Recently Seen, Part 4 (May 2017)

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
Don't Fuck in the Woods [2016] • USA
Director: Seems like there wasn't one
1.21/10

This Kickstarter project allowed a group of extraordinarily unattractive people to make a movie. They've gamed the thing to a 7+ rating on IMDb. The Creature from the Black Lagoon pulls bloody t-shirts from people's stomachs if they have sex in his woods. This is a group of people who see their friends die and keep having sex.

Being Here (Koko ni irukoto) [2001] • Japan
Director: Masahiko Nagasawa
YMMV

Wonderfully sad story with bad acting from peripheral characters, but Machiko Kochi is great in the lead role. When everyone around her is acting ridiculous she acknowledges their bad acting and the script's weaknesses before moving on. It's weird but makes her doubly good. I can't stand Masato Sakai's pucker-faced acting so this was never going to work for me. If you like his work you will definitely enjoy this film where a young city woman goes to smallsville, rebels, and finally learns to "Be There" with the help of a freewheeling guy who wears his plot device on his sleeve.

[edit] oops on the thread title. Can't figure out how to change it.
[edit 2] Got it
 
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clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
I finished April off with Lee Yoon-ki’s latest film One Day, and the more I reflected on it the following day, the more annoyed I got. So I decided to check out his first film This Charming Girl to see if it would wash out the bitter taste left in my mouth.

Kim Ji-su plays a 30-ish post office worker. She lives alone. She’s essentially estranged from any living members of her family. Her only social contact is with two of her female co-workers, who are more colleagues than real friends. She sleeps with the TV going, her only real source of entertainment. She likes routine, preferring to eat the same lunch every day and repeatedly setting an alarm clock to guide herself through the weekend.

The film itself is closer to a portrait than to a narrative feature. Little by little, Lee reveals details about this character through following the minutia of her daily life, and in the process, carries out an incredibly rich and nuanced character study. If one was to say it sounds like watching paint dry, I wouldn’t necessarily take issue with the analogy, although it’s more like spending 100 minutes being guided through the fine details of a complex work of art. And there are a few moments where the tension builds dramatically – the end scene is simply stunning.

This was really intelligent filmmaking. It’s hard to believe it came from the same person as Lee’s latest.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
This Charming Girl was one of those "watching paint dry" movies for me. As I recall, there were only two scenes that held any kind of interest for me whatsoever. However, I've since seen others praise it, and I do have the DVD sitting on my shelf. It's one I've been meaning to revisit to see if perhaps a second viewing will be more illuminating. My guess is "not" b/c I don't think I missed anything the first go 'round (there's nothing to miss if nothing actually ever happens); however, I might personally be in a different and more appreciative mindset. We'll see.
 

clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
there's nothing to miss if nothing actually ever happens
I don't think it's fair to say that nothing actually ever happens, but the narrative elements are pared back even further than what you might generally expect in a film branded "character study". It's definitely something that you'll either connect with on a personal level, or it will leave you cold.
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
Ha! I just finished re-watching This Charming Girl too. It's all about the acting. You need chops to appear interesting while doing what most people consider nothing. Funny that one of the reasons I re-watched was to find out if Yoon-ki played bad music back then, as well. And damn, I forgot to pay attention ... which means he probably didn't. But to be fair some of the bad music in One Day actually worked for me. There were a few times where I was actually in to it very much.

Anyway. That scene in This Charming Girl where she goes in to buy shoes and is freaked out that a guy is touching her feet. That goes in the pantheon of greatest scenes of all time in any movie, ever. The big reveal on the park bench seemed a little over the top this time, but, to be fair, I knew it was coming. And Kim Ji-soo owned it. I'm going to look for more films with her.
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
My guess is "not" b/c I don't think I missed anything the first go 'round (there's nothing to miss if nothing actually ever happens)
There's a lot to miss if nothing happens. But it's like finding chemistry with someone. That either happens or it doesn't. That's what movies are all about, for me. I could usually care less about plot and crap like that. Sometimes I do stop and think "Oh, that was clever", but that's not why I end up enjoying a film. I think Yoon-ki is moving towards clever these days, which is outside the soul searching portraits he used to paint. If you didn't find chemistry with This Charming Girl, I wouldn't re-watch it.
 

clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
When 2005 arrived, the Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was at the end of his first term of Government and firmly in re-election campaign mode. He was riding the crest of a ginormous wave of popularity, an unbackable favourite set to demolish the opposition in the upcoming elections. Of course there was trouble in the “restive” Deep South, those poverty-beset provinces bordering Malaysia that had never really wanted to be part of the Kingdom, but there was always trouble there. Nevermind that the violence down there had become increasingly less sporadic and more entrenched during Thaksin’s reign, or that 2004 had seen two explosive events dealt out by the military at Krue Se and Tak Bai – Thaksin was fixing the problem by air-dropping paper-crane origami lottery tickets and promising a Peace and Reconciliation Commission. While the next 14 months would see Thaksin’s fairytale Prime Ministership unravel spectacularly, at the beginning of 2005 the future was bright.

