Review Recently Seen, Part 1 (Feb 2017)

[sitenoise]

Cafe Isobe (Jun kissa Isobe) [2008] • Japan
Director: Keisuke Yoshida
8.299/10

This is a funny film built on fine performances and skilled direction. Yujiro Isobe (Hiroyuki Miyasako) acts like a guy who has accidentally dropped his cards face-up on the poker table and thinks he can still bluff. Sometimes he's a little pitiful and some times a little creepy, but he never goes over the edge—he just hints at it. He lives with his teenage daughter Sakiko (Riisa Naka). Mature beyond her years, Sakiko puts up with him but doesn't like him very much ... well, until the end when everything gets happy ... but she doesn't hate him. She treats him with the amount of respect he deserves, which is a cautious little. Sakiko's been abandoned by her mother but doesn't hate her either. Her mother didn't fight for her custody because, as she tells Sakiko, "It seemed like your father cared for you more than I did." Ouch!

Yujiro inherits some money and quits his job. After a bit of time doing nothing he decides to open a cafe. When he informs Sakiko of his plans she asks him if he has any service experience; or a business plan; or if he knows anything about food. He says he will work hard at it. Sakiko tells him, rightfully, that he doesn't even know what he's supposed to work hard at. His response is, "You're annoying. So annoying." He's going to bluff.

Yujiro opens the cafe and Sakiko agrees to help out part-time but she's so appalled by the decor her father has chosen she refuses to tell any of her friends where it is for fear they will come visit and laugh. Life at the cafe, and the father daughter relationship, gets complicated when an attractive young woman, Motoko (Kumiko Aso) begins working there. She wears a short-skirted uniform to attract customers, and Yujiro becomes attracted to her as well. Motoko is a strange character, with a lot of baggage. Sakiko is immediately suspicious and doesn't want her father to have anything to do with Motoko, professionally or personally. Yujiro begins dating Motoko and an emotional comedy of errors ensues.



Kumiko Aso is fabulous here. The three main characters are all good, really good actually, but Aso is a favorite actress of mine and she's wonderful in most everything she does, so I'm singling her out. She makes the film funny in a "funny-strange" way more than a "funny-haha" way, but there are many moments that will likely make you laugh out loud. A lot of the laughs are the result of the director's skill in editing for comic timing. This is a well put together film, and it has a heart, too. It's a comedy, and while it gets goofy from time to time, it brings itself together as a mildly touching, chuckle filled, human drama.

 

[Zelena]

Thanks for kicking off the review thread, my dear sir, on this raft for imdb refugees.
I dare say the images add a lot to the reviews, but at the same time, it's kind of disorienting to have that kind of 'spoiler' to the imagination!

This one sounds similar to those other two. I'll just reiterate my impression of the director from my other post: seems like a bit of a film-school wunderkind who learned his craft very well and has some flashes of brilliance. He knows how to make a cut, but not consistently. I don't even have to look it up to know that this guy is an auteur, because the scripts are not the strong point. With someone like Koreeda I think, wow, this feels like he completely owns the script, but at the same time it's so good it's hard to believe he's so omni-talented and I wouldn't be surprised if someone else wrote it. However, this guy, Yoshida, seems to like his independence but barely earns it, in my book. I'm talking about Himeanole and Workhorse/Bigmouth.

Don't want to badmouth the guy too much, but his is the kind of Japanese film I'm not as crazy about. Not as warm or deep as the masters, not as balls-out goofy as the koreans or Mr. Yaguchi's comedy. Other people, however, really hone in on this stuff that is at the apex of differentness from Hollywood, so probably many nipponophiles will dig it.

 

[redwax]

Trailer does make it look pretty good:

 

[sitenoise]

the apex of differentness from Hollywood

Exactly. And I love these guys and gals who aim for middle of the road, or go up a fire access road. Easier to hit the target. And less "look how important this is" or "look how _________ this is in its comedy".

 

[sitenoise]

Trailer does make it look pretty good:

@redwax, Are you a Japanese film fan or a comedy fan, regardless of where it comes from?

 

[sitenoise]

I don't even have to look it up to know that this guy is an auteur, because the scripts are not the strong point.

I was kind of hoping (because I believe that you have probably written scripts yourself, or at least have had countless beers with folks who have) that you would have commented on the scriptwriting philosophies in the film Workhorse/Bigmouth. I'm also just making up stuff to post, trying to see how this non-nested board works for following diversions.

 

[sitenoise]

Following up on that, the notion that an Executive Producer might have dissuaded What's his Director's Name from taking Himeanole in the direction that he did ... What a minute!

