get so comfortable watching them. _________________
Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2331 Location: in South Atami Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 5:21 am Post subject:
^well it's probably the same people who fawn over Citizen Kane, and people who only watch the official selection from the Cannes Film Festival.
OT, I watched 2 movies recently:
Love Fight with the lovely newcomers Hayashi Kento and Kitano Kie, assisted by more seasoned actors, notably Osawa Takao. It's a about a group of people who hang out in a run-down boxing studio, all of them have different reasons to go there and the ending just confirms - as Pat Benatar always knew - love is a battlefield! But one can win hehehe
Then - Fujoshi Kanojo or How to date an Otaku Girl. The good news is that it's better than its title suggest. The bad news is that it's no Densha Otoko reversed, so they are only a few otaku jokes and they're not even that brilliant. What it's really about is what happens after you confess our love and start a relationship. It managed well to show some of the intimacy in a couple but at the end remained a classic (cliche?) love story.
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 6:03 am Post subject:
^^ Never have seen Citizen Kane or almost any of those 'classic' movies.
All this talk on Ozu has me psyched up to watch a film of his tonight, just a question on which film, one from this set no doubt. http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews31/late_ozu.htm _________________
^well it's probably the same people who fawn over Citizen Kane
That would be me.
Can't say it's the greatest film ever made, but it's certainly very very good.
As far as Ozu's films are concerned, they always seem to have a quiet poignancy to them which I find really interesting... I suppose you have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to watch his films...
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 11:53 am Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
That would be me.
Can't say it's the greatest film ever made, but it's certainly very very good.
As far as Ozu's films are concerned, they always seem to have a quiet poignancy to them which I find really interesting... I suppose you have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to watch his films...
Joined: 29 Jun 2004 Posts: 911 Location: Deus Vult Country:
Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2010 3:05 pm Post subject:
bmwracer wrote:
^ Haven't seen it, but I have a hard time buying into the "girly girl" swinging into the action hero genre, just like the Ayumi films...
Oh I agree, and it apllies to "kung-fu kid" movies as well. They really push the suspension of disbelief when they constantly have 90 pound women or 50 pound kids beat up guys 3 times their weight. No matter how skilled you are(and none of them look skilled enough) you simply can't generate the power needed to do it unless you start getting into the chi BS. And you might as well start throwing fireballs at that point. What made Ichi work was that it was more drama than swordplay; she just happened to be skilled, though not overwhelmingly, with the sword.
As for the Azumi series, you probably already know how much I dislike them. I'm of the opinion it was simply to satisfy an audience that wanted to see a young girl with no pants swing a sword around and pose, so they made a movie to do just that.
It's the old "wunderkind vs. normal person" scenario. Riko Narumi is the wunderkind, they are both members of a high school bushido club. I thought Kitano was great, but this was the first time I'd ever seen her so I went in with no expectations. Anyway, it's a pretty good movie, I liked it.
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 6884 Location: Syracuse, NY Country:
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:42 am Post subject:
gaijinmark wrote:
The only Ozu film I've seen is Good Morning:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053134/. They showed it down at the Aratani Theater in Little Tokyo a couple years ago. It was okay, I didn't feel like I'd wasted my afternoon, but yeah, I dunno what all the fuss is about, maybe Ozu is "an acquired taste."
Least this talk started a good trend for me, my last 2 watches, his last B & W film followed by his first film in color.
_________________
My last few attempts at watching recently made Japanese movies have proved unsatisfying: mediocre products all. So I changed tack and ended up watching three jidaigeki movies, all from the early 60's and all in black and white. The result--much more enjoyable viewing.
Chi to Suna no Ketto (Duel of Blood and Sand): Three well known performers who made hundreds of appearances in jidaigeki roles--Otomo Ryutaro, Konoe Jushiro, and Oka Satomi--propel a straightforward entertaining story involving disgruntled samurai, duplicitous allies, villainous bandits, determined villagers, relentless assassins, and a beguiling working woman. A prime example of the kind of solid filmmaking that characterized works produced during the "Golden Age" of jidaigeki movies.
Dojo Yaburi (Dojo Challengers): Tanba Tetsuro and Nagato Isamu--another pair of jidaigeki veterans--headline this film whose storyline revolves around employment. However what drew me to this movie was the fact that two of my all-time favorite actresses--Iwashita Shima and Baisho Chieko--have supporting roles. Both were in their very early 20's when they appeared in this film; yet even then each had that screen presence which would be characteristic of their whole long and admirable careers. What I especially liked about this movie (in addition to Iwashita and Baisho) was its attention to character development.
Zoku Dojo Yaburi: Mondo Muyo (Dojo Challengers 2: Don't Question Me): Definitely not a sequel to the previous movie, despite the similarity in title and the same two leads (Tanba and Nagato). The focus of this movie is on the psychological aberration of Nagato's character--the putative heir to a renowned fencing school who seemingly goes insane by murdering his sister's fiance who also happens to be his friend and colleague. His subsequent behavior proves just as maddening, alternating between periods of relaxed passivity and acts of unprovoked violence. Tanba is the more famous actor (at least in the West), but Nagato in both Dojo Yaburi movies stands out with excellent performances in roles which require depth and complexity.
One other plus to the three movies is that the original trailers were included in the DVDs. Great fun watching them (those of you who are familiar with Japanese movie trailers made back then would probably agree).
My last few attempts at watching recently made Japanese movies have proved unsatisfying: mediocre products all. So I changed tack and ended up watching three jidaigeki movies, all from the early 60's and all in black and white. The result--much more enjoyable viewing.
It's pretty much like American films of today: more box-office driven than quality driven... And more times than not, a mediocre product.
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Only problem I had was with Kaku Tomohiro, just felt his performance was pretty bland here.
), but Ozu is one of the greatest directors ever! I've seen at least 10 of his films, like you said he's probably an "an acquired taste" but one worth tasting. 
