แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ japanesemovie แสดงบทความทั้งหมด
แสดงบทความที่มีป้ายกำกับ japanesemovie แสดงบทความทั้งหมด
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 6 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2552
วันเสาร์ที่ 21 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
วันจันทร์ที่ 16 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
kurosagi (2008)
Title: クロサギ
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A boy who's childhood was ruined by con artists, becomes a swindler himself to target those who cheat others, to exact justice. (5/10)
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The swindler of all swindlers
A boy who's childhood was ruined by con artists, becomes a swindler himself to target those who cheat others, to exact justice. (5/10)
Summary
A family is cheated out of all their money. The father, out of desperation, kills the children, his wife, and then commits suicide. One child survives, and his name is Kurosaki. Now a young man, Kurosaki vows revenge on those who brought tragedy on his family, and wages a personal war to erase the world of swindlers. He takes on the name Kurosagi, and becomes a con artist himself, targeting other con artists and cheating them out of their money. His work becomes more complicated when he meets his new tenant, Yoshikawa Tsurara, a law student who is adamantly against swindling and cheating of any sort. After she finds out what kind of “business” Kurosagi is in to, Tsurara does everything in her ability to stop him, and change his bitter heart.
Review
If someone were to walk upon Kurosagi, with no knowledge of what it was about except for the series’ concept, and started to watch it, they would be taken aback by the normality of the Japanese drama. They might expect a darker, more sinister feel to the series; after all, this is a story that deals with cheating people out of money. No, what’s interesting about Kurosagi is that it sets the entire drama in a totally normal city. It puts a world that supersedes the normal, and exists around and beneath society. What’s creepy is how normal the operations of these con artists seem in this drama. On occasion, there is the classic ‘parking lot’ showdown, or a deceptive looking one-way mirror in the restaurant that Kurosaki works from, but on the whole, it plays itself out in a very more, innocent city. It’s not any abnormal horror that plagues the victims in this story, but normal people cheating over citizens out of their hard-earned money.
For the role of the secretive, emotional-stunted Kurosaki, Yamashita Tomohisa had to be a cool, collected individual who was able to keep his bearings around him while all hell broke loose around him. This young actor has been miscast in other television dramas (e.g. Proposal Daisakusen) but his character fits perfectly in Kurosagi. His youthful, cool demeanor is forced throughout the series, which is marvelous for his character: a young, struggling adolescent who has lost his family and lives off of feelings of vengeance and anger, with no support, no love in his life. Tomohisa’s breakdown in the later episodes of the series plays wonderfully with the character’s own likely emotional frailty, as he struggles to push out Yoshikawa Tsurara (Horikita Maki), who is the perfect counterpart to him. Maki constantly carries around a sweet, worried look on her face, reflecting a lady who can’t keep her mind off of the misfortune of those around her. Her best friend and rival for Kurosaki’s interest, Mishima Yukari (Ichikawa Yui) puts on an accurate, if detached, performance, as the annoying, jealous friend, who fails to see her own friend’s concern for Kurosaki.
The development of the story is quick, even rushed. There is a great deal of confusion as to the exact value of Mikimoto’s presence (Kishibe Shiro), as he seems to be an important target for Kurosaki. More character development, and subsequently less side-stories related to Kurosaki’s exploits against other less important con artists, would have resulted in a smoother, more appreciable story. Although it’s a worthy watch, Kurosagi would have benefitted from a longer episode count, or even a sequel. As it stands, it boasts an interesting idea that wasn’t organized as well as it could have been. Unlike the perfect plans of Kurosaki, there are holes everywhere that cripple an otherwise mastermind live action series.
The copyright of the article Review: Kurosagi in Asian Films is owned by Kevin Chan. Permission to republish Review: Kurosagi in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
be with you (2004)
Title (japanese): (いま、会いにゆきます, Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu)
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A japanese love story that moved me to tears, I strongly recommend watching this. The story is about Takumi and Mio. After the death of Mio, Takumi and his 5-year old son Yuji grieve her loss. On her first death anniversary, they meet a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Mio but who has no recollection of who she is. They bring her home thinking that she is Mio('s spirit) who has returned and family life resumes. However, their happy times together are interrupted by the discovery of Mio's diary.
The ending is the part that made me cry buckets. I can't say what the plot is or i'll spoil it. I can only say it's really magical and the way everything pieces together is ingenious.
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I am going to confess that I am becoming a fan of Japanese romance films, with "Be With You" being the second of the genre I've seen in two consecutive days (The other being "Crying Out Love, In The Center Of The World"). But I think many of you in Singapore, being exposed to these 2 wonderful films, have already become converts yourselves too.
While similar in themes about love, and love lost, these 2 films shine in the presentation of picturesque scenes, capturing of the atmosphere, fleshing out its characters, and making every scene count towards the narrative - every scene serves a purpose, every pause punctuates the moment. What differs between these 2 are the settings - Be With You having a more "supernatural" element in its plot, and Crying Out probably a bit more anchored to reality / tragedy.
Death has taken away Mio from Takumi and 6 year old son Yuji, and it is no doubt that they miss their wife/mother dearly. They learn to encourage each other as they fend for themselves - Takumi suffering from a sort of psycho-motor illness which forces him to refrain from overexertion.
Before she departed, Mio had given her son Yuji a storybook, which pens at the end, that come the next rainy season, she'll be back from the Archive Star. It is this hope that Yuji clings onto, with Takumi going along with, even though he knows it's a tad impossible.
However, during a trip to an abandoned shed in the woods, where Yuji was searching for his and his mom's secretly buried time capsule, rainy season started, and to the surprise of both father and son, Mio reappeared, somewhat dazed. While the figure looked like her, she had arrived with no recollection of her past, unknown to her that she was married to Takumi, and had a child Yuji.
Father and son do not know what to make of it, but decide against telling anyone that Mio had returned (how would relatives and friends react, when they already had been to her funeral?). Also, they make it a point to keep it from Mio that she had already passed away, and are determined to make the best of her return into their lives, which definitely needed a woman's touch around the house.
Is this selfish? I do not think so. To lose a loved one so early, and given a second chance to live what should have been, what would you do? And with Mio back into their lives, everyone around Taku and Yuji could see tremendous positiveness in their outlooks.
Since Mio couldn't remember much about the past, she asked Taku to go through from the beginning, how they fell in love and got married. His retelling of the story from his point of view, made up about a third of the movie, as we journey back in time to their schooldays, one date, forty seven letters and a breakup, and husband and wife relive the days of sweet romance.
Will their happy days end? Since Mio explained before she initially left that she's only back for the rainy season, Taku and Yuji had made it an open secret in celebrating each rainy day, wishing that the 6 weeks rainy season will not go, and last forever. You know that it will end someday, and father and son have to go through the pain once again of losing Mio all over. If you know what the ending will be, will you still go through with it, despite the pain and disappointment at the end? This is the thought that runs through your mind as you watch their happy moments together unravel, while secretly crossing your fingers that the ending will change for the better.
But Mio chanced upon her diary, amongst the 47 letters buried in the time capsule Yuji eventually found, and learns of the inevitable. And from here, she takes charge of the situation, knowing that she couldn't be around longer than she wished to take care of her husband (and child), she teaches Yuji to cook and wash, and presumably other household chores as well, so that he could take care of his father. The strength of her love will make you ponder the efforts one would go to ensure that your loved ones are taken good care of once you're no longer around.
It is no spoiler to know that Mio did leave after 6 weeks (she's already dead, remember?), but the film doesn't end there. Taku found Mio's diary, and reading it brings about explanations of their early courtship days from her own point of view, which really is Kleenex time as Taku comes to understand the truth behind certain events. The twist at the end explains the phenomenon of her appearance in the rainy season, and the running theme of living a life knowing its ending, makes a comeback.
I haven't been disappointed with Japanese romances thus far, and it seems to me that every scene, every subplot, every trinket has a point, and are not for the sake of being there. Going full circle to realization seems a style they have mastered, which simply is amazing, in telling a simple tale a different, poignant way. The beautiful soundtrack adds depth and evokes the right emotions amongst audiences, and the main leads Yuko Takeuchi (Mio) and Shido Nakamura (Takumi) exudes commanding on-screen chemistry.
The kid Yuji, played by child actor Akashi Takei, at times seem like a character mix between the kid from Millions and Jerry Maguire, you know, the cute boy who makes you go "awww..." with each of his antics and love for his mom. And Yuji will make you feel no less with each expression of love and longing, and really tug your heartstrings at his calling his "Mama" in helpless efforts of bringing and wanting her back.
Based on a romance novel which I can't read during to my language inability, I am so going to own this DVD when it's out. Highly recommended movie to be watched in a theatre with a loved one, do not miss this!
Postscript
If you know what the ending will be, will you still go through with it, despite the pain and disappointment waiting at the end? This thought that lingered throughout the movie stuck a chord in me. And those of you who know me, will know my answer - yes, I might be a sucker for that kind of punishment. 6 weeks is a luxury, I only had 15 minutes, and those 15 minutes lasted like an eternity that I'll forever treasure.
+ + + + + +
A japanese love story that moved me to tears, I strongly recommend watching this. The story is about Takumi and Mio. After the death of Mio, Takumi and his 5-year old son Yuji grieve her loss. On her first death anniversary, they meet a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Mio but who has no recollection of who she is. They bring her home thinking that she is Mio('s spirit) who has returned and family life resumes. However, their happy times together are interrupted by the discovery of Mio's diary.
The ending is the part that made me cry buckets. I can't say what the plot is or i'll spoil it. I can only say it's really magical and the way everything pieces together is ingenious.
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Be With You (いま、会いにゆきます, Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu, 2004), is a Japanese drama movie, directed by Nobuhiro Doi. It was adapted to sceen by Yoshikazu Okada from a novel of Takuji Ichikawa.
“Mio’s (Yūko Takeuchi) death leaves husband Takumi (Shido Nakamura) and 6 year old son Yuji (Akashi Takei) fending for themselves. Taku occasionally suffers fainting spells, is disorganized, and fears that his health hindered Mio’s happiness. Yuji overheard relatives speculate that his delivery compromised her health, and he blames himself for her death. Mio left him a picture book in which she departs for “The Archive Star” but re-appears during the rainy season the following year, and he eagerly awaits her return. Taking a walk in the forest outside their house, Taku and Yuji find a woman sheltering from the rain and immediately accept her as Mio.
She has no memory or sense of identity, but comes home to live with them anyway. She asks Taku how they met and fell in love, and he recounts a tale of years of missed chances starting in high school until she encouraged their marriage years later. As the rainy season nears its end, Yuji finds the “time capsule” he hid with his mother before her death. Mio’s diary is inside, and its version of the romance holds the answers to the mystery.”
One of my rarest Japanese movie review up to date. This is a touching love story. Be With You involves some unexplained supernatural situations like have some future visions, coming back to life for a while, etc. The way the story connects is smooth and viewers should be able to understand the whole story at the end. The movie shows how a mother’s love for her family when she knew that what would happen to her. Okay, enough of spoilers. You can watch the trailer below. “Spoiler warning”!
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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I am going to confess that I am becoming a fan of Japanese romance films, with "Be With You" being the second of the genre I've seen in two consecutive days (The other being "Crying Out Love, In The Center Of The World"). But I think many of you in Singapore, being exposed to these 2 wonderful films, have already become converts yourselves too.
While similar in themes about love, and love lost, these 2 films shine in the presentation of picturesque scenes, capturing of the atmosphere, fleshing out its characters, and making every scene count towards the narrative - every scene serves a purpose, every pause punctuates the moment. What differs between these 2 are the settings - Be With You having a more "supernatural" element in its plot, and Crying Out probably a bit more anchored to reality / tragedy.
Death has taken away Mio from Takumi and 6 year old son Yuji, and it is no doubt that they miss their wife/mother dearly. They learn to encourage each other as they fend for themselves - Takumi suffering from a sort of psycho-motor illness which forces him to refrain from overexertion.
Before she departed, Mio had given her son Yuji a storybook, which pens at the end, that come the next rainy season, she'll be back from the Archive Star. It is this hope that Yuji clings onto, with Takumi going along with, even though he knows it's a tad impossible.
However, during a trip to an abandoned shed in the woods, where Yuji was searching for his and his mom's secretly buried time capsule, rainy season started, and to the surprise of both father and son, Mio reappeared, somewhat dazed. While the figure looked like her, she had arrived with no recollection of her past, unknown to her that she was married to Takumi, and had a child Yuji.
Father and son do not know what to make of it, but decide against telling anyone that Mio had returned (how would relatives and friends react, when they already had been to her funeral?). Also, they make it a point to keep it from Mio that she had already passed away, and are determined to make the best of her return into their lives, which definitely needed a woman's touch around the house.
Is this selfish? I do not think so. To lose a loved one so early, and given a second chance to live what should have been, what would you do? And with Mio back into their lives, everyone around Taku and Yuji could see tremendous positiveness in their outlooks.
Since Mio couldn't remember much about the past, she asked Taku to go through from the beginning, how they fell in love and got married. His retelling of the story from his point of view, made up about a third of the movie, as we journey back in time to their schooldays, one date, forty seven letters and a breakup, and husband and wife relive the days of sweet romance.
Will their happy days end? Since Mio explained before she initially left that she's only back for the rainy season, Taku and Yuji had made it an open secret in celebrating each rainy day, wishing that the 6 weeks rainy season will not go, and last forever. You know that it will end someday, and father and son have to go through the pain once again of losing Mio all over. If you know what the ending will be, will you still go through with it, despite the pain and disappointment at the end? This is the thought that runs through your mind as you watch their happy moments together unravel, while secretly crossing your fingers that the ending will change for the better.
But Mio chanced upon her diary, amongst the 47 letters buried in the time capsule Yuji eventually found, and learns of the inevitable. And from here, she takes charge of the situation, knowing that she couldn't be around longer than she wished to take care of her husband (and child), she teaches Yuji to cook and wash, and presumably other household chores as well, so that he could take care of his father. The strength of her love will make you ponder the efforts one would go to ensure that your loved ones are taken good care of once you're no longer around.