I just realized you can't title a post here o_O

 

[sitenoise]

The Age of Shadows (Mil-jeong) Secret Agent [2016] • South Korea
Director: Jee-woon Kim
No rating because everyone knows my numbers on films about rich and powerful men and their rich and powerful man problems aren't helpful.

Here's the thing: Kang-ho Song. He has this magical ability to appear as if he's just wandered on to the wrong film set, and then through sheer force of will he takes over the proceedings. He's got to be one of the finest actors on the planet. What he does here in The Age of Shadows is amazing. I could never decide if he was a weak flip-flopper of a character or ultimately conniving ... because he does both. I don't think many people can do that.

Um Tae-Goo plays one of the greasiest bad ass villains in recent memory. I was mesmerized by his face, especially his cheekbones. Kudos all over that dude. He really makes the film.

The "Train Scene" *is* masterfully done suspense.

But

This big a$$ Warner Bros flick also stars Kermit the over moisturized Frog face. A guy who co-starred in a film with Do-yeon Jeon, written and directed by Yoon-ki Lee, and the film sucked. Do the math.

 

[Daniel Larusso]

Sadako v Kayako (2016)

Japanese "Freddy vs Jason" and just as bad as that one. The script could've been so much better because the idea was good. I don't understand why they changed the images on the cursed VHS and why they changed the duration between Sadako's phone call and the deaths from 7 days to 2 days. This film is just boring for most of the time and the face off between Sadako and Kayako in the ending is so disappointing.
3/10

 

[sitenoise]

:cheers
I agree the ending was a wet noodle but for some reason I liked the film, thought Kôji Shiraishi struck a nice balance between new and faithful.

 

[Zelena]

Here's the thing: Kang-ho Song. He has this magical ability to appear as if he's just wandered on to the wrong film set, and then through sheer force of will he takes over the proceedings. He's got to be one of the finest actors on the planet.

I agree, he might just be the finest actor working on planet Earth right now. I want to be that guy, he's the Patron Saint of ugly dudes, and real men are ugly, not pretty. Ugh, grunt, woof. He has a way of really elevating everything he's in. You can't just throw Johnny Depp into anything and it will be a good movie, but Kang-ho Song is a total rainmaker. Instnant eight: just add Song. He should wear a t-shirt that says INTERESTING MAN. I'll be here all week.

 

[sitenoise]

He should wear a t-shirt that says INTERESTING MAN. I'll be here all week.

lol. Is it just me, or have you noticed this thing where when he first shows up in a scene, and not just the first scene but throughout a film, he seems like he just wandered in to a strange place, then he takes over. I really noticed this in Secret Sunshine, but that might have been Chang Dong genius at work. It's like he filmed every shot of Kang-ho over somebody's shoulder, like he was a film extra. Then he bulldozes in. It fit his character.

 

[Zelena]

lol. Is it just me, or have you noticed this thing where when he first shows up in a scene, and not just the first scene but throughout a film, he seems like he just wandered in to a strange place, then he takes over. I really noticed this in Secret Sunshine, but that might have been Chang Dong genius at work. It's like he filmed every shot of Kang-ho over somebody's shoulder, like he was a film extra. Then he bulldozes in. It fit his character.

I was thinking of Secret Sunshine when I wrote that. I have to watch that again. He was standing around, shuffling his feet, looking like he was at his cousin's wedding wearing a blazer he borrowed from his other cousin. I think his butt-ugliness gives him a lot of confidence, because he can always know that he's under no pressure to look like the hero, and he can subtly take the piss out the pretty boy in the room just by sitting there looking ugly, slowly, mercilessly draining the blood out of his pretty-boy face. Women love him because they know that if their offspring are threatened by a wildabeast, Song will just beat it to death with his face. He is the kind of guy that always just sits back and waits for other people to have silly emotions or express something first, like a poker player who just silently reads. Sort of like the Korean Captain Willard.

 

[plsletitrain]

Guys if I wanted to start another post on this thread.........how will you be able to continue your banter about how men are ugly???! Tell me about it! You were talking about that right??? ;)

Anyway, keep me posted for whatever. I have seen Your Name (2016) but I'm reserving my awesome reviews for later.

 

[Zelena]

Guys if I wanted to start another post on this thread.........how will you be able to continue your banter about how men are ugly???! Tell me about it! You were talking about that right??? ;)

Anyway, keep me posted for whatever. I have seen Your Name (2016) but I'm reserving my awesome reviews for later.

Oooh, can't wait to hear your take on that one.

Spoiler

Did you download the crappy low-resolution version that's out there? I was waiting for something better.

 

[plsletitrain]

Oooh, can't wait to hear your take on that one.

Spoiler

Did you download the crappy low-resolution version that's out there? I was waiting for something better.

I watched it in the cinema!