The Tin Mine (Jira Maligool, 2005) doesn’t really have any direct connection with all of this. Set in the late 1940’s, a young Ajin Panjapan has failed his second year of an engineering degree in Bangkok, and is packed off by his father to work on a tin mine in the remote jungles of the South – not quite the Deep South mentioned above, but back in those days Phang Nga would have been a pretty godforsaken outpost. What follows is a series of episodes, vignettes and anecdotes about the colourful, larger-than-life characters that populate the mine, as the city boy grows to love his new-found jungle home, and discovers exactly what he is made of.

Based on a series of autobiographical short stories (140 or so) that were published from the 1950’s onwards, the high score on IMDb is not reflective of cinematic artistry, but rather popular appeal. It’s the kind of film that basks in the warm glow of nostalgia, that views the world in a way that anything that might offend is brushed under the carpet. Perfect for families, Hollywoodish holiday fare to which you can take both your children and parents together. And looking back, strikes me as something perfectly reflecting the zeitgeist of middle Thailand circa early-2005.
 

ebossert

Member: Rank 3
Saw some great stuff on the flights to and from Japan.

Highly Recommended

The World of Us (2016) (Korean Drama) – At an age when perhaps friends mean more than moms, 10 year-old Sun is an outcast at school. During summer vacation, she meets Jia, who is new to town. As Sun shows Jia around the neighborhood and they play at each other’s houses and share secrets, they become best friends. However when the new semester starts, Jia notices a strange vibe between Sun and the other kids. All of the kids, especially the lead actress Soo-in Choi, give awesome performances. Consequently, this movie becomes a tour de force for schoolgirl politics in film. This focuses a lot on realistic interaction between the characters and is successful at showcasing the quiet intensity of these girls’ relationships that also ebb and flow depending on the situation and who has the “leverage” over others. Some of the girls are mean-spirited, while others are pressured into becoming someone they are not. Awesome. One of the best films from 2016.

Survive Style 5+ (2004) (Japanese Comedy Anthology) (repeat viewing) – Five different stories are told in one of the most hilarious and creative films ever conceived. The primary story involves a man (played by Tadanobu Asano) who repeatedly kills his wife, only to then find her alive and well waiting for him at home. The other stories are also interesting and have their moments, which include some funny commercials, an over-the-top British hitman, and two highschool girls who engage in meaningless, yet humorous, conversations. The Go! Go! Go! song is outrageously vulgar, yet totally entertaining. There is substance here as well, as it makes statements on irony, desire, life-work balance, and acceptance of others. Some scenes down the stretch have surprising dramatic impact. The sets are very pretty and the characters are off-the-wall and unforgettable. There’s even a Christmas vibe. This one is a must see.

Yokai Monogatari (2006) (Japanese Documentary Horror) – The format of this film is encyclopedia style. The purpose is to introduce and briefly describe the Yokai monsters of Japanese folklore. This 4 DVD set is 434 minutes long. That’s over 7 hours of Yokai info! And multiple Yokai are shown every minute, which means that this set covers around 1,000 different Yokai monsters! A very cool drawing is shown for each creature, supplemented with a short narration, creepy music, and some sound effects. At the beginning of every segment, it does give the name of the Yokai in both Japanese and English characters, so the viewer can perform subsequent research on their own (e.g., yokai.com or hyakumonogatari.com). This has to be the quintessential Yokai study on film. Holy crap! (Viewed without subtitles, but it’s really interesting anyways.)

Proof of Innocence (2016) (Korean Crime Drama/Thriller) – The manager of an attorney’s office, who was once a detective, receives a letter from prison from a man who insists he is innocent. After researching the case and seeing that oversights were made from a former rival, our protagonist takes the case to gain personal revenge. This has solid performances all-around, especially the lead actor and the little girl (who plays the prisoner’s daughter). The villainous corporation is a formidable one that patches up loose ends very quickly and thoroughly, which provides good conflict and makes our protagonists’ task very difficult. The ending is cliched, which is the film’s biggest fault, but there is a lot to enjoy in this well-made movie.

Recommended

Asura: The City of Madness (2016) (Korean Crime Drama/Thriller) – Detective Han (Woo-sung Jung), who for yers has been secretly doing dirty work for a corrupt mayor (Jeong-min Hwang), is pressured by a ruthless prosecutor (Do-won Kwak) to cooperate in an investigation to take the mayor down. This is somewhat basic in premise and story, but the outstanding cast brings it to life (Jung is particularly excellent). The script does do a good job of rattling our protagonist between the two big forces, which creates a situation where there is no easy way out for him. Violence ramps up significantly during the latter half, with the highlight being an intense car chase near the mid-point. Use of color is very striking in spots.