It is no spoiler to know that Mio did leave after 6 weeks (she's already dead, remember?), but the film doesn't end there. Taku found Mio's diary, and reading it brings about explanations of their early courtship days from her own point of view, which really is Kleenex time as Taku comes to understand the truth behind certain events. The twist at the end explains the phenomenon of her appearance in the rainy season, and the running theme of living a life knowing its ending, makes a comeback.
I haven't been disappointed with Japanese romances thus far, and it seems to me that every scene, every subplot, every trinket has a point, and are not for the sake of being there. Going full circle to realization seems a style they have mastered, which simply is amazing, in telling a simple tale a different, poignant way. The beautiful soundtrack adds depth and evokes the right emotions amongst audiences, and the main leads Yuko Takeuchi (Mio) and Shido Nakamura (Takumi) exudes commanding on-screen chemistry.
The kid Yuji, played by child actor Akashi Takei, at times seem like a character mix between the kid from Millions and Jerry Maguire, you know, the cute boy who makes you go "awww..." with each of his antics and love for his mom. And Yuji will make you feel no less with each expression of love and longing, and really tug your heartstrings at his calling his "Mama" in helpless efforts of bringing and wanting her back.
Based on a romance novel which I can't read during to my language inability, I am so going to own this DVD when it's out. Highly recommended movie to be watched in a theatre with a loved one, do not miss this!
Postscript
If you know what the ending will be, will you still go through with it, despite the pain and disappointment waiting at the end? This thought that lingered throughout the movie stuck a chord in me. And those of you who know me, will know my answer - yes, I might be a sucker for that kind of punishment. 6 weeks is a luxury, I only had 15 minutes, and those 15 minutes lasted like an eternity that I'll forever treasure.
love com (lovely complex) (2008)
Title (Japanese): (ラブ★コン Rabu★Kon, sometimes spelled Love*Com)
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She's really, really tall. He's really, really short. But is this unlikely duo a match made in heaven? Maybe they're the perfect couple, but since the two bicker and fight all the time, perhaps they're more destined to become like the famous comedy duo their friends are always comparing them to. Based on the popular manga and adapted into a video game, this is a live-action version of the touching and comical story of two outcasts finding romance in the most unlikely place--and the fine line between staying friends and risking it all to find true love.
another comments:
- I didn't really expect to like this movie, but it's really funny and adorable. Probably one of my favourite romantic comedies.
- It's a little bit Funny but the story was interesting. In real life when the girl is taller than her partner was not good at all.
koike teppei was cute even if his role was little bit hurting him but he get the best in acting. For me the girl was too young to get a boyfriend so it makes me wondering how does what her parents opinion or reaction when they're noticed that their daughter get a boyfriend at a young age?
Actually,Koke teppei is my No.1 idol until now since i saw him at the very first time so when i watch this movie in the internet shop i was so surprised when he kissed that girl and the truth is i'm getting jealous but then it's okay because it's only a drama acting only i know,funny but it can hurt me.
+ + + + + +
She's really, really tall. He's really, really short. But is this unlikely duo a match made in heaven? Maybe they're the perfect couple, but since the two bicker and fight all the time, perhaps they're more destined to become like the famous comedy duo their friends are always comparing them to. Based on the popular manga and adapted into a video game, this is a live-action version of the touching and comical story of two outcasts finding romance in the most unlikely place--and the fine line between staying friends and risking it all to find true love.
another comments:
- I didn't really expect to like this movie, but it's really funny and adorable. Probably one of my favourite romantic comedies.
- It's a little bit Funny but the story was interesting. In real life when the girl is taller than her partner was not good at all.
koike teppei was cute even if his role was little bit hurting him but he get the best in acting. For me the girl was too young to get a boyfriend so it makes me wondering how does what her parents opinion or reaction when they're noticed that their daughter get a boyfriend at a young age?
Actually,Koke teppei is my No.1 idol until now since i saw him at the very first time so when i watch this movie in the internet shop i was so surprised when he kissed that girl and the truth is i'm getting jealous but then it's okay because it's only a drama acting only i know,funny but it can hurt me.
shaolin girl (2008)
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Hollywood is always looking for high concept movies that can become franchises, dependent more on the premise or the character than the talent involved. In that same spirit, Hong Kong superstar Stephen Chow started his own franchise. His kung fu comedy Shaolin Soccer was a huge success in 2001, but he resisted any direct sequels. Instead, he joined with Japanese producer Chihiro Kameyama to make a spin off: Shaolin Girl.
Reminiscent of the original, the titular character is trained in Shaolin-style kung fu and wants to share that training with others. (One minor change: instead of soccer, she plays lacrosse.) The lone warrior must learn to become a team player. The film was released in Japan in April and is still playing after seven weeks. Mark Schilling of The Japan Times was not impressed, though: "This sort of thing plays well in Japan, especially with the TV-watching masses who are Kameyama's main target, but the rest of the world has so far remained indifferent."
Now Shaolin Girl has been released in Singapore and the buzz is not good. Stefan S. at A Nutshell Review suggested that a cameo by Chow might have rescued the picture, "but alas, knowing that it would stink, he rightfully kept his distance. And so should you." Blogger/movie reviewer r3gular at The World Through Me was just as blunt: "It's draggy, long-winded and some scenes were almost painful to continue watching."
I'm disappointed. The trailer looked promising. And the world needs more Shaolin girls.
วันพุธที่ 11 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
all about lily chou chou (2001)
Title (Romaji): 花とアリス
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Pros: Makes for an interesting multi-media project.
Cons: It's still not a very good film...
The Bottom Line: An interesting, yet deeply flawed, film.
Movie Review: For the uninitiated, the Japanese education system may conjure up visions of row upon row of obedient and disciplined students rigorously preparing for their future positions as loyal life-long employees at major corporations. In actuality, Japanese schools have become increasingly dangerous places, where the incidence of youth crime has grown dramatically over the past two decades.
In addition to growing reports of gakkyuu houkai ('breakdown of order in classrooms') and a steady rise in incidents of bullying by students, the incidence of violent crime has soared, which has led to the phrase 'seventeen and deadly' being coined by the press. For example, in 1997, the country was shocked by an incident in Kobe where a junior-high student decapitated an elementary school student. The following year, a teacher was fatally stabbed by one of her students after being repeatedly chastised for being late for class. Even prostitution has infiltrated high school campuses with the practice of enjo kusai ('paid dating'), in which businessmen pay teenage girls to have dinner or go karaoke with them, opening the door to the selling of sexual services later on.
In 2000, the late Kinji Fukusaku pointed to the high-pressure and ultra-competitive nature of the Japanese education system as being the root cause of the 'seventeen and deadly' phenomenon in his highly controversial film "Battle Royale". In "Battle Royale", a class of grade nine students are left on an island and forced to kill each other until there is only one survivor-- a thinly veiled analogy for the nationwide examinations issued during the ninth grade to determine advancement to higher grades, particularly in the country's more distinguished senior highs. If "Battle Royale" was a stylized metaphor for the turmoil in Japanese high schools, then Shunji Iwai's coming-of-age tale "All About Lily Chou-Chou (Riri Shushu no subete)" is the cold splash of reality presented in all its uncompromising ugliness.
"All About Lily Chou-Chou" revolves around the growing pains of high schooler Yuichi Hasumi (Hayato Ichihara) a die-hard fan of fictitious Japanese pop star Lily Chou-Chou. For Yuichi, the music and worship of Lily Chou-chou is a refuge from the bullying, nihilism, and disappointment that embody his regular school day, and to that end, he spends most of his spare time running a web site dedicated to the singer and participating in on-line forums. Like the film's soundtrack of wall-to-wall music selections, the songs of Lily Chou-chou fill a gaping hole in Yuichi's dismal life.
As the film crosses several years of Yuichi's high school life, we witness how Yuichi is befriended in his first year of high school by the gifted Susuke Hoshino (Shugo Oshinari) and how a mishap during a summer trip to Okinawa triggers a change in Hoshino, who initiates a reign of terror as the school's top bully. Weak and defenseless, Yuichi has little recourse but to go along with Hoshino's whims, which include petty crime and beatings. Of course, the adults in the story either remain completely oblivious to what is going on or choose to ignore what is happening right under their noses.
Unfortunately, Yuichi eventually comes to a point where enough is enough. One catalyst is the fate of Yoko Kuno (Ayumi Ito, who appeared in Iwai's "Swallowtail"), who runs afoul of a powerful clique of girls and pays a steep price. Kuno is the person who first introduced Yuichi to the music of Lily Chou-Chou, and because of that, he harbors feelings for her, yet lacks the courage to tell her. Meanwhile, another girl, Shiori Tsuda (Yu Aoi), has an unspoken affection for Yuichi-- even though she is being pimped by Hoshino to provide services to middle-aged salarymen, she cannot work up the courage to express her feelings. However, the final straw for Yuichi comes when Lily Chou-Chou holds a concert in town and Hoshino ends up destroying his last vestiges of happiness and dignity.
Comedian George Carlin once mentioned that high school was a lot like prison, and in "All About Lily Chou-Chou", the comparison could not be more apt. Theft, violence, prostitution, and rape are everyday occurrences in the lives of Yuichi and his classmates. But despite the very adult situations that these teenagers are faced with, Iwai's unblinking camera reveals them for the children that they still are. One telling scene has Yuichi and Shiori on opposite sides of a bush after having said their goodbyes, waiting as they try to find the opportunity and words to express what they want to say-- unfortunately, they are not yet emotionally equipped to handle such a simple task, let alone the horrors they face at school.
While "All About Lily Chou-Chou" is uncompromising in how it depicts high-school life in Japan, there are a number of other areas where Iwai could have done some trimming. Most noticeable is the indulgent narrative that seems to orbit incessantly around the points that Iwai is trying to make. For example, an extended sequence covering the fateful trip to Okinawa seems to go on and on forever like someone's unedited vacation footage (which it actually seems to be), and some judicious cutting would have been welcome. In addition, the film is punctuated by snippets of web conversations between Lily Chou-Chou fans (some of which were actually appropriated from real messages left at a web message board set up by Iwai), some of which have a bearing on what is happening in the story, but many others which do not. Combined with the story structure that jumps backwards and forwards in time, trying to keep up with the film while reading between the lines is at times exasperating.
Another aspect of "All About Lily Chou-Chou" that might turn off potential viewers is Iwai's use of digital cameras, eschewing the rich look of film for the glaring sheen and washed-out colors of video. While the handheld camerawork imbues a sense of 'you are there' cinema verité to the proceedings, at times, the images are so herky-jerky or dimly lit that it is difficult to figure out what is going on. Those viewers who are used to Iwai's cinematic masterpieces "Love Letter" and "April Story (Shigatsu monogatari)" are certainly in for a rude awakening.
Several years in the making and having gone through multiple incarnations (including an unfinished novel and an on-line forum), "All About Lily Chou-Chou" is a film that confronts the destructive power of teen alienation in modern-day Japan head-on. Unfortunately, many viewers will likely be turned off by the inaccessible fashion that Iwai has crafted his film, which is rife with indulgent filmmaking, muddled messages, and laggard pacing. However, for those viewers with the patience and resolve to give such a challenging film a chance, Hong Kong's Panorama Entertainment has just released a new all-region DVD, as well as a VCD, of the film. True, the execution may not be as flashy as "Battle Royale", but the message is just as grim and unforgettable.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
All About Lily Chou Chou began its life as an interactive novel written by director Shunji Iwai (who also gave us Swallowtail and Butterfly, a film that heralded the arrival of a major new talent in Japanese cinema) and posted on the internet. Unfortunately, it probably worked better in the novel format than it does as a film.
As a film, Lily Chou Chou is a series of strikingly beautiful images that are consistently broken up by a lackluster and disjointed plot filled with the kind of philosophical profoundness that can only come from angst-filled teenagers. Since the pseudo intellectual pronouncements would never work as dialogue, Iwai presents them as kanji on the screen—the desperate ramblings of Lily Chou Chou fans in an internet chatroom. In the old days, they’d have probably just been really bad poetry—isn’t technology great?
It’s a coming of age story with a decidedly Japanese slant, but Iwai tries to dress it up into something more through the use of just about every art film trick in the book--a disjointed narrative throughline, long and ponderous shots, characters that are oblique and often inscrutable, and a penchant for divulging everything through exposition (in this case, the chat room transcripts that interrupt the film roughly once every ten minutes or so). Because of this, the film will be a tough sell for American audiences—most of who will be put off by the pace and the rather glib presentation.
The Lily Chou Chou of the title isn’t the central character, but rather a Japanese diva akin to Bjork or maybe Sade. Her music is ‘ethereal’ as she’s supposedly connected to some secret world the rest of us can’t quite see. That she was born at the exact moment that Mark Chapman killed John Lennon is either brilliant marketing by her handlers or a convenient and not-so-subtle hint that there really is something to her music.
Lily is the string that binds the film together. While we never see her on the screen (which was a wise choice since it would have probably shattered the illusion for most viewers), her spiritual manifesto is spouted by no less than a dozen or so mega fans in a Lily-holic chatroom. The room’s manager, a young male named Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is perhaps the biggest Lily fan of all. Posting under the name philia, he uses the chatroom and Lily’s music to escape from his tragic Japanese existence. Yuichi is bullied by his peers, and eventually forced into a life of crime by the ringleader, Hoshino.
This bullying, which eventually leads to rape and murder, seems to be what the film is truly about. In a way not unlike Kinji Fukasaku’s controversial Battle Royale, Iwai presents the volatile and increasingly more violent Japanese youth culture for all to see. It’s not a pretty picture—witnessed by how casually a group of boys rape a classmate. While the picture the film paints is fascinating—and occasionally frightening--it’s not really enough to sustain the movie for its roughly two and a half hour running time.
In the film’s defense, it’s beautifully shot. Iwai still has a keen eye for dynamic visuals and some of the scene compositions are nearly poetic in their beauty. Shots of Yuichi standing alone in lush green rice fields while he listens to his Lily Chou Chou cds are breathtaking in their simplicity. Unfortunately, time and again these shots are cut from so that the viewer can watch yet another boring chatroom exchange on a black screen.
