Japanese title: バンデージ

Director: Kobayashi Takeshi

Info: IMDb, AsianMediaWiki, Trailer

Rating: ★★★★

Being an Iwai Shunji-produced and co-written film, I was quick to pick up BANDAGE, hoping for something original and enjoyable.  I’m not sure how involved Iwai was with the film (I’m guessing not too much, though there are undoubtedly Iwai inspirations scattered throughout the film), but it mostly delivered on my hopes.

Casting Akanishi Jin as one of the leads was a smart move by director Kobayashi Takeshi.  He brings massive fan support to the movie, not to mention experience in the Japanese music industry.  Playing the lead singer of a rock band, Akanishi undoubtedly draws from personal experience (he’s a very popular member of the Johnny’s boy band KAT-TUN–actually, former member now; he decided to go solo using this film as a base) as he plays the carefree yet troubled character of Natsu.  His band, LANDS, is quickly gaining mass popularity but encounters problems–the band members just don’t completely gel.  A genius musician, Yukiya (Kora Kengo), and a brilliant composer, Arumi (Shibamoto Yuki), form the heart of the band with Natsu supposedly still remaining just because of his indie fan base.  It also helps that he can sing.

Asako (Kitano Kii) is a high school girl who loves LANDS.  One day, her friend invites her to one of their concerts and they miraculously stumble upon backstage passes.  The girls soon find themselves at the band’s after-concert drinking party and Asako strikes up a relationship with Natsu.  He’s soon bringing her to rehearsals and calling her up to solve band problems.  The rest of the band obviously sees this as a hindrance, though they can’t convince Natsu of that.  He really likes her, in his own strange and laid-back way.

Akanishi Jin plays a damn good rocker.  Although his character is quite one-dimensional, Akanishi embodies the rocker spirit, entertaining and involving us in the film. Johnny’s Entertainment boys are typically unimpressive actors whose roles are often restrained or stiff.  It’s surprising that Akanishi plays such a dark and adult character (yes, he really kissed a girl–a real kiss!).  Akanishi’s rock star is seemingly drunk throughout the film (this is his personality) as he rambles and babbles along.  It’s all very entertaining, no doubt.  Kitano Kii, who also previously starred in the Iwai-produced Halfway (2009), is a pleasure to watch as well.  It’s nice to see a young actress so in-control of her characters, I’m always impressed with her.  The casting for each character is very good.  I especially liked the inclusion of Ito Ayumi (who emerged out of Iwai’s Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)), as the beautiful and smart manager of LANDS.

The cinematography is on-and-off, employing the Iwai-inspired hand-held style which is both effective and annoying.  This style of camerawork can either bring extreme originality or make the film appear amateurish.  For example, in a few scenes the camera is far too unstable, mostly noticeable towards the beginning, making for an uncomfortable viewing experience (thankfully, these scenes are low in quantity).  In other scenes, the camera works well, particularly when filming during performances or when the intimacy that the hand-held camera can bring is needed.  I found myself enjoying the cinematography more as the film progressed.  Cinematographer Onomichi Koji seems to be Iwai’s new go-to cameraman after the death of his friend Shinoda Noboru, as he is using him here and in his next directorial feature, the English-language Vampire (2011).

Since BANDAGE is a film about music, the songs must be good–and they are.  Akanishi’s voice is well-suited to the neo-rock/alternative sound and is pleasing overall.  The songs are all original compositions by Kobayashi, who usually produces soundtracks for Iwai’s films (unless he does it himself).  The tracks are great, which helps raise the enjoyment scale of the movie.  There is a particular scene in the film that gave me goosebumps: Yuichi is playing around with a recording of one of LANDS’s songs in darkness, hair in his face.  He alters the voice to be robotic-sounding and plays the guitar with a violin bow.  It’s a powerful and dark moment in the film in which we discover the extent of Yukiya’s talent and his deep loneliness.

BANDAGE is ultimately a film about self-discovery.  It is effective in portraying the life of an indie band in 1990′s Japan, when the rise and fall of these bands was commonplace due to TV talent shows.  With a strong cast, great music, and effective camerawork for the genre, BANDAGE manages to entertain while being an interesting commentary on the music industry at the time.  Recommended!

