plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
@sitenoise Which should I watch first, April Bride or Love on Sunday? I'll check if I can find a copy of both.
I'll add River to my watchlist.
I'll add River to my watchlist.
Important Ryuichi Hiroki - Japan's Hidden Gem
- Thread starter sitenoise
- Start date
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
I'd watch the two Love on Sunday flicks. I liked the second one, Last Words, more. Daniel prefers the first.
April Bride:
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
I remember being slightly disappointed in River, but the last scene of Misako Renbutsu, with her flawless complexion, staring pensively off into space while in a moving vehicle is worth the price of admission. Reminiscent of the girl on the boat at the end of Tokyo Trash Baby. Hiroki loves to film his female characters in moving vehicles!
River is a great companion to his recent Side Job. They both deal with Hiroki's hometown disaster, Fukushima. The thing about River, though, is Hiroki originally was going to make a film about the Akihabara Massacre (some guy ran his truck into a crowd and started stabbing people), then 3/11 happened and he felt compelled, or he felt he had an obligation to address it. The images he captures are harrowing. It must have seemed a wonderful opportunity to contrast survivors of a man-made disaster versus a natural disaster. But that's where the film let me down a bit. There's a part in the middle where they actually argue about it. Seemed like Hiroki got in over his head with words instead of just letting us look at his characters staring pensively off into the space of their surroundings.
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
Oh gad, why do I have to see cancer and death everywhere. lol I'll still watch April Bride first though, because Love on Sunday isn't on that website where I watch these movies. Unless sitenoise.com gives it to me. Ahem. Hehehe. Just kidding. *avoids eyecontact*
I'm quite divided on your thoughts on April Bride because you and I are usually opposites on our stand on acting so.... When sometimes I see a contrived, fake acting, that's your genuine, natural acting. And vice versa. Not all the times, though. So I guess when you're disappointed on their acting, there's a higher chance that I'd love it.
Oh yeah, I saw Side Job on that website when you mentioned it before (when you said I'd keep an eye on it) and forgot about it. Thanks for reminding! I'll probably watch Side Job first then River.
One thing I do notice, though. Uhm, you know I love you but his posters really are............................................................unappealing.
I'm quite divided on your thoughts on April Bride because you and I are usually opposites on our stand on acting so.... When sometimes I see a contrived, fake acting, that's your genuine, natural acting. And vice versa. Not all the times, though. So I guess when you're disappointed on their acting, there's a higher chance that I'd love it.
Oh yeah, I saw Side Job on that website when you mentioned it before (when you said I'd keep an eye on it) and forgot about it. Thanks for reminding! I'll probably watch Side Job first then River.
One thing I do notice, though. Uhm, you know I love you but his posters really are............................................................unappealing.
The unending list of "you need sitenoise eyes to appreciate" goes on.
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
I love his posters. A Lot. And they are almost always perfectly reflective of the film ... unlike movie trailers
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
:((( Okay I lose, I don't have a boxing emoticon as cute as that. :(
His posters still remain bland and uncolorful, though. Bleh!
His posters still remain bland and uncolorful, though. Bleh!
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
Ya know, the only poster on this page of posters of his movies I've seen that I think looks stupid is the one with Fumi Nakaido!
[followed by April Bride and Policeman & Me]
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
I think his best poster on that page of posters is I am an S+M writer. River and Strobe Edge are bleh. Granddaughter looks a bit icky. But the trophy goes to M...............
I mean.................... what's so dominant in this poster?
Her protruding butt occcupies 1/8 of the poster, it's distracting to the eyes.
You mentioned Fumi Nikaido. Funny because had you not linked to your page of posters, I wouldn't have known that that annoying movie with the annoying lead girl was actually done by Hiroki! I know I usually post with my ass rather than my brain but gah, I should've made a research first.
Or maybe I was drowned by disappointment over the film that I didn't bother knowing who's behind it. Or maybe I actually read it but I recognize him as "Hiroki" and I first read "Ryuichi" so I didn't recognize 
Maybe that's why I commented his shooting from afar style when I made that post in the recently seen thread. Haha! Sorry. I'm facepalming at myself too.
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
I wondered when you posted about it if you knew it was a Hiroki film. I think I thought you didn't know, but the comment about shooting from afar was spot on Hiroki. So I wasn't sure.