Ultimately, I wanted to love All About Lily Chou Chou. Shunji Iwai is a gifted filmmaker with a unique visual style, and that is the film’s one saving grace. It’s a shame that the brilliant visuals can’t make up for the overly melodramatic chatroom discussions or the hard to follow narrative. There’s a very good idea buried somewhere in this story, but Iwai never found a way to draw it out. That his main character is such a wimp certainly doesn’t help matters, either. If you’re really interested in Japanese cinema, then All About Lily Chou Chou is certainly worth a look. However, if you’re an impatient viewer who doesn’t have a lot of tolerance for ponderously paced foreign films, you’ll want to steer well clear of this one.
- Confusion is one of my least favourite emotions, especially when I have to put up with 146 minutes of it.
- I'm not sure All About Lily Chou-Chou made sense in my head, but it made sense in my heart.
- Once you get into its rhythm ... the movie becomes a heady experience.
- A difficult, absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear.
- For all of its insights into the dream world of teen life, and its electronic expression through cyber culture, the film gives no quarter to anyone seeking to pull a cohesive story out of its 2 1/2-hour running time.
- A hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture.
- The gutsy film didn't help itself by making it so difficult to follow the story and by being so morose.
- This movie is maddening. It conveys a simple message in a visual style that is willfully overwrought.
05:39PM TH
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
Pros: Makes for an interesting multi-media project.
Cons: It's still not a very good film...
The Bottom Line: An interesting, yet deeply flawed, film.
Movie Review: For the uninitiated, the Japanese education system may conjure up visions of row upon row of obedient and disciplined students rigorously preparing for their future positions as loyal life-long employees at major corporations. In actuality, Japanese schools have become increasingly dangerous places, where the incidence of youth crime has grown dramatically over the past two decades.
In addition to growing reports of gakkyuu houkai ('breakdown of order in classrooms') and a steady rise in incidents of bullying by students, the incidence of violent crime has soared, which has led to the phrase 'seventeen and deadly' being coined by the press. For example, in 1997, the country was shocked by an incident in Kobe where a junior-high student decapitated an elementary school student. The following year, a teacher was fatally stabbed by one of her students after being repeatedly chastised for being late for class. Even prostitution has infiltrated high school campuses with the practice of enjo kusai ('paid dating'), in which businessmen pay teenage girls to have dinner or go karaoke with them, opening the door to the selling of sexual services later on.
In 2000, the late Kinji Fukusaku pointed to the high-pressure and ultra-competitive nature of the Japanese education system as being the root cause of the 'seventeen and deadly' phenomenon in his highly controversial film "Battle Royale". In "Battle Royale", a class of grade nine students are left on an island and forced to kill each other until there is only one survivor-- a thinly veiled analogy for the nationwide examinations issued during the ninth grade to determine advancement to higher grades, particularly in the country's more distinguished senior highs. If "Battle Royale" was a stylized metaphor for the turmoil in Japanese high schools, then Shunji Iwai's coming-of-age tale "All About Lily Chou-Chou (Riri Shushu no subete)" is the cold splash of reality presented in all its uncompromising ugliness.
"All About Lily Chou-Chou" revolves around the growing pains of high schooler Yuichi Hasumi (Hayato Ichihara) a die-hard fan of fictitious Japanese pop star Lily Chou-Chou. For Yuichi, the music and worship of Lily Chou-chou is a refuge from the bullying, nihilism, and disappointment that embody his regular school day, and to that end, he spends most of his spare time running a web site dedicated to the singer and participating in on-line forums. Like the film's soundtrack of wall-to-wall music selections, the songs of Lily Chou-chou fill a gaping hole in Yuichi's dismal life.
As the film crosses several years of Yuichi's high school life, we witness how Yuichi is befriended in his first year of high school by the gifted Susuke Hoshino (Shugo Oshinari) and how a mishap during a summer trip to Okinawa triggers a change in Hoshino, who initiates a reign of terror as the school's top bully. Weak and defenseless, Yuichi has little recourse but to go along with Hoshino's whims, which include petty crime and beatings. Of course, the adults in the story either remain completely oblivious to what is going on or choose to ignore what is happening right under their noses.
Unfortunately, Yuichi eventually comes to a point where enough is enough. One catalyst is the fate of Yoko Kuno (Ayumi Ito, who appeared in Iwai's "Swallowtail"), who runs afoul of a powerful clique of girls and pays a steep price. Kuno is the person who first introduced Yuichi to the music of Lily Chou-Chou, and because of that, he harbors feelings for her, yet lacks the courage to tell her. Meanwhile, another girl, Shiori Tsuda (Yu Aoi), has an unspoken affection for Yuichi-- even though she is being pimped by Hoshino to provide services to middle-aged salarymen, she cannot work up the courage to express her feelings. However, the final straw for Yuichi comes when Lily Chou-Chou holds a concert in town and Hoshino ends up destroying his last vestiges of happiness and dignity.
Comedian George Carlin once mentioned that high school was a lot like prison, and in "All About Lily Chou-Chou", the comparison could not be more apt. Theft, violence, prostitution, and rape are everyday occurrences in the lives of Yuichi and his classmates. But despite the very adult situations that these teenagers are faced with, Iwai's unblinking camera reveals them for the children that they still are. One telling scene has Yuichi and Shiori on opposite sides of a bush after having said their goodbyes, waiting as they try to find the opportunity and words to express what they want to say-- unfortunately, they are not yet emotionally equipped to handle such a simple task, let alone the horrors they face at school.
While "All About Lily Chou-Chou" is uncompromising in how it depicts high-school life in Japan, there are a number of other areas where Iwai could have done some trimming. Most noticeable is the indulgent narrative that seems to orbit incessantly around the points that Iwai is trying to make. For example, an extended sequence covering the fateful trip to Okinawa seems to go on and on forever like someone's unedited vacation footage (which it actually seems to be), and some judicious cutting would have been welcome. In addition, the film is punctuated by snippets of web conversations between Lily Chou-Chou fans (some of which were actually appropriated from real messages left at a web message board set up by Iwai), some of which have a bearing on what is happening in the story, but many others which do not. Combined with the story structure that jumps backwards and forwards in time, trying to keep up with the film while reading between the lines is at times exasperating.
Another aspect of "All About Lily Chou-Chou" that might turn off potential viewers is Iwai's use of digital cameras, eschewing the rich look of film for the glaring sheen and washed-out colors of video. While the handheld camerawork imbues a sense of 'you are there' cinema verité to the proceedings, at times, the images are so herky-jerky or dimly lit that it is difficult to figure out what is going on. Those viewers who are used to Iwai's cinematic masterpieces "Love Letter" and "April Story (Shigatsu monogatari)" are certainly in for a rude awakening.
Several years in the making and having gone through multiple incarnations (including an unfinished novel and an on-line forum), "All About Lily Chou-Chou" is a film that confronts the destructive power of teen alienation in modern-day Japan head-on. Unfortunately, many viewers will likely be turned off by the inaccessible fashion that Iwai has crafted his film, which is rife with indulgent filmmaking, muddled messages, and laggard pacing. However, for those viewers with the patience and resolve to give such a challenging film a chance, Hong Kong's Panorama Entertainment has just released a new all-region DVD, as well as a VCD, of the film. True, the execution may not be as flashy as "Battle Royale", but the message is just as grim and unforgettable.
Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
All About Lily Chou Chou began its life as an interactive novel written by director Shunji Iwai (who also gave us Swallowtail and Butterfly, a film that heralded the arrival of a major new talent in Japanese cinema) and posted on the internet. Unfortunately, it probably worked better in the novel format than it does as a film.
As a film, Lily Chou Chou is a series of strikingly beautiful images that are consistently broken up by a lackluster and disjointed plot filled with the kind of philosophical profoundness that can only come from angst-filled teenagers. Since the pseudo intellectual pronouncements would never work as dialogue, Iwai presents them as kanji on the screen—the desperate ramblings of Lily Chou Chou fans in an internet chatroom. In the old days, they’d have probably just been really bad poetry—isn’t technology great?
It’s a coming of age story with a decidedly Japanese slant, but Iwai tries to dress it up into something more through the use of just about every art film trick in the book--a disjointed narrative throughline, long and ponderous shots, characters that are oblique and often inscrutable, and a penchant for divulging everything through exposition (in this case, the chat room transcripts that interrupt the film roughly once every ten minutes or so). Because of this, the film will be a tough sell for American audiences—most of who will be put off by the pace and the rather glib presentation.
The Lily Chou Chou of the title isn’t the central character, but rather a Japanese diva akin to Bjork or maybe Sade. Her music is ‘ethereal’ as she’s supposedly connected to some secret world the rest of us can’t quite see. That she was born at the exact moment that Mark Chapman killed John Lennon is either brilliant marketing by her handlers or a convenient and not-so-subtle hint that there really is something to her music.
Lily is the string that binds the film together. While we never see her on the screen (which was a wise choice since it would have probably shattered the illusion for most viewers), her spiritual manifesto is spouted by no less than a dozen or so mega fans in a Lily-holic chatroom. The room’s manager, a young male named Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is perhaps the biggest Lily fan of all. Posting under the name philia, he uses the chatroom and Lily’s music to escape from his tragic Japanese existence. Yuichi is bullied by his peers, and eventually forced into a life of crime by the ringleader, Hoshino.
This bullying, which eventually leads to rape and murder, seems to be what the film is truly about. In a way not unlike Kinji Fukasaku’s controversial Battle Royale, Iwai presents the volatile and increasingly more violent Japanese youth culture for all to see. It’s not a pretty picture—witnessed by how casually a group of boys rape a classmate. While the picture the film paints is fascinating—and occasionally frightening--it’s not really enough to sustain the movie for its roughly two and a half hour running time.
In the film’s defense, it’s beautifully shot. Iwai still has a keen eye for dynamic visuals and some of the scene compositions are nearly poetic in their beauty. Shots of Yuichi standing alone in lush green rice fields while he listens to his Lily Chou Chou cds are breathtaking in their simplicity. Unfortunately, time and again these shots are cut from so that the viewer can watch yet another boring chatroom exchange on a black screen.
Ultimately, I wanted to love All About Lily Chou Chou. Shunji Iwai is a gifted filmmaker with a unique visual style, and that is the film’s one saving grace. It’s a shame that the brilliant visuals can’t make up for the overly melodramatic chatroom discussions or the hard to follow narrative. There’s a very good idea buried somewhere in this story, but Iwai never found a way to draw it out. That his main character is such a wimp certainly doesn’t help matters, either. If you’re really interested in Japanese cinema, then All About Lily Chou Chou is certainly worth a look. However, if you’re an impatient viewer who doesn’t have a lot of tolerance for ponderously paced foreign films, you’ll want to steer well clear of this one.
- Confusion is one of my least favourite emotions, especially when I have to put up with 146 minutes of it.
- I'm not sure All About Lily Chou-Chou made sense in my head, but it made sense in my heart.
- Once you get into its rhythm ... the movie becomes a heady experience.
- A difficult, absorbing film that manages to convey more substance despite its repetitions and inconsistencies than do most films than are far more pointed and clear.
- For all of its insights into the dream world of teen life, and its electronic expression through cyber culture, the film gives no quarter to anyone seeking to pull a cohesive story out of its 2 1/2-hour running time.
- A hypnotic cyber hymn and a cruel story of youth culture.
- The gutsy film didn't help itself by making it so difficult to follow the story and by being so morose.
- This movie is maddening. It conveys a simple message in a visual style that is willfully overwrought.
05:39PM TH
hana& alice (2004)
Title (Romaji): 花とアリス
+ + + + + + + + + +
Story: Hana (Anne Suzuki) and Alice (Yu Aoi) are very close friends. They both share the same hobby, learning ballet and take pleasure in traveling by train. One day on their way to school they see young Masashi Miyamoto (Tomohiro Kaku), who is always absorbed in a book. Hana seems to find him attractive and so a few months later she tries to get into the same acting club he is already a member of. When she secretly follows him on his way home, she sees how he bumps his head and goes down. Hana takes advantage of his first confusion and tells him that he is suffering from amnesia and that she is in fact his girlfriend.
Masashi actually can remember anything, just not Hana and so he spends some time with her to get her to know better und to reawaken his memories. However, he can't find the feeling of love he is supposed to have towards her.
After all, the situation becomes even more complicated when Hana, because of some unfortunate circumstances, asks her friend Alice to pretend to be Myamoto's ex-girlfriend. Because of their made-up stories Hana and Alice can't see each other as frequently as before, and moreover, when Masashi talks with Alice, for him to get to know more about his past he also seems to fall in love with her.
Can the friendship of the two girls overcome the difficulties of the love triangle?
Review: Shunji Iwai is without a doubt one of Japans most extraordinary contemporary directors. His movies radiate an unique kind of magic, stand out because of their fascinating and dreamy atmosphere and are very worthwhile because of their wonderfully unusual cinematography. "Hana und Alice" is his latest movie and it can live up to what we came to expect of it after Iwais latest movies. It's not as profound as "All about Lily Chou-chou" or as entertaining as "Love Letter", yet in a very amusing way it takes us on a journey into the world of two best friends, who are wandering on their path of maturity, and doing so gain experience in what love is about as well. The love triangle, however, isn't really the center of events and so most of the time the film manages to balance between lighthearted comedy and drama, without getting lost into the usual cliches.
At first sight, Hana und Alice are two ordinary girls, but as time goes by we are introduced to their inner life and their living conditions. Their characters become surprisingly multi-layered and later on there seems to be only little left of their former childishness. Well, there is no better word than childish to describe their little games, and still, these games make the movie so entertaining and stand in strong contrast to the theme of growing up.
The story of Shunji Iwai is pretty good, even if it sometimes loses focus. On the other side, you can never be sure if Iwai really wanted to place more value on a certain aspect of the movie than on another one. Apparently, the love story with Myamoto is given priority. What is love? Can love be forced? Will the love triangle drive a wedge between the two friends? All these questions are part of the drama aspect of the film, nevertheless, sometimes throughout the movie we realize that this isn't the essence of what Iwai wanted to tell us. Myamoto is merely another paving-stone on the girls' path of growing up, and even though the two might seem to be inseparable, at the end both of them have to walk this path on their own.