Spoiler

Cinema= my Idontknowwhatsthesize laptop streaming a crappy low-resolution version of a film whose story is as equally unclear as its resolution.

 

[sitenoise]

I watched it in the cinema!

You should make a new thread about it. Everybody's waiting for it

a wildabeast, Song will just beat it to death with his face

I believe that. He has a Keith Olbermann-sized head, probably. But if your features are reasonably symmetrical, and you're Korean, you can't be ugly, can you? :p

 

[plsletitrain]

You should make a new thread about it. Everybody's waiting for it



I believe that. He has a Keith Olbermann-sized head, probably. But if your features are reasonably symmetrical, and you're Korean, you can't be ugly, can you? :p

I'm waiting for your final word on where we'll camp permanently because I want my very awesome review to be the first post on our Recently seen thread. If we still can't settle down by monday, I'll post it here.

 

[plsletitrain]

YOUR NAME (KIMI NO NA WA)

*Insert image here because I'm too lazy to find one and I'm too lazy to insert a picture and I don't know how to post a screenshot, let alone take one*

You know some stories are better left said in a novel or a series. This is one of those. The movie had a good concept—if told properly. The problem with Your Name is that it wasted the potential it had. The kind of story featured here is not something that can fit in a 1:40 runtime. He should have pulled a Lav Diaz and made it a 4 hour runtime because 1) I don’t think people will be bored because its an animation—he can put colors to it to keep the eyes of the viewers awake and 2) The viewers won’t think the scenes are dragging because these scenes will be necessary to the flow of the story. But since they decided to squeeze it into the short runtime, the result was an unclear portrayal of what was supposedly to be two worlds merged into one. Or so that was how I understood it.

Watching the movie alone (without referring to the novel), was kinda confusing. Some parts felt like plotholes. If I were to summarize this in one line, I’d say, two persons from different worlds and a different time, cross paths. But if we were going to dissect each and every scene, that summary may not convincingly explain why that scene happened. I know I’m not the only one who got confused at some scenes here.

Other than that, my other beef with this is the voicing. No, I didn’t watch the dubbed version. The Japanese voicing was too annoying and too melodramatic. The deal breaker was that “I think I’m looking for someone, forgetting someone” scene…insert overkill melodramatic voice here……each of them teary-eyed…. Passing by each other as if recognizing one but can’t really pinpoint when and where you met. Gah! Too much for me to handle this would’ve sent me running for the hills but thankfully it was about to end already so I just endured it. Ryonusuke Kamike, you're a talented and promising actor. You can stop doing voices for animation and let your acting prowess unleash.

Also, animation-wise, I didn’t dig it. I think I’m still not over Hayao Miyazaki’s style that I was expecting the animations here to look as real as he does it. There were also songs injected in the film btw. But it didn’t help either. They’re not catchy. Kinda quirky, but not catchy.

I may be in the very few minority who didn’t like this much but what can I do, I’m done believing in fairy tales.

 

[ebossert]

A first attempt.

Highly Recommended

The Ninja War of Torakage (2014) (Japanese Action/Comedy) – Retired from ninja duty, Torakage lives a peaceful life in a small village with his wife and son. One day, his son is kidnapped by his former mastress in an attempt to force him to break into a nearby castle and steal the Gold Scroll. Director Yoshihiro Nishimura branches out slightly from his more popular gore films (“Tokyo Gore Police”, “Helldriver”, etc.) with this wacky period film that is laugh-out-loud hilarious. As expected from this director, there are some really weird character designs and a very slight splash of horrific imagery, but this is a very creative and charming ninja movie, with shadow puppet segments that are stand-outs. The action design is a mix of cool swordplay and madcap, cartoonish fights. It’s also nicely shot and maintains a high energy level from start to finish. Eihi Shiina plays a total nutcase. It does get a bit too silly at times, but I laughed whole-heartedly.

Recommended

The Workhorse and the Bigmouth (2013) (Japanese Drama) – A 34-year-old woman (Kumiko Aso) and a 26-year-old man meet at a screenwriting class. The woman works hard to become a writer, but finds it impossible to get her writings approved by anyone of relevance. Meanwhile, the man is a big mouth who never tries hard at anything. This film focuses primarily on the woman’s relentless attempts to progress in her career, and it succeeds admirably in showing the realism and difficulties of such a task. The story flows deliberately and naturally. I like the ending too. This is a good quality film with a solid lead performance by Aso.

Rainy Dog (1997) (Japanese Crime Drama) (repeat viewing) – This is the second film of Takashi Miike’s Black Society Trilogy, and is likely the best of the bunch. The plotline here is about a hitman who builds a relationship with a boy and a prostitute. The first half is a bit slow-moving, but the character development is good enough to make the viewer care for the main characters and the gritty mood is engaging with constant rainstorms and urban slum environments. This film lacks the extreme elements that were showcased in “Shinjuku Triad Society”, and will likely win over even those who dislike this director.

