Blog Archives

2LDK (2002)

(from , dir: )
Posted on November 25, 2005 by Alison

If you’ve been waiting all your life to see two Japanese actresses locked in an apartment trying to kill each other, then wait no longer. 2LDK, so named because of the rather luxurious apartment (2 bedrooms, lounge, dining, kitchen), provides just that, and with great enthusiasm.

This, the other half of the “Duel” competition with director Kitamura’s Aragami, takes an entirely different tack. Where Kitamura’s film follows a storyteller convention, with clever narrative interspersed with bouts of sword-flailing … (read more)

Comments Off on 2LDK (2002)

Yaji and Kita: the Midnight Pilgrims (2005)

(from , dir: )
Posted on November 20, 2005 by Justin

I haven’t seen any of Kudo Kankuro’s work before, but I’m very tempted now. Yaji and Kita: the Midnight Pilgrims is one of the weirdest things I’ve seen for a long time; it sucks you in to Yaji and Kita’s world, and then systematically hits you over the head with a cinematic rubber chicken for two hours.

The plot (which comes from a classic novel, by way of a manga adaptation — it’s been filmed before as Yajikita dochu sugoroku… (read more)

Comments Off on Yaji and Kita: the Midnight Pilgrims (2005)

The Twilight Samurai (2002)

(from , dir: )
Posted on November 20, 2005 by Jonathan

Twilight Samurai is a small, understated film that will likely confound the (generic) expectations of most of its audience, so unless you get a kick out of paying ten bucks to sit in a dark room and feel alienated for two hours, listen up: this film’s primary strengths are dramatic, and it is, in fact, a melodrama.

This is a great thing, as it allows Twilight Samurai to address an imbalance that typifies just about every popular representation of samurai … (read more)

Comments Off on The Twilight Samurai (2002)

Ah! My Goddess (2000)

(from , dir: )
Posted on November 20, 2005 by Ching Yee

It’s so hard to dislike this movie even though there are a few things I’m not particularly overjoyed with. But let’s not start there…

Let’s start with Keiichi and Belldandy, the two central characters in this movie. We are looking at Keiichi and Belldandy after their first meeting — 3 years ago he dials for fast food and gets the Goddess hotline, and ends up with a goddess for life instead — how lucky is he? Very lucky. The goddess … (read more)

Comments Off on Ah! My Goddess (2000)

Brother (2000)

(from , dir: )
Posted on November 6, 2005 by Mark Morrison

I watched over 100 people die violent celluloid deaths today. It may have got to me. 67 of those died by bullet, knife, bomb, piano wire and/or chopsticks in Takeshi Kitano’s new film Brother.

This is actually the first time I’ve watched a Takeshi Kitano film. Gasps of shock, shaking of heads, tuts of tut-tut. Calls himself an Asian film reviewer and has yet to watch the greatest living director of Japanese yakuza as he paint the walls red? … (read more)

Comments Off on Brother (2000)

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

(from , dir: )
Posted on October 29, 2005 by James

Whisper is the only Studio Ghibli feature film directed by Yoshifumi Kondou. Although adapted from the manga by Hayao Miyazaki, responsibility for the film’s direction was passed on to Kondou, an animation supervisor on several other Ghibli projects. A few years after Whisper’s release, Kondou died.

Precocious, gifted, utterly dedicated children are abundant in Ghibli films but not often are they both supernaturally powerless and portrayed in an everyday physical environment. With the exception of an aerial fantasy sequence … (read more)

Comments Off on Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Visitor Q (2001)

(from , dir: )
Posted on October 29, 2005 by Alison

Mark’s review of Old Boy starts with the warning that This film contains material that may offend some viewers. Miike’s Visitor Q should really carry a warning that This film is chock-full of material that will definitely offend almost everyone.

Miike’s a weird guy. The theme that underlies most of the film is bullying, but it’s handled in a very Miike way: think John Waters does All About Lily Chou-Chou and you’ll be surprisingly close. Nothing is taboo … (read more)

Comments Off on Visitor Q (2001)

Lady Snowblood (1973)

(from , dir: )
Posted on October 29, 2005 by Justin

Lady Snowblood will probably tickle the fancies of several groups of people, at least some of whom are Heroic Readers. Firstly, there’s the Kill Bill fans — this film provided Quentin Tarantino with a great deal of inspiration, both structurally and stylistically. Then there’s the SBS-watchers among us, who have a soft spot for the Lone Wolf and Cub series — this film shares a similar setting and style with those, too, minus the Baby Cart. And thirdly, there’s the … (read more)

Comments Off on Lady Snowblood (1973)