Hana is played by Anne Suzuki who already made a name for herself in "Returner" or "Initial D". Hana and her relationship with Myamoto is nice to look at, yet Myamoto himself just remains too shallow. Actor Tomohiro Kaku most of the time just looks stoical and confused and somehow the relationship never gains any momentum because of this. To the movie's credit, this is mainly so, because he has no feelings for Hana. The scenes he shares with Alice are more emotional and imbued with a certain amount of warmth, so that you actually have the feeling to watch a real romance unfold. Hana's love is an unrequited one and so it simply lacks the spirit. The change concerning these feelings towards the end are somewhat confusing to say the least. Alice gives up on her possible love relationship and yet she is not down or regretting her decision, while Hana slowly can arouse feelings for her in Myamoto. The question remains if this is really so or if the characters actually have by far more different feelings than what we get to see. This is something every viewer has to decide for himself as Shunji Iwai somewhat abruptly brings this topic to a finish and shifts his focus on the more important relationship between the two girls, again. Leaving us in a limbo concerning the love story.
In addition to Anne Suzuki, who with her slightly rough character is the more self-confident of the two friends, Yu Aoi is also turning in a credible performance. Her character seems to be more multilayered, even if we get to know her better only later in the movie. The main reason why she is more interesting than Hana is the simple fact that we get to see more of her living conditions. There is a nice insertion with her father, who seems to visit her seldomly, because he got a divorce from Alice's mother. Even though there is some tension between Alice and her father, at the end it's obvious, that they love each other, even when they can't express it in their own language and have to use mandarin chinese, which Alice interestingly enough doesn't speak. Yet, she intuitively manages to hit the right rising and falling tones of the language that the likes of us laboriously have to learn for months...
Furthermore, Alice also has a little side story with her mother going on, who desperately tries to get a new boyfriend, and thus kicks her daughter out of house, whenever she has a date. Moreover, during the course of the movie Alice is spotted by a talent scout, but the girl soon has to realize, that she has neither the acting skills nor the self confidence that is required to get a job. This changes when in a small magical scene she expresses herself through a small ballet dance performance, which is one of the movie's true highlights.
Hana's living conditions on the other hand remain in the dark. Except from her house, which is filled with lots of flowers, and a short humorous gaze at her mother, we don't get to know much of the girl. However, towards the end we understand that Alice brought her in touch with ballet dancing and helped her to get rid of the shell she hid behind all the time, becoming the person who she is now.
In the end lots of problems and interesting stories are left unfinished, e.g. the plot revolving around the mother or the father of Alice. This may be frustrating for some viewers. But this is exactly Iwai's handwriting: He grants us a peek into the life of his characters and even though there is lots of stuff happening around them, this is merely adding to the movie's authenticity and doesn't serve any special purpose. Which is why the film is not supposed to answer certain questions or solve some of the problems.
Shunji Iwai as always remains true to his style and enchants the viewer with warm and dreamy pictures, which are mainly created by the strong use of soft sunlight shining through windows. The camera movements sometimes remind us of a hand camera, which still is something I can't get used to, but the music by Shunji Iwai himself fits perfectly into the rest, even if some of the piano pieces are a little bit too complex to be used as background music. Classic music is nothing to be listened to passively, but you have to get involved with it in a more active way of listening. This is why a few pieces feel a bit inappropriate.
With its running time of 135 minutes "Hana and Alice" seems to be quite long, but apart from a greater slowdown in the middle the film fortunately proves to be really entertaining and in addition also provides us with a nice subtle humour. As it is typical with Iwai the movie's strength lies in its heart-warming atmosphere, which makes the end product, despite some rather emotional scenes, not really a drama. It's just a movie about the friendship of two girls and their path of becoming mature. At the end, when the ending credits hit the screen you will be strongly satisfied, although you might find it hard to pinpoint why, because "Hana and Alice" surely has some sore points. However, there is something with Iwai's movies that always manages to touch you - like a warm ray of sunshine touching your face...
From the above synopsis, it may sound as if Hana & Alice is a dopey chick flick full of goofy romance and an over-the-top plot, but such is strangely far from the case. Funny events do take place, but dramatic elements take precedence over the funny, with slow build-up and many character-building sequences. While the film is not strictly realistic, a strong sense of verisimilitude is incorporated via the use of almost documentary style cinematography and ample naturalistic lighting. Characters take center stage over plot machinations, and the end result is far superior in my opinion to most sappy, slight chick flicks.
Anne Suzuki's portrayal of Hana is nuanced and at times emotionally intense as she pulls on her significant acting skills to reproduce the selfish personality of her character. At first it is Hana who seems less confident next to Alice's enthusiasm and physical beauty, but then she pursues her crush with more wherewithal than Alice can even muster when auditioning for commercials and photo shoots. And when Suzuki is called upon to engage the waterworks, the emotions she exhibits seem strikingly real, a tribute to her very real talent.
Yu Aoi's Alice is a much more sympathetic role, and Aoi's performance is, overall, subtler than Suzuki's, with her character's more understated personality. Alice is in the center of a broken family, forced to take care of a slovenly divorced mother who actively chases after men and shows little affection for her daughter. Alice doesn't see her father often, but in the one sequence in which they are together her confusion and obvious affection for her dad is obvious. Her participation in Hana's deception of the boy is never malicious, but she sustains it as a help to her friend and as an excuse to relieve some of her loneliness in the acquaintance of a kind male friend. Her name, "Alice," is actually a nickname derived from her surname, Arisugawa, and is rendered in katakana in the film's Japanese title; katakana is often used for foreign loan words and other, less formal usages, almost as if Alice is using her nickname to separate herself from her painful family situation.
Tomohiro Kaku as the boy is less impressive, but he has less to work with. Frankly, his character is rather dull—though part of a comedy club at school, he is completely terrible at telling jokes, rendering them in a monotone, and he doesn't seem to have any significant friends. He appears to be something of a bookworm, but it isn't clear what he is interested in outside of comedy, and his family life is never explored. The intent of the film seems to have been to make him as boring as possible, underscoring that Hana and Alice's attraction towards him is based more on the early idealization of him and his friend, as well as the fact that he is a convenient male to fill the roles missing in the girls' lives. The boy's name, Masashi Miyamoto, is a slight corruption of the name of a famous samurai from Japan's history, highlighting again that his stature in their eyes is fantasy. Amusingly, his comedian name given to him by the leader of the comedy club is "Bakuhatsu," which means "explosion"—completely inappropriate for the ultimately unexciting boy.
Music throughout the film is gorgeous instrumental with strong piano and string motifs. It was easy for me to get caught up in the melodious strains, and what's even more impressive is that all original music was composed by Shunji Iwai, the director of the film.
The weakest link in the experience, however, is far and away the subtitles. There are a number of points in which significant portions of dialogue are not translated, such as when the boy Miyamoto is reciting his comedy sketch to himself, or towards the end when the head of the comedy club is performing on-stage and parts of his ludicrous act are skimmed over. It's frustrating because it feels as if the translators just decided that certain sections of the dialogue were unimportant, rather than leaving that discretion up to the viewers to decide. Furthermore, of slight annoyance is the placement of the subs, which sometimes alternate from the bottom up to the top of the screen and then back down again—not because too many people are talking at once, but perhaps because of contrast issues. Whatever the reason, it was distracting.
I also want to take a little time to note some issues of translation in general because some common issues have been preying on my mind lately. Increasingly my friends have been complaining about the way in which film dialogue is translated, especially cusswords, because they know just enough of Japanese to know that these words and some other phrases are not being rendered literally, and they have an aversion for foul language. Actually, complaints about translations are common, with fanboys all across the Internet picking apart and complaining about various movies without understanding even an inkling of what the task is like when translating a text. Really, the topic deserves an entire article unto itself. The fact of the matter is, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of words in Japanese that don't have direct English translations, and if those words are literally rendered in our language, they would sound extremely strange and therefore lose their original, culturally-specific punch. In the case of Hana and Alice, the translators decided to render many of the girls' exclamations as "Jesus" or "Christ," and it is very obvious that in the original Japanese these particular words (or even their equivalents) aren't used because in general the Japanese don't swear using Christian themes. Frankly, I don't like the use of profanity (as opposed to vulgarity or obscenity) in translating Japanese because it is putting our religion-derived swear words in the mouths of foreigners, which makes them sound very out-of-place due to the characters' background, and as a Christian myself, profanity in particular is offensive to me. Profanity isn't just disagreeable words labeled unrespectable by social mores; profanity is disrespectful and worse towards a belief set which I and many others hold to be absolutely true. Nevertheless, I do understand why they did it—a direct translation would have sounded odd at best, which may have distracted from the intended impact of the moment in the context of the story. Be that as it may, I would prefer translators rely on expressions that are not so culturally-centered, such as religious swear words, and attempt to translate via more universal expression. For example, when translating the cry of dismay sayaku (which I have heard translated as "worst"), it seems to make more sense (in the context of Japanese culture) to say "No way!" or "Oh no!" rather than "Christ!"
Despite these issues, however, I believe Hana & Alice is a strong film, with a beautiful score, well-thought-out story, strong characterizations and very solid acting from the main actresses. Hana & Alice easily helped solidify my respect for both Suzuki and Aoi, and I look forward to seeing more of their work elsewhere. As far as chick flicks go, I think this one was even better than Nana (2005), which I also enjoyed quite a bit. While not ground-breaking, Hana & Alice is intelligent entertainment, and a very good reminder that not all Japanese movies have to be about samurai and giant monsters to be fine entertainment.
04:58PM TH
+ + + + + + + + + +
Story: Hana (Anne Suzuki) and Alice (Yu Aoi) are very close friends. They both share the same hobby, learning ballet and take pleasure in traveling by train. One day on their way to school they see young Masashi Miyamoto (Tomohiro Kaku), who is always absorbed in a book. Hana seems to find him attractive and so a few months later she tries to get into the same acting club he is already a member of. When she secretly follows him on his way home, she sees how he bumps his head and goes down. Hana takes advantage of his first confusion and tells him that he is suffering from amnesia and that she is in fact his girlfriend.
Masashi actually can remember anything, just not Hana and so he spends some time with her to get her to know better und to reawaken his memories. However, he can't find the feeling of love he is supposed to have towards her.
After all, the situation becomes even more complicated when Hana, because of some unfortunate circumstances, asks her friend Alice to pretend to be Myamoto's ex-girlfriend. Because of their made-up stories Hana and Alice can't see each other as frequently as before, and moreover, when Masashi talks with Alice, for him to get to know more about his past he also seems to fall in love with her.
Can the friendship of the two girls overcome the difficulties of the love triangle?
Review: Shunji Iwai is without a doubt one of Japans most extraordinary contemporary directors. His movies radiate an unique kind of magic, stand out because of their fascinating and dreamy atmosphere and are very worthwhile because of their wonderfully unusual cinematography. "Hana und Alice" is his latest movie and it can live up to what we came to expect of it after Iwais latest movies. It's not as profound as "All about Lily Chou-chou" or as entertaining as "Love Letter", yet in a very amusing way it takes us on a journey into the world of two best friends, who are wandering on their path of maturity, and doing so gain experience in what love is about as well. The love triangle, however, isn't really the center of events and so most of the time the film manages to balance between lighthearted comedy and drama, without getting lost into the usual cliches.
At first sight, Hana und Alice are two ordinary girls, but as time goes by we are introduced to their inner life and their living conditions. Their characters become surprisingly multi-layered and later on there seems to be only little left of their former childishness. Well, there is no better word than childish to describe their little games, and still, these games make the movie so entertaining and stand in strong contrast to the theme of growing up.
The story of Shunji Iwai is pretty good, even if it sometimes loses focus. On the other side, you can never be sure if Iwai really wanted to place more value on a certain aspect of the movie than on another one. Apparently, the love story with Myamoto is given priority. What is love? Can love be forced? Will the love triangle drive a wedge between the two friends? All these questions are part of the drama aspect of the film, nevertheless, sometimes throughout the movie we realize that this isn't the essence of what Iwai wanted to tell us. Myamoto is merely another paving-stone on the girls' path of growing up, and even though the two might seem to be inseparable, at the end both of them have to walk this path on their own.
Hana is played by Anne Suzuki who already made a name for herself in "Returner" or "Initial D". Hana and her relationship with Myamoto is nice to look at, yet Myamoto himself just remains too shallow. Actor Tomohiro Kaku most of the time just looks stoical and confused and somehow the relationship never gains any momentum because of this. To the movie's credit, this is mainly so, because he has no feelings for Hana. The scenes he shares with Alice are more emotional and imbued with a certain amount of warmth, so that you actually have the feeling to watch a real romance unfold. Hana's love is an unrequited one and so it simply lacks the spirit. The change concerning these feelings towards the end are somewhat confusing to say the least. Alice gives up on her possible love relationship and yet she is not down or regretting her decision, while Hana slowly can arouse feelings for her in Myamoto. The question remains if this is really so or if the characters actually have by far more different feelings than what we get to see. This is something every viewer has to decide for himself as Shunji Iwai somewhat abruptly brings this topic to a finish and shifts his focus on the more important relationship between the two girls, again. Leaving us in a limbo concerning the love story.
In addition to Anne Suzuki, who with her slightly rough character is the more self-confident of the two friends, Yu Aoi is also turning in a credible performance. Her character seems to be more multilayered, even if we get to know her better only later in the movie. The main reason why she is more interesting than Hana is the simple fact that we get to see more of her living conditions. There is a nice insertion with her father, who seems to visit her seldomly, because he got a divorce from Alice's mother. Even though there is some tension between Alice and her father, at the end it's obvious, that they love each other, even when they can't express it in their own language and have to use mandarin chinese, which Alice interestingly enough doesn't speak. Yet, she intuitively manages to hit the right rising and falling tones of the language that the likes of us laboriously have to learn for months...