Blade of the Immortal (2017) (Japanese Action) – This follows the deeds of Manji, a skilled samurai who has a decisive advantage: no conventional wound can kill him. In the past, his actions of vengeance led to the death of 100 other samurai. He then becomes immortal at the hand of an 800-year-old nun named Yaobikuni, and later befriends a young girl who desperately wants to avenge the death of her parents. The opening 10 minutes of this movie are legitimately awesome, with a fantastic one-vs-many swordfight that is shown in black-and-white. There is a ton of action in this, most of which is staged well (although there is a mix of wide shots and close-ups, with the former being far more effective than the latter). Performances are good, especially the lead, and at times the villains are placed in the same bad predicaments as the protagonists which means that they occasionally have a common enemy. Erika Toda plays a very cool assassin. Tone is much darker and violent than expected, but it’s still a fun movie by Takashi Miike. (Viewed without subtitles.)

Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016) (Japanese Thriller) – 10 years after the confrontation between Kira and L, the Shinigami have now released 6 Death Notes into the world. One successor to Kira attempts to retrieve them all, which a successor to L attempts to stop him. This is a good flick, with effective performances and interesting conflicts. Ryuk gets limited screentime, but has some fun moments near the end. The cat-and-mouse tactics of the previous films, as well as the specifics of Death Note use, are practically non-existent in this movie, which is a disappointment that creates a more simplistic affair. Still, as a different take on the subject, it’s entertaining enough.

Detective Zenigata (2017) (Japanese Crime Drama/Comedy/Thriller) – Zenigata is the guy who usually chases after Lupin III, but he’s on different cases this time. He’s a likeable tough guy who is also quite intelligent and uses logic to solve matters. The beginning scene shows an act of deception that results in the theft of an expensive painting, leading our protagonist detective on a manhunt. Other crimes soon follow, including a bomber who sends riddles for the police to solve. Briskly paced and fun.

Doctor Strange (2016) (American Action) – While on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts. Like most of the recent MCU films, this is sufficiently plotted to hold interest and does have a few nice uses of color. Benedict Cumberbatch is a good lead. The fights are interesting, albeit feeling a bit random with little build-up. There are some contrivances present (e.g., instant mastery of the arts, timing of events, etc.) and the most powerful characters don’t feel that powerful, but this is entertaining.

Queen of Walking (2016) (Korean Drama/Comedy) – Due to congenital motion sickness syndrome, a student must walk to and from school, with takes four hours. Her teacher suggests she take up race-walking. This movie is simplistic, but good. Both female leads (Eun-kyung Shim, Joo-hee Park) are very good. The protagonist has difficulty accomplishing much of anything, which provides adequate conflict. There are a few unexpected moments. Humor is a bit silly and mostly ineffective.

Not Recommended

Tracer (2016) (Vietnamese Action) – A policewoman pursues a criminal kingpin. This is strictly B-grade, with a totally unconvincing lead actress. Action is amateurish. There are also a few poor bits of humor spliced in. One odd observation I made is that every actor is abnormally muscular and enjoys showing off their six-pack abs. This is lame.

Heartfall Arises (2016) (Chinese Crime Drama/Thriller) – A cop (Nicholas Tse) tangles with a criminal psychologist (Lau Ching Wan) regarding the effects of organ transplants on human minds. The premise of this film is incomprehensibly stupid – if you get an organ transplant, then you may inherit the mind of the donor. Unfortunately, the script is just as moronic, with horrible dialogue, contrived moments, and dumb revelations. Pacing also drags and there are a few shots of terrible CGI. At least the lead actors try.

Izo (2004) (Japanese Drama/Action/Horror) (repeat viewing) – Bad film by director Takashi Miike. In fact, it could be his worst. This movie is intent on contributing to gratuitous violence that is supplemented with pretentious philosophy. One scene in particular shows a woman pull out a sword that was impaled in her uterus (with liquids oozing onto the ground) after participating in shallow, sexually explicit dialogue. The action is repetitive and sleep-inducing. This is trash filmmaking – purely and simply classless. Add in a musician who hacks up a lung during every chorus, and what results is one of the most obnoxious and disappointing films ever made.
 