The Camellia Girl (aka Shojo Tsubaki) (2016) (Japanese Drama/Horror/Comedy) – 14-year-old Midori, who doesn't have a family, is picked up by the Aka Neko circus troupe. Unfortunately, the employees consistently abuse her – both mentally and physically. Soon after, a strange man named Wanda joins the same circus troupe and vows to protect her, but his scary supernatural powers could lead to murder. This is based on the manga “Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show”, which was previously adapted into the anime “Midori” (1992). Needless to say, this is weird stuff. One reason for this is that the manipulation powers of Wanda inflict hallucinations on others, which results in some odd imagery (frequently involving over-sized humans). There are also some perverted scenes and nudity involving wacky characters. Fortunately, the story is easy to follow and is pretty good. As an added bonus, this is visually creative and colorful.

The Little Mermaid (1989) (American Animated Musical Fantasy Drama/Romance) (repeat viewing) – This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess who falls in love with a very human prince and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. This is a good movie, with entertaining characters. However, I do think that there’s something missing to take it to the “next level” though. The musical interludes are merely decent and the core romance is basic.

The Equalizer (2014) (American Thriller/Action/Drama) – A man believes he has put his mysterious past behind him and has dedicated himself to beginning a new, quiet life. But when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by – he has to help her. This is a very generic movie, but it has good overall quality. Nicely violent too. The finale is lengthy and sufficiently entertaining, but also lacking in energy and intensity.

Shinjuku Triad Society (1995) (Japanese Crime Drama) (repeat viewing) – This is the first film of Takashi Miike’s Black Society Trilogy and is about the feud between a corrupt cop and a crime kingpin. The plot touches upon black market organ dealing and establishes the oft-explored theme of the rootless individual (in a cultural and/or ethnic sense) that this director would revisit in future films. There is some nasty violence that helps to establish the gritty criminal underworld. There’s also a lot of sexual content, some of which feels necessary but after a while it gets repetitive and gratuitous. In the end the positives outweight the negatives here.

Death Parade (2015) (Japanese Anime Drama/Horror/Comedy Television Series) – Whenever two people on Earth die at the same time, they are sent to one of many mysterious bars run by bartenders serving as arbiters. There, they must participate in games which reveal what secrets led them to their situation and what their fate will be afterwards, with the arbiters judging if their souls will either be sent for reincarnation or banished into the void. The series (12 episodes, 23 minutes each) follows Decim, the lone bartender of the Quindecim bar, whose role in judging these souls changes when he meets a curious black-haired woman. The dead people play different games (e.g., darts, arcade games, Twister, etc.), but this is a bit lighter than expected. There are some mystery elements for each short story too (this is very episodic). Good overall, but rather basic and lacking in anything exceptional.

Ley Lines (1999) (Japanese Crime Drama) (repeat viewing) – This is the third film of Takashi Miike’s Black Society Trilogy. Three low-level Chinese drug dealers cross paths with a prostitute while attempting to find their way in Japanese society. The buildings are grimy and there’s a plethora of dirty sex scenes in order to create the appropriate surroundings, but there are also a few hilarious beatings to enjoy (look out for the planter and cat scenes) as well as some moody lighting. A bit too crude and drawn out for its own good (this has pacing issues), but certainly watchable.

Not Recommended

Need for Speed (2014) (American Action) – Fresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins. Near the beginning, there’s a good, old fashion street race – and most of the subsequent races follow suit with some solid practical stuntwork. There are some awesome cars that are showcased too. Unfortunately, there are two big problems with this movie. (1) The car chases themselves become repetitive and monotonous, with little in terms of creativity. The finale is especially disappointing and cheesy. (2) The film tries to be dramatic but it severely lacks the developed characters, proper scriptwriting, and acting prowess to make it work (all of the actors are bad). There is no reason whatsoever for a film this simplistic to be 130 minutes long. Michael Keaton has a small role but doesn’t save this.

If Cats Disappeared from the World (2016) (Japanese Romance/Drama) – A young postman learns that he has a terminal illness and is soon going to die. Then, a devil appears and offers to extend his life on the condition that certain things must disappear from the world in exchange for him living longer. An interesting premise that is hampered by unambitious execution. The storyline, characters, and romance are all very flat, static, and extremely shallow. The sci fi scenes where stuff changes feels random and thoughtless, failing to cash in on the premise. Sure, this is shot well and acted well, but I need more than that. It’s like watching paint dry.