Furthermore, Alice also has a little side story with her mother going on, who desperately tries to get a new boyfriend, and thus kicks her daughter out of house, whenever she has a date. Moreover, during the course of the movie Alice is spotted by a talent scout, but the girl soon has to realize, that she has neither the acting skills nor the self confidence that is required to get a job. This changes when in a small magical scene she expresses herself through a small ballet dance performance, which is one of the movie's true highlights.
Hana's living conditions on the other hand remain in the dark. Except from her house, which is filled with lots of flowers, and a short humorous gaze at her mother, we don't get to know much of the girl. However, towards the end we understand that Alice brought her in touch with ballet dancing and helped her to get rid of the shell she hid behind all the time, becoming the person who she is now.
In the end lots of problems and interesting stories are left unfinished, e.g. the plot revolving around the mother or the father of Alice. This may be frustrating for some viewers. But this is exactly Iwai's handwriting: He grants us a peek into the life of his characters and even though there is lots of stuff happening around them, this is merely adding to the movie's authenticity and doesn't serve any special purpose. Which is why the film is not supposed to answer certain questions or solve some of the problems.
Shunji Iwai as always remains true to his style and enchants the viewer with warm and dreamy pictures, which are mainly created by the strong use of soft sunlight shining through windows. The camera movements sometimes remind us of a hand camera, which still is something I can't get used to, but the music by Shunji Iwai himself fits perfectly into the rest, even if some of the piano pieces are a little bit too complex to be used as background music. Classic music is nothing to be listened to passively, but you have to get involved with it in a more active way of listening. This is why a few pieces feel a bit inappropriate.
With its running time of 135 minutes "Hana and Alice" seems to be quite long, but apart from a greater slowdown in the middle the film fortunately proves to be really entertaining and in addition also provides us with a nice subtle humour. As it is typical with Iwai the movie's strength lies in its heart-warming atmosphere, which makes the end product, despite some rather emotional scenes, not really a drama. It's just a movie about the friendship of two girls and their path of becoming mature. At the end, when the ending credits hit the screen you will be strongly satisfied, although you might find it hard to pinpoint why, because "Hana and Alice" surely has some sore points. However, there is something with Iwai's movies that always manages to touch you - like a warm ray of sunshine touching your face...
From the above synopsis, it may sound as if Hana & Alice is a dopey chick flick full of goofy romance and an over-the-top plot, but such is strangely far from the case. Funny events do take place, but dramatic elements take precedence over the funny, with slow build-up and many character-building sequences. While the film is not strictly realistic, a strong sense of verisimilitude is incorporated via the use of almost documentary style cinematography and ample naturalistic lighting. Characters take center stage over plot machinations, and the end result is far superior in my opinion to most sappy, slight chick flicks.
Anne Suzuki's portrayal of Hana is nuanced and at times emotionally intense as she pulls on her significant acting skills to reproduce the selfish personality of her character. At first it is Hana who seems less confident next to Alice's enthusiasm and physical beauty, but then she pursues her crush with more wherewithal than Alice can even muster when auditioning for commercials and photo shoots. And when Suzuki is called upon to engage the waterworks, the emotions she exhibits seem strikingly real, a tribute to her very real talent.
Yu Aoi's Alice is a much more sympathetic role, and Aoi's performance is, overall, subtler than Suzuki's, with her character's more understated personality. Alice is in the center of a broken family, forced to take care of a slovenly divorced mother who actively chases after men and shows little affection for her daughter. Alice doesn't see her father often, but in the one sequence in which they are together her confusion and obvious affection for her dad is obvious. Her participation in Hana's deception of the boy is never malicious, but she sustains it as a help to her friend and as an excuse to relieve some of her loneliness in the acquaintance of a kind male friend. Her name, "Alice," is actually a nickname derived from her surname, Arisugawa, and is rendered in katakana in the film's Japanese title; katakana is often used for foreign loan words and other, less formal usages, almost as if Alice is using her nickname to separate herself from her painful family situation.
Tomohiro Kaku as the boy is less impressive, but he has less to work with. Frankly, his character is rather dull—though part of a comedy club at school, he is completely terrible at telling jokes, rendering them in a monotone, and he doesn't seem to have any significant friends. He appears to be something of a bookworm, but it isn't clear what he is interested in outside of comedy, and his family life is never explored. The intent of the film seems to have been to make him as boring as possible, underscoring that Hana and Alice's attraction towards him is based more on the early idealization of him and his friend, as well as the fact that he is a convenient male to fill the roles missing in the girls' lives. The boy's name, Masashi Miyamoto, is a slight corruption of the name of a famous samurai from Japan's history, highlighting again that his stature in their eyes is fantasy. Amusingly, his comedian name given to him by the leader of the comedy club is "Bakuhatsu," which means "explosion"—completely inappropriate for the ultimately unexciting boy.
Music throughout the film is gorgeous instrumental with strong piano and string motifs. It was easy for me to get caught up in the melodious strains, and what's even more impressive is that all original music was composed by Shunji Iwai, the director of the film.
The weakest link in the experience, however, is far and away the subtitles. There are a number of points in which significant portions of dialogue are not translated, such as when the boy Miyamoto is reciting his comedy sketch to himself, or towards the end when the head of the comedy club is performing on-stage and parts of his ludicrous act are skimmed over. It's frustrating because it feels as if the translators just decided that certain sections of the dialogue were unimportant, rather than leaving that discretion up to the viewers to decide. Furthermore, of slight annoyance is the placement of the subs, which sometimes alternate from the bottom up to the top of the screen and then back down again—not because too many people are talking at once, but perhaps because of contrast issues. Whatever the reason, it was distracting.
I also want to take a little time to note some issues of translation in general because some common issues have been preying on my mind lately. Increasingly my friends have been complaining about the way in which film dialogue is translated, especially cusswords, because they know just enough of Japanese to know that these words and some other phrases are not being rendered literally, and they have an aversion for foul language. Actually, complaints about translations are common, with fanboys all across the Internet picking apart and complaining about various movies without understanding even an inkling of what the task is like when translating a text. Really, the topic deserves an entire article unto itself. The fact of the matter is, there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of words in Japanese that don't have direct English translations, and if those words are literally rendered in our language, they would sound extremely strange and therefore lose their original, culturally-specific punch. In the case of Hana and Alice, the translators decided to render many of the girls' exclamations as "Jesus" or "Christ," and it is very obvious that in the original Japanese these particular words (or even their equivalents) aren't used because in general the Japanese don't swear using Christian themes. Frankly, I don't like the use of profanity (as opposed to vulgarity or obscenity) in translating Japanese because it is putting our religion-derived swear words in the mouths of foreigners, which makes them sound very out-of-place due to the characters' background, and as a Christian myself, profanity in particular is offensive to me. Profanity isn't just disagreeable words labeled unrespectable by social mores; profanity is disrespectful and worse towards a belief set which I and many others hold to be absolutely true. Nevertheless, I do understand why they did it—a direct translation would have sounded odd at best, which may have distracted from the intended impact of the moment in the context of the story. Be that as it may, I would prefer translators rely on expressions that are not so culturally-centered, such as religious swear words, and attempt to translate via more universal expression. For example, when translating the cry of dismay sayaku (which I have heard translated as "worst"), it seems to make more sense (in the context of Japanese culture) to say "No way!" or "Oh no!" rather than "Christ!"
Despite these issues, however, I believe Hana & Alice is a strong film, with a beautiful score, well-thought-out story, strong characterizations and very solid acting from the main actresses. Hana & Alice easily helped solidify my respect for both Suzuki and Aoi, and I look forward to seeing more of their work elsewhere. As far as chick flicks go, I think this one was even better than Nana (2005), which I also enjoyed quite a bit. While not ground-breaking, Hana & Alice is intelligent entertainment, and a very good reminder that not all Japanese movies have to be about samurai and giant monsters to be fine entertainment.
04:58PM TH
nobody knows (2004)
Title (Romaji): (誰も知らない; Dare mo shiranai)
Tagline: Survival: Abandoned Children Bonding in the Streets of Tokyo
+ + + + + + + + + + +
1st plot summary:
In Tokyo, the reckless single mother Keiko moves to a small apartment with her twelve years old son Akira Fukushima and hidden in the luggage, his siblings Kyoko, Shigeru and Yuki. The children have different fathers and do not have schooling, but they have a happy life with their mother. When Keiko finds a new boyfriend, she leaves the children alone, giving some money to Akira and assigning him to take care of his siblings. When the money finishes, Akira manages to find means to survive with the youngsters without power supply, gas or water at home, and with the landlord asking for the rental.
2nd plot summary:
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage with the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination toward the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage.
another comments:
- Children can not choose their parents
Author: Furuya Shiro from Kumamoto, Japan
"Children can not choose their parents" This was what came into my mind after I saw this movie.This movie is based on actual incident happened in 1988. It was much more miserable than the movie. A woman was living with a man. She thought he had filed the marriage notification. When their son was born, the man said he had filed the birth notification. One day he left her to live with another woman. When the boy reached the primary school age, she knew neither the marriage notification nor the birth notification were filed. Facing this situation, she decided to hide her children from the society. (According to another source, the mother told the police that she thought the birth notification of a bastard child would not be accepted.)She had met several men and had 5 children, two boys and three girls, who were not registered and hidden from other people. When the second boy died of sick, she hid the corps in the closet. While she works in a department store, the eldest son took care of three sisters. When the eldest son was 14, she went out to live with her new man, who was 16 years older than her. She gave the eldest son her address. When the children were protected by the police half a year later, a girl was dead, and the two were debilitated, as they were confined in a room and poorly fed. The girls were 3 and 2 y/o and still used diapers, but they were changed only once every day. It is reported that the eldest boy blamed himself for not being able to take good care of his sisters, instead of blaming his mother...Compared to the real story, the movie is less miserable. In the movie, even the little boy and girl look normal and pretty, but in the real story they were very poorly developed. But it was still more than enough to surprise me. What a mother! In a conversation with the eldest boy, she says "May I not become happy?" She acts on this thought, without thinking of the same right about her children. Her childish lisping talk describes her immaturity. And of course, men were more guilty. Sadly, children can not choose their parents.Every child acted amazingly well, very natural. Particularly, the eyes of the eldest boy, Akira, are very impressive. The eyes tell many things from their miserable life.
- A compelling portrait of the world of abandoned children
Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California
"Nobody Knows" is painful to watch. It's a story you won't shake off, depicting the most defenseless of humans -- four young children, the oldest only twelve -- trapped in growing poverty and abandonment. It's a process-narrative of devolution that makes you feel helpless and angry and sad. It's saved from mawkishness by the natural energy of the children playing the roles of the four kids. And if it survives, its not because of its treatment of a social issue so much as for its evocation of the precise details of childhood.
There are two main subjects here. One is criminal neglect: the story is loosely based on events that happened in Tokyo in 1988. The other is the private, often secret, lives of children. Koreeda began as a documentary filmmaker and this seems to have given him exceptional skill in working with people and capturing their natural reactions. The winning, tragic children in "Nobody Knows," four half-siblings with different fathers and the same childish, selfish mother, never seem to be acting and often no doubt aren't. Nonetheless the subtlety of expression in the delicate, mobile, beautiful face of the older boy, young Yûya Yagira, was such that it won him the Best Actor award at Cannes last year.
Also important is Koreeda's gift for detail, his meditative examinations of fingernails, feet, a toy piano, video games, pieces of paper, objects strewn around a room, the hundreds of little soft drink bottles that are everywhere in Japan, plants, dirt, all the small things children see because they're closer to the ground. And the things they accept because they're defenseless and innocent, but also incredibly adaptable.
Akira, who's only ten and whose voice changed during year spent making the movie, is in charge. As their mother's absences become lengthier and the children finally seem to be abandoned for good, money runs out. Akira is captain of a sinking ship, a somber duty, but he and his little sisters and brother keep finding time to laugh and play.
Koreeda's a passionately serious filmmaker: the two better known of his earlier fiction films deal with death and loss and here he considers as a given the worst of human carelessness and indifference both by society and the individual. "Maborosi" (1995) was a homage to Ozu but without Ozu's sense of social connectedness; it begins with an isolated couple in the city and chronicles a young widow's second marriage in the country through a slow pastiche of observed daily scenes where event and even dialogue are minimal concerns. The content of "Maborosi" is too thin, but the images and color are exquisite and the sequences of natural, unrehearsed-looking scenes achieve an impressively rich, beautiful, zen-like calm. "After Life" (1998) uses actual recollections of older people talking to the camera to build up a fantasy about dead souls held temporarily in a bureaucratic pre-Heaven limbo being asked to choose a single favorite memory to take with them into eternity: the effect is perplexing, thought-provoking, charming, and with great economy of means, cinematic.
"Nobody Knows" isn't as brilliant or resolved as "After Life" or as exquisitely visual as "Maborosi," but for all its rambling excessive length it delivers a quantity of undigested patient misery and joy that will evoke such noble antecedents from the classic world of cinematic humanism as Clément's "Forbidden Games," De Sica's "Bicycle Thief," and the homeless father and son living on garbage in Kurosawa's Do-des-ka-den.
What's new here though is a sense of the encompassing otherness of big modern cities and the stoicism and resiliency of childhood (and perhaps also of the Japanese personality). Keiko, the childish, weak, spoiled mother (played effectively -- we instantly hate her -- by You, who's some sort of pop star in Japan), sneaks three of her four children into the new apartment and tells them they can't go out, can't show themselves even on the balcony. (In the real event, this was largely because they were illegitimate and had no papers, but here the explanation is that their noise may get them evicted.) Only Akira can leave, and she won't let him or the others go to school. They're prisoners of their urban anonymity and of an impersonal contemporary society.
As in Andrew Berkin's "Cement Garden," the children also pretend everything's okay to escape the cruelty of the social welfare system. We watch agonizingly -- and many writers say the movie's somewhat too long; it does feel thus especially during the first hour -- but this time Koreeda's world is more direct and specific than before and there's plenty of talk. The children chatter among themselves. Eventually they go out and mix a bit by day with other children. Akira even talks to himself; he has to, because there's no adult coaching him so he must impersonate an elder adviser.
Whatever its roughness and excess, "Nobody Knows" is intense and powerful film-making. Koreeda has put his whole heart and soul into this movie and with it achieves an experience you can't shrug off. Nor will you forget the kids, especially the beautiful boy, Yûya Yagira, who may be growing inch by inch into a star even as we speak.