In defense of Fumi, go take a look at her filmography and tell me what you think. Not that it matters, but I don't think you should dismiss her because she made a stupid movie. And, not that it matters, but once you recognize what a supreme talent she is, you can see that she "played" that character perfectly. It was annoying and gross, just the kind of thing that the manga eating pubescents love. I wish she wouldn't do crap like that, but I also wish she wouldn't do crap like My Man and Scoop! She needs to work with Sono more!
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
I uhm...................haven't seen any of those. I think I really hated her in that film that I was almost sad to find out she's one of your favorites and I have to diss her. I did try to "fathom" her acting range and I did not see that she was just doing it for the role. What I gathered is that she really didn't have the talent, and that she was trying her hardest to look like she was just trying (for the role's sake). I did not think she had the potential (I tried to observe the way she portrays her scenes). I could be wrong though, and I think it's unfair for me to judge her based on that movie alone. I just don't have the motivation to explore her or get to know her more. I'd be willing to give a watch that one movie you think where she really excelled. I'm not closing my doors.
I think I really hated her in that film that I was almost sad to find out she's one of your favorites and I have to diss her. I did try to "fathom" her acting range and I did not see that she was just doing it for the role. What I gathered is that she really didn't have the talent, and that she was trying her hardest to look like she was just trying (for the role's sake). I did not think she had the potential (I tried to observe the way she portrays her scenes). I could be wrong though, and I think it's unfair for me to judge her based on that movie alone. I just don't have the motivation to explore her or get to know her more. I'd be willing to give a watch that one movie you think where she really excelled. I'm not closing my doors.
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
Okay, wait a minute. You may be right! I'm losing interest in Fumi 
I just now watched/fast forwarded through Bitter Honey. It's kind of a Lolita flick, except she's a goldfish in human form. It's super gross, and she does the same thing. She squeaks likes a tweety bird and and acts all coy, but I'm still impressed with how she owns it. I just don't get the decisions she makes as far as roles.
Having said that, if you haven't seen her in either of Sion Sono's films you should watch them anyway. Why Don’t You Play in Hell? is a monsterly great great film. She's not the star by any means but every time she's on screen she owns it. But I think you've seen it. It's Sono for cryin out loud. Comrade zelena didn't like it because there was too much blood and violence. An iconic scene that might ring a bell is of a young girl sliding across the floor that's all blood?
If you want to get to know Fumi, though: Au revoir l’été ... It's a 10/10 from me. It's a total sitenoise movie. It's a two hour home movie of Fumi on vacation doing this and doing that.
OMG, I just went and read my review of Au revoir. It's a time-line of my becoming a Fumi stalker. I will reprint here embarrassingly:
I just now watched/fast forwarded through Bitter Honey. It's kind of a Lolita flick, except she's a goldfish in human form. It's super gross, and she does the same thing. She squeaks likes a tweety bird and and acts all coy, but I'm still impressed with how she owns it. I just don't get the decisions she makes as far as roles.Having said that, if you haven't seen her in either of Sion Sono's films you should watch them anyway. Why Don’t You Play in Hell? is a monsterly great great film. She's not the star by any means but every time she's on screen she owns it. But I think you've seen it. It's Sono for cryin out loud. Comrade zelena didn't like it because there was too much blood and violence. An iconic scene that might ring a bell is of a young girl sliding across the floor that's all blood?
If you want to get to know Fumi, though: Au revoir l’été ... It's a 10/10 from me. It's a total sitenoise movie. It's a two hour home movie of Fumi on vacation doing this and doing that.
OMG, I just went and read my review of Au revoir. It's a time-line of my becoming a Fumi stalker. I will reprint here embarrassingly:
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
*pats you on the back* Don't worry man, we've all been there. I'm making an evil-grin secretly because does that mean I don't have to watch that 2 hour loooong sitenoise movie with Fumi doing nothing????????
Because it really sounds like..................................my cup of tea.I think I remember her doing the same squeaky voice in that movie. And she didn't just squeak like tweety bird, I think she actually tried so hard to look like tweety bird (aka cute), she did this pouting of lips that just made me
. 
Doesn't ring any bell. I checked the synopsis, its not familiar, so I guess I really didn't see it. I also can't remember zelena commenting on such. (Seriously my memory is helpless I can't remember these conversations you had with zelena. The only thing I would forever remember of him is when he said Koreeda movies comprise of mom making tofu or people singing kumbaya hahahaha! I will forever cherish him for that, its embedded in my 
.