divemaster13

Member: Rank 4
Haven't seen (or heard of) any of those, but I'll certainly make an effort to see The World of Us, Survive Style 5+, Asura: The City of Madness, and Proof of Innocence. Those look like they could be right up my alley.
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
I've been waiting anxiously for The World of Us. I'm glad it appears imminent. Survive Style 5+ has been in my queue for years. Not sure why I've never watched it. Korean crime thrillers are going to be a tough sell for me going forward. Too Hollywood and used up.
 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
I'll look for The World of Us, Death Note and Detective Zenigata. Gonna start saving my to-watch list on an MS Word document rather than a literal piece of paper now.
 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
Korean crime thrillers are going to be a tough sell for me going forward. Too Hollywood and used up.
I honestly thought Korean crime thrillers are one of the, if not the, best. I wonder what exactly does "Hollywood" mean in referring to any style of movie-making is. A part of me tells, say in crime thrillers for example, it involves some grissly murders, a mystery to be solved, some jump scares, or a twist. But, does that really copyright to Hollywood only??? Why not the idea of it being Korean/Japanese first then Hollywood just copied it??? biggrin.gif
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
what exactly does "Hollywood" mean in referring to any style of movie-making
Celebrity trumps acting. The ingredients (for eg. those you mentioned re: crime thrillers) are assembled from recipes assembled by committees. Films are more "business of film making" than "art of film making". Demonstrations of technology, as art.

That's not exactly what "Hollywood" means, but it's a rough sketch of what I mean when I say it.
 

clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
what exactly does "Hollywood" mean in referring to any style of movie-making
I was going to say "vanilla" sums it up, but that doesn't quite get there. Maybe ... vanilla essence instead of vanilla beans.
sitenoise has summed it up nicely, I think.
 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
Celebrity trumps acting. The ingredients (for eg. those you mentioned re: crime thrillers) are assembled from recipes assembled by committees. Films are more "business of film making" than "art of film making". Demonstrations of technology, as art.

That's not exactly what "Hollywood" means, but it's a rough sketch of what I mean when I say it.
I was under the impression that Hollywood means big budget which means good special effects and big stars as the cast with most scenes that are cliched and not controversial. However, I still can't draw the line between business and art because I think they aren't necessarily incompatible. It could be that they conceive "art" so they can do "business". One does not necessarily negate the other. It being "business" doesn't mean its no "art". And one movie doesn't have to be unknown for it to be considered "art". I dunno. Don't mind me, I'm doing some self-debate. I know what you mean, I just can't find the words to explain why the term "Hollywood" derives a negative connotation.

I'll try navigating letterboxd some other time. I was lost the last time I was there. I'm doing fine with the MS word now. Hehehehe.
 

sitenoise

Member: Rank 5
"Hollywood" in my mind isn't necessarily negative, except insofar as it's a 'style' that doesn't interest me much. I give S Korea mad props for not capitulating to non-controversial in their 'hollywood' movies.

Bottom line for me is that after more than a decade of worshiping at the altar of East Asian films because they were so different from what I grew up on, I'm noticing that they are a little less different now. But it's mostly genre specific. China and the nouveau riche rom-com, S Korea and their films about rich and powerful men and their rich and powerful man problems--which trickle into revenge flicks and crime thrillers.

I didn't mean to make much of the business/art thing. I hear what you are saying on that.
 

clayton-12

Member: Rank 4
I kinda get it now....Hollywood= bland, generic, predictable
That really was where I was going, but I might start furiously backpedalling, because I'm in agreement with what you said about art and business not necessarily being incompatible. It's more the studio set-up on which the Hollywood industry is founded is primarily concerned with making commercial products ... but I don't want to start maligning commercial art.

Of course, Hollywood the location isn't the only example of studio-manufacture of films, but the name is so synonymous with the practice that it gets co-opted - think Bollywood and Nollywood. I'm surprised that someone hasn't taken all those ABS-CBN Star Cinema films, with all their formula and their recurring love teams, and labelled them Phollywood films!
 

plsletitrain

Member: Rank 5
I'm surprised that someone hasn't taken all those ABS-CBN Star Cinema films, with all their formula and their recurring love teams, and labelled them Phollywood films!
Now that's what I think best describes the bland-generic-predictable trio I was talking about. Phollywood films (copyright belongs to Clayton) is everywhere these days. This is obvious cashing. These giant movie producers take advantage of how an artist is bankable which may mean how an artist sells to the public AND how the artist can add up to their bank deposits. What they do is backward thinking: they think which artist will give the $$$$. Never mind that these artists or love team can't act to save their lives. Never mind that the story don't suit their over-all personas. Never mind that the director is incompetent. Just put a story that's quite cute and devote all screen time to their lovey-dovey faces kissing each other's ass. Never mind that they do it so forcefully I can almost see the couple giving a look of distaste when the camera's not rolling. Naturally, fangirls will swoon over it not mindful of its production values. Same with commercial products. Never mind that the artist don't look like actually using that product at all. Fans will buy it nonetheless. Sigh, I hate it because I may belong to their vulnerable target. I mean, if Park Bo-Gum started modelling for raw vegetables, I might eat it more. lol. I think I hear the cries of indie producers re: big studios manipulating the movie world.
 
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