- a film with immense humanity
Author: trngo from Seattle
It has been a while since I saw a film with this much humanity. That is, until I saw acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's latest, Nobody Knows, about a quartet of siblings left to fend for themselves.
It's heartbreaking, just thinking about some of these random moments subtly displayed on screen. The look on an adolescent girl's face when her mom paints her nails. A little boy making silly faces in the mirror. A little girl's scribbling of stick people on a gas bill that has been months overdue... I can go on.
I wish I can put into words, or convey in some sort of way, the flowing of rampant emotions experienced when I saw these images: about how much it hit so close to home, how much it reminded me of my own family. But I can't. I guess it simply cannot be articulated in such a concise, simplified manner.
You'll just have to see it for yourself.
- Absolutely Astounding!
Author: s_cadzow from United States
There are very few films I have seen that had the power to affect me as deeply as Nobody Knows. As highly as I recommend it, I must also forewarn, that this film has power, some very serious power. To call Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows anything less than a masterpiece would be an insult to the story it tells. The craftsmanship we witness here, from the masterful direction to the outstanding performances that the children were able to commit to, are all something of incredible proportions.
Nobody Knows, which is a true story, tells of four siblings, ages 5-12, from different fathers, who live in a small apartment in Tokyo. At first, they live in the apartment with their childish Mother who is hardly ever home. With the exception of the oldest, Akira, the mother snuck the children in to keep the rent lower and prohibits them from ever leaving the apartment, even the veranda, for fear of them being seen. The children do not go to school. As they look after each other, all they do is patiently and affectionately wait for their mother to come home.
As the story progresses, the children wake up one morning to some money on the kitchen table with a note from their mother saying that she'll be home in a month. As Akira steps up and takes charge of the apartment, the bills, and his siblings, the children still hold hope that mother will be home soon. And then, Nobody Knows hits you like a truck and goes right through you. Complete Abandonment. The smiles diminish and the childish affection for a mother that will never return is gone. Gone to play mother to another family, it is now entirely up to Akira, with money running out.
Koreeda's direction of the children is exceptional, as if the film was shot entirely candid. The camera-work is sincere, as if we were one of the children stuck in that apartment. There are no gimmicks here, no slide of hand, or post-production miracles. Nobody Knows is raw, and thrives in Koreeda's ability to capture the distinct personalities of all four siblings, their hopes, and those secretive moments where Koreeda directs the children not for the stories sake, but for the sake of the children being children.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Nobody Knows is the performances of the four children. All four children, who conjured phenomenal performances, were played by Japanese youths with no film backgrounds. After you see the film, it is likely that Koreeda preferred it this way, tapping into the honesty and energy that such youth had to offer. Their performances are so sincere and beautiful that on several occasions the tears will start to fall, the goose bumps will rise, and your heart will undoubtedly cry out to rescue these children, to grab them in your arms and set them free.
Without giving too much away, one of the most touching scenes to me, is on Yuki's birthday, the only thing she wants is to be able to go outside for a walk with her big brother Akira. So when the night comes, she puts on her little bear slippers, an ear to ear smile on her face, and with her hand in her brothers hand, they set her heart free for if not only a night.
Nobody Knows is a film that I will never let go of. This film impacted me so much and I found it so absolutely remarkable, that it hasn't left my mind since it's viewing. I almost feel that recommending this film just isn't enough, and all I can say is that I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy this film for all that it is worth. As sure as it is to invoke emotion, it is as sure to please as a piece of cinema.
- Nasal Whisper
Author: frankgaipa from Oakland, California
No doubt there are others I haven't heard of, but for me Dare mo shiranai forms the latest entry in a trilogy of Japanese films based on true incidents involving abusive parents: Oshima's 1969 Shonen (Boy), Nomura's 1978 Kichiku (The Demon) are the others. Shonen I saw long ago and isn't available. Kichiku I watched barely two weeks ago. Nomura's camera tends to accuse, while Oshima's, if I recall, just watches, miming cinema vérité. Kore-eda, like Oshima, tends -- I mean this literally not pejoratively -- to voyeurism.
Knowing the story too well already from difficult-to-dodge early reviews and distributor publicity, I couldn't help seeing as ironic the early scenes in which the children's mother Keiko is still a factor. Her voice an almost cute nasal whisper, something like that of a child boisterously ignoring a cold (compare the whisper-singing actress in Swallowtail Butterfly and Picnic or I don't know which Karie Kahimi cut (but my favorites are all on Larmes de Crocodile)), she comes across as a really great mother. The family may be on the outs, sneaking, two or three gone fetal inside suitcases, into a one-child apartment, but it's a family of five, not four victims and a demon. The "unpacking" of the children looks clever, magical. It's fairytale stuff. So is the chatter, the family life, those first nights especially, in the new apartment. Keiko's one of them and their mother in charge of them, all at once. They may complain but they clearly admire something in her, and obey her to the letter. They've learned from her a self-reliance that so astounds throughout the film, that its slow breakdown is that much more shattering. Not just their compliance, but the skill with which they do without her during her increasingly long absences testify to what she's done for and with them. How many children you know could survive this well for this long in these circumstances?
Or is what I'm seeing just the actress You's skill with the nonprofessional child actors? I think probably it's both, You and Keiko, and that Kore-eda knew and used this.
There's going to be too much written here about this film (and on the IMDb message board look for some really knowledgeable comments by YukoK that make my top of the head rambling near worthless by comparison). I try never to repeat or preempt others' contributions, but wondered how many would register Keiko's mother-skills.
Kore-eda doesn't shy from deconstructing the closest thing he has here to a protagonist, eldest son Akira. After Keiko's whisper-voice goes slowly sinister and collapses finally into written notes, we watch his will and integrity falter even as he attracts the sympathy of the shop girl and cast-out Saki. I don't think there's a deliberately sentimental shot in the entire film. The achingly symbolic garden that mimics Akira's decline and the nighttime trek to the burial site may come closest, but both are forgivable and may have been unavoidable. If you haven't already seen Nobody Knows, prepare yourself for a fine ten-minute cry.
See my comment at Distance (2001) for a snippet of Kore-eda apologetic in person.
- every little details we neglected
Author: kaichern tee from ames, iowa
If your local art theater plays it, go watch it. Find it in DVD store if you can. Rent it through your local mega movie renting store if you have to. Everyone has to watch this movie.
As a highly urbanized country, Japan is subjected to constant social problem, more so than other developed country. Hence, often you will have your Japanese movies that reminds us these problems, Tokyo Godfather, Fireworks, etc.
Nobody Knows is one of them from another angle.
Its director likes to use close up on little details like finger nails, shoes, t-shirt collar to tell the audience what kind of situation it is for the victims in the movie. Often we neglect these little details; often we neglect the unfortunate people around us.
Once in a while we have a world disaster, we all jumped in, we all gave our helping hands, we all praised greatly how much help we gave on TV. Comparing and contrast the figures of aids given with other countries, even. Little things, little unfortunate things happened around us, everyday, everywhere, they are all nicely tucked under our lavish mat and those story never told, those needed aid never arrived. Because they have no news value or because helping a few people doesn't gain enough prestige?
Nobody knows, as the title suggest, We never aware of these problems, by our own choice or not. The movie has an unusual slow pace. There is no climax, everything just get worse. Just the those misfortune people nobody knows, their life are not full of excitement, everyday is another to get by, nothing to wish for, nothing to hope for. Nobody Knows depicts the days of these unsounded misfortune. You could have seen the unfortunate events to come. You would have wished they would not come. One by one they came.
The brilliant part, Nobody Knows lets its audiences decide the ending.
04:39PM TH
Tagline: Survival: Abandoned Children Bonding in the Streets of Tokyo
+ + + + + + + + + + +
1st plot summary:
In Tokyo, the reckless single mother Keiko moves to a small apartment with her twelve years old son Akira Fukushima and hidden in the luggage, his siblings Kyoko, Shigeru and Yuki. The children have different fathers and do not have schooling, but they have a happy life with their mother. When Keiko finds a new boyfriend, she leaves the children alone, giving some money to Akira and assigning him to take care of his siblings. When the money finishes, Akira manages to find means to survive with the youngsters without power supply, gas or water at home, and with the landlord asking for the rental.
2nd plot summary:
Four siblings live happily with their mother in a small apartment in Tokyo. The children all have different fathers and have never been to school. The very existence of three of them has been hidden from the landlord. One day, the mother leaves behind a little money and a note, charging her oldest boy to look after the others. And so begins the children's odyssey, a journey nobody knows. Though engulfed by the cruel fate of abandonment, the four children do their best to survive in their own little world, devising and following their own set of rules. When they are forced to engage with the world outside their cocooned universe, the fragile balance that has sustained them collapses. Their innocent longing for their mother, their wary fascination toward the outside world, their anxiety over their increasingly desperate situation, their inarticulate cries, their kindness to each other, their determination to survive on wits and courage.
another comments:
- Children can not choose their parents
Author: Furuya Shiro from Kumamoto, Japan
"Children can not choose their parents" This was what came into my mind after I saw this movie.This movie is based on actual incident happened in 1988. It was much more miserable than the movie. A woman was living with a man. She thought he had filed the marriage notification. When their son was born, the man said he had filed the birth notification. One day he left her to live with another woman. When the boy reached the primary school age, she knew neither the marriage notification nor the birth notification were filed. Facing this situation, she decided to hide her children from the society. (According to another source, the mother told the police that she thought the birth notification of a bastard child would not be accepted.)She had met several men and had 5 children, two boys and three girls, who were not registered and hidden from other people. When the second boy died of sick, she hid the corps in the closet. While she works in a department store, the eldest son took care of three sisters. When the eldest son was 14, she went out to live with her new man, who was 16 years older than her. She gave the eldest son her address. When the children were protected by the police half a year later, a girl was dead, and the two were debilitated, as they were confined in a room and poorly fed. The girls were 3 and 2 y/o and still used diapers, but they were changed only once every day. It is reported that the eldest boy blamed himself for not being able to take good care of his sisters, instead of blaming his mother...Compared to the real story, the movie is less miserable. In the movie, even the little boy and girl look normal and pretty, but in the real story they were very poorly developed. But it was still more than enough to surprise me. What a mother! In a conversation with the eldest boy, she says "May I not become happy?" She acts on this thought, without thinking of the same right about her children. Her childish lisping talk describes her immaturity. And of course, men were more guilty. Sadly, children can not choose their parents.Every child acted amazingly well, very natural. Particularly, the eyes of the eldest boy, Akira, are very impressive. The eyes tell many things from their miserable life.
- A compelling portrait of the world of abandoned children
Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California
"Nobody Knows" is painful to watch. It's a story you won't shake off, depicting the most defenseless of humans -- four young children, the oldest only twelve -- trapped in growing poverty and abandonment. It's a process-narrative of devolution that makes you feel helpless and angry and sad. It's saved from mawkishness by the natural energy of the children playing the roles of the four kids. And if it survives, its not because of its treatment of a social issue so much as for its evocation of the precise details of childhood.
There are two main subjects here. One is criminal neglect: the story is loosely based on events that happened in Tokyo in 1988. The other is the private, often secret, lives of children. Koreeda began as a documentary filmmaker and this seems to have given him exceptional skill in working with people and capturing their natural reactions. The winning, tragic children in "Nobody Knows," four half-siblings with different fathers and the same childish, selfish mother, never seem to be acting and often no doubt aren't. Nonetheless the subtlety of expression in the delicate, mobile, beautiful face of the older boy, young Yûya Yagira, was such that it won him the Best Actor award at Cannes last year.
Also important is Koreeda's gift for detail, his meditative examinations of fingernails, feet, a toy piano, video games, pieces of paper, objects strewn around a room, the hundreds of little soft drink bottles that are everywhere in Japan, plants, dirt, all the small things children see because they're closer to the ground. And the things they accept because they're defenseless and innocent, but also incredibly adaptable.
Akira, who's only ten and whose voice changed during year spent making the movie, is in charge. As their mother's absences become lengthier and the children finally seem to be abandoned for good, money runs out. Akira is captain of a sinking ship, a somber duty, but he and his little sisters and brother keep finding time to laugh and play.
Koreeda's a passionately serious filmmaker: the two better known of his earlier fiction films deal with death and loss and here he considers as a given the worst of human carelessness and indifference both by society and the individual. "Maborosi" (1995) was a homage to Ozu but without Ozu's sense of social connectedness; it begins with an isolated couple in the city and chronicles a young widow's second marriage in the country through a slow pastiche of observed daily scenes where event and even dialogue are minimal concerns. The content of "Maborosi" is too thin, but the images and color are exquisite and the sequences of natural, unrehearsed-looking scenes achieve an impressively rich, beautiful, zen-like calm. "After Life" (1998) uses actual recollections of older people talking to the camera to build up a fantasy about dead souls held temporarily in a bureaucratic pre-Heaven limbo being asked to choose a single favorite memory to take with them into eternity: the effect is perplexing, thought-provoking, charming, and with great economy of means, cinematic.
"Nobody Knows" isn't as brilliant or resolved as "After Life" or as exquisitely visual as "Maborosi," but for all its rambling excessive length it delivers a quantity of undigested patient misery and joy that will evoke such noble antecedents from the classic world of cinematic humanism as Clément's "Forbidden Games," De Sica's "Bicycle Thief," and the homeless father and son living on garbage in Kurosawa's Do-des-ka-den.
What's new here though is a sense of the encompassing otherness of big modern cities and the stoicism and resiliency of childhood (and perhaps also of the Japanese personality). Keiko, the childish, weak, spoiled mother (played effectively -- we instantly hate her -- by You, who's some sort of pop star in Japan), sneaks three of her four children into the new apartment and tells them they can't go out, can't show themselves even on the balcony. (In the real event, this was largely because they were illegitimate and had no papers, but here the explanation is that their noise may get them evicted.) Only Akira can leave, and she won't let him or the others go to school. They're prisoners of their urban anonymity and of an impersonal contemporary society.