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
It's weird--and unfortunate--this turn of events. Fumi burst onto the scene as a teenager, working with the some of the best, and weirdest directors in Japan: Sono, Miike, Yuki Tanada, Fukada, Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, Nobuhiro Yamashita. She didn't do the tweety bird thing. She was kind of badass and sexy (maybe a little cute). So this is a new development. If you lived through all those films like I have you might have a different perspective on her. I don't like what she's doing lately because it seems to toss away all the respect she had accumulated. I guess it's sort of like when your favorite indie rock band finally gets a major label contract and sellout, making commercial trash music for the masses.
Here's the Blood Slide scene from Why Don't You Play in Hell? (which is such a good movie you should check it out regardless of any Fumi connection) Does it ring a bell?
Here's the Blood Slide scene from Why Don't You Play in Hell? (which is such a good movie you should check it out regardless of any Fumi connection) Does it ring a bell?
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
I'd defer to your observations on her as you know her filmography very well than me so I'd take your observations with weight (this is one area where I don't mind being late to the party hehehe).
Re: Why don't you play in Hell, when she enters the room and she steps on the floor with blood--it looks familiar (although it may be from another movie) but when she slids down, I don't remember it. I will definitely be seeing it, not because of Fumi, but because its Sion Sono. Thank you!
Re: Why don't you play in Hell, when she enters the room and she steps on the floor with blood--it looks familiar (although it may be from another movie) but when she slids down, I don't remember it. I will definitely be seeing it, not because of Fumi, but because its Sion Sono. Thank you!
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
I'll just copy-paste your review of April Bride here:
Based on a true story of a young woman with breast cancer whose boyfriend decides to marry her just before she dies, takes its cue from many a standard Korean disease of the week melodrama. It has some cute and touching moments, but overall it doesn't reach the level of sadness the Koreans are capable of. Without slighting the actors too much, I felt they were just too young to really get there. They seemed like young actors trying as best they could to yank at our heartstrings. They were cute when they were supposed to be cute but when it came time to weep they seemed to have trouble shedding their youthful sense of invincibility and had to resort to acting without having the requisite life experience to draw from.
I was right when I said you and mine's takes on acting are on opposite ends. I thought that what steeled the movie is the acting of the leads. I have to admit that their youth made me skeptical at first I even made a funny thought of who's willing to bet that on the 2nd night of the wake, I'll see that guy reading a manga on his cupboard and on the 2nd week after burying the girl you'll see him smooching on another woman? But I was proven wrong. I think the lead actor exhibited the seriousness of his feelings through his facial expressions. And the lead actress also exhibited an almost-perfect portrayal of a woman in pain and of hope (her naturally smiling eyes just gives it away).
I promised myself I won't cry on this one because I know the synopsis so I know there's got to be an inevitable drama that will ensue but if I had no idea of what's the movie about, I may have cried buckets here. The ending part where he plays the video made by Chie was very cliched and expected, but it still broke my heart. Its in this part where I got a bit teary-eyed.
I think I'll classify this as one of Hiroki's good ones. He used sad background music every once in a while (I'm not counting the wedding scene because the music was overkill--I know I'm alone on this view but I didn't like the wedding song) and all his scenes were beautifully shot. I can't fault the script since this is based on a true story so they might just have made minor additions here and there.
If I was clueless as to what the movie's about, this may have made it into my top whatever list.
Based on a true story of a young woman with breast cancer whose boyfriend decides to marry her just before she dies, takes its cue from many a standard Korean disease of the week melodrama. It has some cute and touching moments, but overall it doesn't reach the level of sadness the Koreans are capable of. Without slighting the actors too much, I felt they were just too young to really get there. They seemed like young actors trying as best they could to yank at our heartstrings. They were cute when they were supposed to be cute but when it came time to weep they seemed to have trouble shedding their youthful sense of invincibility and had to resort to acting without having the requisite life experience to draw from.
I was right when I said you and mine's takes on acting are on opposite ends. I thought that what steeled the movie is the acting of the leads. I have to admit that their youth made me skeptical at first I even made a funny thought of who's willing to bet that on the 2nd night of the wake, I'll see that guy reading a manga on his cupboard and on the 2nd week after burying the girl you'll see him smooching on another woman? But I was proven wrong. I think the lead actor exhibited the seriousness of his feelings through his facial expressions. And the lead actress also exhibited an almost-perfect portrayal of a woman in pain and of hope (her naturally smiling eyes just gives it away).