As in Andrew Berkin's "Cement Garden," the children also pretend everything's okay to escape the cruelty of the social welfare system. We watch agonizingly -- and many writers say the movie's somewhat too long; it does feel thus especially during the first hour -- but this time Koreeda's world is more direct and specific than before and there's plenty of talk. The children chatter among themselves. Eventually they go out and mix a bit by day with other children. Akira even talks to himself; he has to, because there's no adult coaching him so he must impersonate an elder adviser.
Whatever its roughness and excess, "Nobody Knows" is intense and powerful film-making. Koreeda has put his whole heart and soul into this movie and with it achieves an experience you can't shrug off. Nor will you forget the kids, especially the beautiful boy, Yûya Yagira, who may be growing inch by inch into a star even as we speak.
- a film with immense humanity
Author: trngo from Seattle
It has been a while since I saw a film with this much humanity. That is, until I saw acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda's latest, Nobody Knows, about a quartet of siblings left to fend for themselves.
It's heartbreaking, just thinking about some of these random moments subtly displayed on screen. The look on an adolescent girl's face when her mom paints her nails. A little boy making silly faces in the mirror. A little girl's scribbling of stick people on a gas bill that has been months overdue... I can go on.
I wish I can put into words, or convey in some sort of way, the flowing of rampant emotions experienced when I saw these images: about how much it hit so close to home, how much it reminded me of my own family. But I can't. I guess it simply cannot be articulated in such a concise, simplified manner.
You'll just have to see it for yourself.
- Absolutely Astounding!
Author: s_cadzow from United States
There are very few films I have seen that had the power to affect me as deeply as Nobody Knows. As highly as I recommend it, I must also forewarn, that this film has power, some very serious power. To call Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows anything less than a masterpiece would be an insult to the story it tells. The craftsmanship we witness here, from the masterful direction to the outstanding performances that the children were able to commit to, are all something of incredible proportions.
Nobody Knows, which is a true story, tells of four siblings, ages 5-12, from different fathers, who live in a small apartment in Tokyo. At first, they live in the apartment with their childish Mother who is hardly ever home. With the exception of the oldest, Akira, the mother snuck the children in to keep the rent lower and prohibits them from ever leaving the apartment, even the veranda, for fear of them being seen. The children do not go to school. As they look after each other, all they do is patiently and affectionately wait for their mother to come home.
As the story progresses, the children wake up one morning to some money on the kitchen table with a note from their mother saying that she'll be home in a month. As Akira steps up and takes charge of the apartment, the bills, and his siblings, the children still hold hope that mother will be home soon. And then, Nobody Knows hits you like a truck and goes right through you. Complete Abandonment. The smiles diminish and the childish affection for a mother that will never return is gone. Gone to play mother to another family, it is now entirely up to Akira, with money running out.
Koreeda's direction of the children is exceptional, as if the film was shot entirely candid. The camera-work is sincere, as if we were one of the children stuck in that apartment. There are no gimmicks here, no slide of hand, or post-production miracles. Nobody Knows is raw, and thrives in Koreeda's ability to capture the distinct personalities of all four siblings, their hopes, and those secretive moments where Koreeda directs the children not for the stories sake, but for the sake of the children being children.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Nobody Knows is the performances of the four children. All four children, who conjured phenomenal performances, were played by Japanese youths with no film backgrounds. After you see the film, it is likely that Koreeda preferred it this way, tapping into the honesty and energy that such youth had to offer. Their performances are so sincere and beautiful that on several occasions the tears will start to fall, the goose bumps will rise, and your heart will undoubtedly cry out to rescue these children, to grab them in your arms and set them free.
Without giving too much away, one of the most touching scenes to me, is on Yuki's birthday, the only thing she wants is to be able to go outside for a walk with her big brother Akira. So when the night comes, she puts on her little bear slippers, an ear to ear smile on her face, and with her hand in her brothers hand, they set her heart free for if not only a night.
Nobody Knows is a film that I will never let go of. This film impacted me so much and I found it so absolutely remarkable, that it hasn't left my mind since it's viewing. I almost feel that recommending this film just isn't enough, and all I can say is that I hope everyone gets the chance to enjoy this film for all that it is worth. As sure as it is to invoke emotion, it is as sure to please as a piece of cinema.
- Nasal Whisper
Author: frankgaipa from Oakland, California
No doubt there are others I haven't heard of, but for me Dare mo shiranai forms the latest entry in a trilogy of Japanese films based on true incidents involving abusive parents: Oshima's 1969 Shonen (Boy), Nomura's 1978 Kichiku (The Demon) are the others. Shonen I saw long ago and isn't available. Kichiku I watched barely two weeks ago. Nomura's camera tends to accuse, while Oshima's, if I recall, just watches, miming cinema vérité. Kore-eda, like Oshima, tends -- I mean this literally not pejoratively -- to voyeurism.
Knowing the story too well already from difficult-to-dodge early reviews and distributor publicity, I couldn't help seeing as ironic the early scenes in which the children's mother Keiko is still a factor. Her voice an almost cute nasal whisper, something like that of a child boisterously ignoring a cold (compare the whisper-singing actress in Swallowtail Butterfly and Picnic or I don't know which Karie Kahimi cut (but my favorites are all on Larmes de Crocodile)), she comes across as a really great mother. The family may be on the outs, sneaking, two or three gone fetal inside suitcases, into a one-child apartment, but it's a family of five, not four victims and a demon. The "unpacking" of the children looks clever, magical. It's fairytale stuff. So is the chatter, the family life, those first nights especially, in the new apartment. Keiko's one of them and their mother in charge of them, all at once. They may complain but they clearly admire something in her, and obey her to the letter. They've learned from her a self-reliance that so astounds throughout the film, that its slow breakdown is that much more shattering. Not just their compliance, but the skill with which they do without her during her increasingly long absences testify to what she's done for and with them. How many children you know could survive this well for this long in these circumstances?
Or is what I'm seeing just the actress You's skill with the nonprofessional child actors? I think probably it's both, You and Keiko, and that Kore-eda knew and used this.
There's going to be too much written here about this film (and on the IMDb message board look for some really knowledgeable comments by YukoK that make my top of the head rambling near worthless by comparison). I try never to repeat or preempt others' contributions, but wondered how many would register Keiko's mother-skills.
Kore-eda doesn't shy from deconstructing the closest thing he has here to a protagonist, eldest son Akira. After Keiko's whisper-voice goes slowly sinister and collapses finally into written notes, we watch his will and integrity falter even as he attracts the sympathy of the shop girl and cast-out Saki. I don't think there's a deliberately sentimental shot in the entire film. The achingly symbolic garden that mimics Akira's decline and the nighttime trek to the burial site may come closest, but both are forgivable and may have been unavoidable. If you haven't already seen Nobody Knows, prepare yourself for a fine ten-minute cry.
See my comment at Distance (2001) for a snippet of Kore-eda apologetic in person.
- every little details we neglected
Author: kaichern tee from ames, iowa
If your local art theater plays it, go watch it. Find it in DVD store if you can. Rent it through your local mega movie renting store if you have to. Everyone has to watch this movie.
As a highly urbanized country, Japan is subjected to constant social problem, more so than other developed country. Hence, often you will have your Japanese movies that reminds us these problems, Tokyo Godfather, Fireworks, etc.
Nobody Knows is one of them from another angle.
Its director likes to use close up on little details like finger nails, shoes, t-shirt collar to tell the audience what kind of situation it is for the victims in the movie. Often we neglect these little details; often we neglect the unfortunate people around us.
Once in a while we have a world disaster, we all jumped in, we all gave our helping hands, we all praised greatly how much help we gave on TV. Comparing and contrast the figures of aids given with other countries, even. Little things, little unfortunate things happened around us, everyday, everywhere, they are all nicely tucked under our lavish mat and those story never told, those needed aid never arrived. Because they have no news value or because helping a few people doesn't gain enough prestige?
Nobody knows, as the title suggest, We never aware of these problems, by our own choice or not. The movie has an unusual slow pace. There is no climax, everything just get worse. Just the those misfortune people nobody knows, their life are not full of excitement, everyday is another to get by, nothing to wish for, nothing to hope for. Nobody Knows depicts the days of these unsounded misfortune. You could have seen the unfortunate events to come. You would have wished they would not come. One by one they came.
The brilliant part, Nobody Knows lets its audiences decide the ending.
04:39PM TH
วันอังคารที่ 10 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
tears for you (2006)
Title: 涙そうそう
Title (Romaji): nada sou sou
+ + + + +
The Skinny:
Yet another Japanese story of "pure love" between innocent youngsters, although this film features a decidedly different kind of romantic couple: step-siblings. The premise alone is more provocative and complex than that of most films of its kind, but unfortunately, the filmmakers behind Tears for You choose to adhere to genre conventions rather than actually deal with the reality of such an unconventional romance. Masami Nagasawa is clearly an actress on the rise, but this is not her best film.
Review by Sanjuro:
Masami Nagasawa, star of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World, returns to the "Pure Love" genre with Tears for You, a film inspired by Rimi Natsukawa's hit song "Nada Sou Sou." Directed by Nobuhiro Doi, Tears for You is a love story about two step-siblings, Yota (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Kaoru (Nagasawa). Long ago, Yota's mother (Kyoko Koizumi) married Kaoru's jazz-playing father (Tatsuya Nakamura), effectively merging the two families. Unfortunately, Kaoru's father skipped town, and Yota's mother passed away, but not before imparting a dying wish to her young son to take care of Kaoru. In the meantime, the two young children were raised by Yota's grandmother on a small island off the coast of Okinawa. When Yota came of age, he took on a role not just as a brother but as a surrogate father of sorts for Kaoru, always working long hours on any number of jobs in order to support his sister's education.
The film picks up with Kaoru moving in with Yota on Okinawa after some time apart, and from the first time he sees her, Yota is clearly smitten, although he keeps his feelings under wraps. Kaoru is excited to see him as well, although visibly troubled when she learns of Yota's med school girlfriend, Keiko (Kumiko Aso). Yota has hopes of opening a restaurant one day, and as fate would have it, a local businessman gives him an opportunity to realize his dreams. Unfortunately, things are not what they seem, and everything in Yota's life goes from bad to worse in terms of both his finances and his relationship with Keiko. His backbreaking work ethic in support of Kaoru's future becomes a bone of contention between the two step-siblings, as well as their emerging, clearly romantic feelings for one another.
Love stories hinge on the chemistry between their two leads, and both Tsumabuki and Nagasawa do a serviceable job as would-be lovers, but both performances are somewhat problematic in execution. Although likeable enough, Tsumabuki doesn't seem to be able to handle the emotional scenes, as it always looks as if he's going to laugh even when he's breaking down in tears. Nagasawa - so good in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World and Touch - is so over-exuberant (perhaps intentionally so) in the initial parts of the film that she's more of a grating presence than an endearing one. However, Nagasawa's performance improves considerably as the more dramatic aspects of the plot kick into overdrive.
The main problem with Tears for You is that in trying to adhere to the "Pure Love" aesthetic, the filmmakers completely gloss over the complications that could arise from a blossoming romantic relationship between these step-siblings by purposely avoiding the issue at any cost. To put it bluntly, the ending is a complete cop-out, as it completely sidesteps any sort of serious examination of the messy, complicated, but entirely sincere feelings between Yota and Kaoru by throwing in a typical tearjerker ending out of literally nowhere.
On the bright side, this sad turn of events is almost salvaged by Kaoru's subsequent beachside chat with Yota's elderly grandmother, a scene that demonstrates Masami Nagasawa's more than capable acting chops. Unfortunately, however, there is a second ending, which is perhaps necessary in terms of narrative cohesion, but is so emotionally lacking considering the already heartbreaking content of the previous scene. It almost seems as if the filmmakers were aware of how unsatisfying this ending was, as they include a coda after the end credits as a way to perhaps hedge their bets.
Whatever the case, Tears for You is pretty much an example of how strict adherence to a genre as formulaic as "Pure Love" can undermine the complexity of the very characters presented in the film. Whether the resolution is happy or sad is irrelevant; it's really a case of whether the filmmakers really have the guts to tackle an issue head-on without resorting to cheap tragedies to amp up the melodrama. As harsh as that comment may sound, I must reemphasize that I don't think Tears for You is a bad film, it just seems like a wasted opportunity, considering the more complicated romantic relationship depicted in the film as well as the always welcome appearance of an actress as compelling as Masami Nagasawa. By story's end, Tears for You might just make you cry a little - partly due to the events of the film, but more likely for what could have been. (Sanjuro 2007)
11:16PM TH
Title (Romaji): nada sou sou
+ + + + +
The Skinny:
Yet another Japanese story of "pure love" between innocent youngsters, although this film features a decidedly different kind of romantic couple: step-siblings. The premise alone is more provocative and complex than that of most films of its kind, but unfortunately, the filmmakers behind Tears for You choose to adhere to genre conventions rather than actually deal with the reality of such an unconventional romance. Masami Nagasawa is clearly an actress on the rise, but this is not her best film.
Review by Sanjuro:
Masami Nagasawa, star of Crying Out Love in the Center of the World, returns to the "Pure Love" genre with Tears for You, a film inspired by Rimi Natsukawa's hit song "Nada Sou Sou." Directed by Nobuhiro Doi, Tears for You is a love story about two step-siblings, Yota (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Kaoru (Nagasawa). Long ago, Yota's mother (Kyoko Koizumi) married Kaoru's jazz-playing father (Tatsuya Nakamura), effectively merging the two families. Unfortunately, Kaoru's father skipped town, and Yota's mother passed away, but not before imparting a dying wish to her young son to take care of Kaoru. In the meantime, the two young children were raised by Yota's grandmother on a small island off the coast of Okinawa. When Yota came of age, he took on a role not just as a brother but as a surrogate father of sorts for Kaoru, always working long hours on any number of jobs in order to support his sister's education.
The film picks up with Kaoru moving in with Yota on Okinawa after some time apart, and from the first time he sees her, Yota is clearly smitten, although he keeps his feelings under wraps. Kaoru is excited to see him as well, although visibly troubled when she learns of Yota's med school girlfriend, Keiko (Kumiko Aso). Yota has hopes of opening a restaurant one day, and as fate would have it, a local businessman gives him an opportunity to realize his dreams. Unfortunately, things are not what they seem, and everything in Yota's life goes from bad to worse in terms of both his finances and his relationship with Keiko. His backbreaking work ethic in support of Kaoru's future becomes a bone of contention between the two step-siblings, as well as their emerging, clearly romantic feelings for one another.
Love stories hinge on the chemistry between their two leads, and both Tsumabuki and Nagasawa do a serviceable job as would-be lovers, but both performances are somewhat problematic in execution. Although likeable enough, Tsumabuki doesn't seem to be able to handle the emotional scenes, as it always looks as if he's going to laugh even when he's breaking down in tears. Nagasawa - so good in Crying Out Love in the Center of the World and Touch - is so over-exuberant (perhaps intentionally so) in the initial parts of the film that she's more of a grating presence than an endearing one. However, Nagasawa's performance improves considerably as the more dramatic aspects of the plot kick into overdrive.
The main problem with Tears for You is that in trying to adhere to the "Pure Love" aesthetic, the filmmakers completely gloss over the complications that could arise from a blossoming romantic relationship between these step-siblings by purposely avoiding the issue at any cost. To put it bluntly, the ending is a complete cop-out, as it completely sidesteps any sort of serious examination of the messy, complicated, but entirely sincere feelings between Yota and Kaoru by throwing in a typical tearjerker ending out of literally nowhere.
On the bright side, this sad turn of events is almost salvaged by Kaoru's subsequent beachside chat with Yota's elderly grandmother, a scene that demonstrates Masami Nagasawa's more than capable acting chops. Unfortunately, however, there is a second ending, which is perhaps necessary in terms of narrative cohesion, but is so emotionally lacking considering the already heartbreaking content of the previous scene. It almost seems as if the filmmakers were aware of how unsatisfying this ending was, as they include a coda after the end credits as a way to perhaps hedge their bets.
Whatever the case, Tears for You is pretty much an example of how strict adherence to a genre as formulaic as "Pure Love" can undermine the complexity of the very characters presented in the film. Whether the resolution is happy or sad is irrelevant; it's really a case of whether the filmmakers really have the guts to tackle an issue head-on without resorting to cheap tragedies to amp up the melodrama. As harsh as that comment may sound, I must reemphasize that I don't think Tears for You is a bad film, it just seems like a wasted opportunity, considering the more complicated romantic relationship depicted in the film as well as the always welcome appearance of an actress as compelling as Masami Nagasawa. By story's end, Tears for You might just make you cry a little - partly due to the events of the film, but more likely for what could have been. (Sanjuro 2007)
11:16PM TH
sky of love (2008)
Title: 恋空
Title (Romaji): Koizora
Tagline: 恋空～切ナイ恋物語 / Koizora: Setsunai Koi Monogatari
+ + + + + + + + + +
You can trust the Japanese romance stories to stick to almost the same formula each time, and yet still being able to draw the masses to their theatres for dishing out more of the same material. There'll be the melodramatic, over the top sob moments, together with love filled with various forms of tension ranging from competition to the usual blowing of hot and cold, my my, the list just goes on.
Soaring to #1 in the Japanese box office, Sky of Love is actually based on a cell phone novel, and given the proliferation of phones in Japan, there's a ready made audience from this fan base that would flock to the cinemas upon the movie's release of course. It's a high school romance story about a girl, Mika (Yui Aragaki) and her love with punkster Hiro (Haruma Miura), and what a story it is, with teenage sex, rape, pregnancy, and even a miscarriage! And I do confess that I did raise an eyebrow when these incidents come one after another, given that after all, aren't they (the characters) supposed to be underaged to begin with? Not being a prude here and having double standards (like in Juno's case), Sky of Love did load up the pity factor for the audience to feel sorry for the leads. Juno doesn't.
And what's a Japanese contemporary romance story without some form of disease come into play? That probably took the cake and anyone watching the movie could see it coming from a mile away, but we the audience still continue to lap it all up, together with those whispering of sweet nothings, promises to be around forever, etc, and little actions to tug at the heartstrings of loved ones (and the audience's as well). It felt highly manufactured, as if going through an assembly line to incorporate the usual elements when the time came for it, and the usage of cute, symbolic artifacts to represent tokens of love at various stages.
You cannot deny then the wonderful cinematography and whimsical music to put you in the right mood for love, though its 120 minute runtime seemed a tad too long in trying to probably incorporate every major plot development in the novel, what with the introduction of potential love rivals. Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura with his dyed-white hair seem quite mature to be playing your high school sweethearts, but there's a certain saccharine sweet chemistry between them that would make them your instantly identifiable, and likable characters.
Like I mentioned, there are plenty to frown upon, perhaps even laugh at during the first 20 minutes or so, because of the implausibility of having the most wretched of events befall Mika, and before you begin to wonder why the adults (families on both ends) refuse to take proper action, and the total absence of authority figures to allow the children to take matters into their own hands. Then again, this is a romance movie, not a cop drama, so some suspension of belief is required. Strictly for those who require their regular dose of the usual J-romance chick flicks.
10:58PM TH
Title (Romaji): Koizora
Tagline: 恋空～切ナイ恋物語 / Koizora: Setsunai Koi Monogatari
+ + + + + + + + + +
You can trust the Japanese romance stories to stick to almost the same formula each time, and yet still being able to draw the masses to their theatres for dishing out more of the same material. There'll be the melodramatic, over the top sob moments, together with love filled with various forms of tension ranging from competition to the usual blowing of hot and cold, my my, the list just goes on.
Soaring to #1 in the Japanese box office, Sky of Love is actually based on a cell phone novel, and given the proliferation of phones in Japan, there's a ready made audience from this fan base that would flock to the cinemas upon the movie's release of course. It's a high school romance story about a girl, Mika (Yui Aragaki) and her love with punkster Hiro (Haruma Miura), and what a story it is, with teenage sex, rape, pregnancy, and even a miscarriage! And I do confess that I did raise an eyebrow when these incidents come one after another, given that after all, aren't they (the characters) supposed to be underaged to begin with? Not being a prude here and having double standards (like in Juno's case), Sky of Love did load up the pity factor for the audience to feel sorry for the leads. Juno doesn't.
And what's a Japanese contemporary romance story without some form of disease come into play? That probably took the cake and anyone watching the movie could see it coming from a mile away, but we the audience still continue to lap it all up, together with those whispering of sweet nothings, promises to be around forever, etc, and little actions to tug at the heartstrings of loved ones (and the audience's as well). It felt highly manufactured, as if going through an assembly line to incorporate the usual elements when the time came for it, and the usage of cute, symbolic artifacts to represent tokens of love at various stages.
You cannot deny then the wonderful cinematography and whimsical music to put you in the right mood for love, though its 120 minute runtime seemed a tad too long in trying to probably incorporate every major plot development in the novel, what with the introduction of potential love rivals. Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura with his dyed-white hair seem quite mature to be playing your high school sweethearts, but there's a certain saccharine sweet chemistry between them that would make them your instantly identifiable, and likable characters.
Like I mentioned, there are plenty to frown upon, perhaps even laugh at during the first 20 minutes or so, because of the implausibility of having the most wretched of events befall Mika, and before you begin to wonder why the adults (families on both ends) refuse to take proper action, and the total absence of authority figures to allow the children to take matters into their own hands. Then again, this is a romance movie, not a cop drama, so some suspension of belief is required. Strictly for those who require their regular dose of the usual J-romance chick flicks.
10:58PM TH
hana kimi (japanese version) (2007)
Title: 花ざかりの君たちへ + + + +
Title (Romaji): Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
Tagline: イケメン♂パラダイス / Ikemen Paradise
Theme song:
Opening Theme: Ikenai Taiyo by Orange Range
Ending Theme: PEACH by Otsuka Ai ; ai otsuka - peach preview
Insert song: My Love by Kawashima Ai , Boom boom boom by Go Hiromi, Paradise Ginga by Hikaru Genji, Tomaranai Ha~Ha by Yazawa Eikichi, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
Episode Titles:
Ep 01: Getting into the Forbidden Boys' Dormitory
Ep 02: Wrong Kiss
Ep 03: Bizarre Big Brother
Ep 04: Watch Out for the Three-Person Room
Ep 05: Hopeless Coast Story
Ep 06: The Beginning of Stormy Love
Ep 07: Suddenly in Bed
Ep 08: I Like Mizuki Ep 09: Exposed!
Ep 10: Depend On Me
Ep 11: I'll Jump For You
Ep 12: We'll Protect You
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, or Hana Kimi for short, is one of the funniest Japanese dramas I’ve watched. It has 12 episodes and not a single one bored me. What makes it even better is that fact that all 12 episodes are full of hot young Japanese boys. It’s really a feast for the eyes…at least for a female viewer. My favorite hotties in the series are Ikuta Toma and Okada Masaki and many :). I never liked Oguri Shun but I must admit he looks a lot better in this series. He looks buff now.
Hana Kimi is about a girl who disguises as a boy so she can enter an all-boys school her friend attends. She does this because she feels guilty for causing his injury which resulted to him quitting a future career as a high jump athlete. How it goes, I won’t spoil the details. He he.
I highly recommend this drama for the entertainment value if not for the boys. It’s a bit yaoi but it’s okay even if you don’t like that.
10:21PM TH
Title (Romaji): Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
Tagline: イケメン♂パラダイス / Ikemen Paradise
Theme song:
Opening Theme: Ikenai Taiyo by Orange Range
Ending Theme: PEACH by Otsuka Ai ; ai otsuka - peach preview
Insert song: My Love by Kawashima Ai , Boom boom boom by Go Hiromi, Paradise Ginga by Hikaru Genji, Tomaranai Ha~Ha by Yazawa Eikichi, Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne
Episode Titles:
Ep 01: Getting into the Forbidden Boys' Dormitory
Ep 02: Wrong Kiss
Ep 03: Bizarre Big Brother
Ep 04: Watch Out for the Three-Person Room
Ep 05: Hopeless Coast Story
Ep 06: The Beginning of Stormy Love
Ep 07: Suddenly in Bed
Ep 08: I Like Mizuki Ep 09: Exposed!
Ep 10: Depend On Me
Ep 11: I'll Jump For You
Ep 12: We'll Protect You
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, or Hana Kimi for short, is one of the funniest Japanese dramas I’ve watched. It has 12 episodes and not a single one bored me. What makes it even better is that fact that all 12 episodes are full of hot young Japanese boys. It’s really a feast for the eyes…at least for a female viewer. My favorite hotties in the series are Ikuta Toma and Okada Masaki and many :). I never liked Oguri Shun but I must admit he looks a lot better in this series. He looks buff now.
Hana Kimi is about a girl who disguises as a boy so she can enter an all-boys school her friend attends. She does this because she feels guilty for causing his injury which resulted to him quitting a future career as a high jump athlete. How it goes, I won’t spoil the details. He he.
I highly recommend this drama for the entertainment value if not for the boys. It’s a bit yaoi but it’s okay even if you don’t like that.
10:21PM TH
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 8 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2552
Memories of Matsuko (嫌われ松子の一生) (2006)
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The story begins with Sho cleaning out the remaining belongings of his recently deceased aunt Matsuko. Sho gradually learns many details of his aunt's life, and it is through his investigations that the audience learns the story of Matsuko's past.
In the early 1970s, Matsuko was a popular school teacher. However, when one of her students (Ryu) committed a theft, and Matsuko took the blame for him, this had terrible consequences for her life.
The film also reveals some details of Matsuko's earlier life, including troubled childhood, when she struggled to gain the attention of her father. Matsuko's father's affection was mostly dominated by her chronically ill sister, which created an imbalanced rivalry where Matsuko's needs were less likely to be met.
Matsuko's relationships with men were generally troubled as well. She moved from relationship to relationship with men who gave her some inkling of affection, though it was often accompanied by abuse. She often found herself abandoned by the men she loved, who couldn't cope with her neediness. She continued to pursue her dreams of perfect love, even as her life spiraled down, and she found herself working as a prostitute, and even imprisoned.
When Matsuko met later in life with Ryu, whom she saved from the charges relating to his theft, she found that he held affection and admiration for her. She saw in him another chance for true love. But Ryu, by this time, was deeply entrenched in a criminal life. He decided that it would be best for him to disappear from her life, to protect her from the risks of life with a gangster. This final abandonment was disastrous for Matsuko, who never knew to what extent she impacted the lives of the men who loved her.
OST Memories of Matsuko
Artist: VA
Title: Memories.of.Matsuko OST《松子被嫌弃的一生》(嫌われ松子の歌たち)
Label: ワーナーミュージック?ジャパン
Released: 2006/5/24
Rating: ★★★★
Tracks：
1. トゥリル トゥリル リカー / 木村カエラ
2. faker / ch feat. B-BANDJ
3. LOVE IS BUBBLE / BONNIE PINK
4. Dream Train / 及川リン
5. What Is A Life / AI & 及川リン
6. Endless / Joe Himeji feat. J.
7. Candy Tree / 及川リン
8. Happy Wednesday / 中谷美紀
9. まげてのばして / 湯浅亜美
10. 古い日記 / 和田アキ子
11. USO / 阿井莉沙
12. あなたの心に / 中山千夏
13. Feeling Good / Michael Buble
14. Walking On Springtime / Barbara Borra
15. Candy Tree - blossom ver. / 及川リン
16. Here, Always / Tommy Snyder & YOSHIKA
17. Shes What I Want To Be / ch
18. まげてのばして / 中谷美紀
19. Matsuko Medley / Matsuko Singers
I say: Memories of Matsuko is like a very dark fairy tale wrapped around technicolor art and a soundtrack to drool over. From the beginning to end you will likely be inundated with these different emotions that comes at you in waves. I did find that during the ending – I had to take a break from the film. The emotions were just getting a little too heavy if you catch my drift (*sniff* *sniff*). Check this one out – what an amazing film! Highly recommended!
See it for: All the actors are fantastic, but the lead, Miki Nakatani, is a Japanese singer and her voice haunts, especially in the theme music
9:23PM TH
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