I promised myself I won't cry on this one because I know the synopsis so I know there's got to be an inevitable drama that will ensue but if I had no idea of what's the movie about, I may have cried buckets here. The ending part where he plays the video made by Chie was very cliched and expected, but it still broke my heart. Its in this part where I got a bit teary-eyed.
I think I'll classify this as one of Hiroki's good ones. He used sad background music every once in a while (I'm not counting the wedding scene because the music was overkill--I know I'm alone on this view but I didn't like the wedding song) and all his scenes were beautifully shot. I can't fault the script since this is based on a true story so they might just have made minor additions here and there.
If I was clueless as to what the movie's about, this may have made it into my top whatever list.
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
sitenoise
Member: Rank 5
It's cool that we're all having different reactions to different Hiroki films. I'm just glad that more folks are checking him out. As I say "Hidden Gem".
Yeah, I just hate to admit to things like that, so black and white. Like with comrade zelena saying we had disparately different taste in movies. Maybe you guys just hate the movies I like
but I don't feel that way about what you like. In fact, the more I sense you like something the more I'm inclined to (at least try and) like it. As far as the specifics of acting, I guess, I've been pretty clear on that in foggy terms: I don't like acting. Re: the Sarah Brightman song. It is beautiful. What album is it on? I have several of her albums--thanks to you--but I don't have that song.
Remember this one
plsletitrain
Member: Rank 5
Hey, as I always say, we have different set of eyes. And yeah, I've learned to know and accept that because that makes you you. That's why there's a sitenoise movie and a sitenoise eyes. Hehehe.
Yeah of course I will never forget that song because that's my mostest favoritest and I think I placed that on my IMDb profile and you clicked on it and it all started there. I literally can listen to these songs all day for years and I won't get tired. Re: This Love *scratches head* There's no Sarah Brightman album here available so I just listened to her songs on youtube and I found that song years ago. I loved it so much the moment I heard it I promised myself I'll have it played as my wedding song (if ever I get married) and it was a dream come true that I was allowed to play that in the church. Its not found on youtube anymore probably because of copyright issues so I'm really sorry I don't know what album that's from. :((((((
Daniel Larusso
Member: Rank 3
Wolf Girl and Black Prince - this could have been an interesting take on s+m set in highschool. Characters even refer to it multiple times. However, this film doesn't explore that subject more than that and soon it becomes your average story of naive girl who falls in love for the bad boy. In this case, it's okay to treat a girl like a dog as long as your are pretty and popular. Bad boy however shows that he has an heart because he becomes nice to the girl. Not my favourite film from Hiroki, but stuff like this actually happens in real life. 5/10
Your Friend - I don't think it was bad, but I didn't get the point of it either. 5/10
Crying 100 Times - Every raindrop falls - the best one in this new bunch of films seen. Hiroki deals with a sensitive subject (cancer) without ever forcing emotions from viewers. It's never a melodramatic film. And story is also interesting. 7/10
Your Friend - I don't think it was bad, but I didn't get the point of it either. 5/10
Crying 100 Times - Every raindrop falls - the best one in this new bunch of films seen. Hiroki deals with a sensitive subject (cancer) without ever forcing emotions from viewers. It's never a melodramatic film. And story is also interesting. 7/10
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Daniel Larusso
Member: Rank 3
Kabukicho Love Hotel is AWESOME!
I enjoyed how Hiroki explored the complicated side of romantic relationships thorugh different characters. Each characters' internal struggles is beautifully conveyed. It's a slow-paced film, but it never got boring for me.
I liked how Hiroki picked up Maeda Atsuko, AKB48's main idol (at least, a few years ago..) for that role. Reminds me of Korine picking up ex-Disney stars for his film Spring Breakers.
All in all, this film is great fun to watch and my favourite from Hiroki. The ending (plus the post-credit scenes) are very satisfying.
Shota Sometani is in 3 of my favourites films of all time: Tokyo Tribe, Himizu and this one.
9/10
I enjoyed how Hiroki explored the complicated side of romantic relationships thorugh different characters. Each characters' internal struggles is beautifully conveyed. It's a slow-paced film, but it never got boring for me.
I liked how Hiroki picked up Maeda Atsuko, AKB48's main idol (at least, a few years ago..) for that role. Reminds me of Korine picking up ex-Disney stars for his film Spring Breakers.
All in all, this film is great fun to watch and my favourite from Hiroki. The ending (plus the post-credit scenes) are very satisfying.
Shota Sometani is in 3 of my favourites films of all time: Tokyo Tribe, Himizu and this one.
9/10
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