Translated comment Iwai Shunji made about Akanishi Jin:

“After we watched his video clips, I was very shocked. I didn’t expect such an actor in Japan.
However we do have some occasionally, such as Kimura Takuya and Tadanobu Asano.
All of a sudden they come to your face and surprise the world.
This kind of person doesn’t need to brew slowly, but are more a bomb you feel like it’s either going to explode or disappear.[…]
His personality already makes people think of him as an animal who cannot be caged, and everybody can totally feel this unique personality in the story as well. ”

(Credits to Iwai Shunji-fan at AsianMediaWiki)

Japanese title: ユリ子のアロマ (Yuriko no Aroma)

Director: Yoshida Kota

Info: IMDb, AsianMediaWiki, Trailer

Rating: ★★★★

What if you woke up to someone licking the sweat off your hair?  How would you react?

17 year old Takeshi (Sometani Shota) experiences this strangely erotic act in the secluded, deserted, run-down shed where he takes a nap after kendo practice.  The licker?  Yuriko (Eguchi Noriko), who works in a massage parlor run by Takeshi’s aunt.  Upon meeting Takeshi, Yuriko realizes that she’s turned on by his body odor and ends up stealing one of his gloves to smell it.  Yeah, the premise is pretty strange.

So, what does Takeshi do after realizing that he was just licked by a strange older woman he had only met the day before?  In true teenage male fashion, he decides that he wants more, allowing Yuriko to sniff him and ending up getting some pleasure of his own out of it, if you know what I mean.  A strange relationship is born from here.  A 17 year old high school boy who has never experienced a relationship before, let alone any sexual actions, and a woman in her 30′s who is turned on, and maybe even in love with, Takeshi’s scent.  Takeshi even turns aside his long-time admiration for an incredibly cute girl at his school, even when she shows signs of liking him, to spend time with Noriko.  One can sympathize completely with Takeshi’s feelings; we can assume that nobody has ever let him know that they are interested in him, or at least physically attracted to him, so he is excited and willing to experiment with this new adventure.

Director Yoshida Kota handles this film with such expertise, telling a fluid story with a relatively short runtime (75 minutes).  Yuriko’s Aroma is only Yoshida’s second film, his previous effort being the short film Coming With My Brother (2006), a similarly-themed movie about an older woman becoming increasingly attracted to her younger brother.  The attention he delivers to strange and unique human attractions is prevalent in both of his works. On the one hand, these relationships feel quite strange to witness but on the other hand, they feel refreshing and are presented in a manner which is truly a joy to watch unfold on screen.

The casting is incredible and surprising in its effectiveness.  With Eguchi Noriko, Yoshida has an unconventional actress that is perfect for the strange role of Yuriko.  She’s not a beauty, but has boyish looks that are distinct and eye-catching regardless.  She’s also a great actress, a perfect example of what I’ve been enjoying a lot of lately–the Japanese actress that is unafraid to go beyond the limits of conventional roles, with other examples including Ando Sakura and Mitsushima Hikari, both who emerged out of Sion Sono’s epic Love Exposure.  Sometani Shota, who plays Takeshi, is also a great choice for his seemingly normal looks but very interesting facial expressions.  He fully embodies the essence of teenage awkwardness and uncertainty, even handling emotional scenes well.

There is a blatant, stand-out scene that feels out of place within the context of the film.  Although the film is definitely not in the pinku genre, this erotic lesbian self-pleasure scene seems like it belongs in a pinku film.  It is definitely an unnecessarily involved scene that could have demonstrated its point in a much less dramatic fashion.  Also, speaking of dramatic, the film becomes a bit too much so towards the end, seeming out of place in an otherwise composed atmosphere.  It could be rationalized that Yuriko’s Aroma builds up to such an emotional point, and definitely deserves the emotional release, but it felt like too much.  Various continuity issues (heels magically become sneakers, somehow), which remove the careful observer from the story, are quite avoidable on the filmmakers’ part but one can’t get stuck too much on them.  The superb aspects of Yuriko’s Aroma far outweigh the low points.

With its constant depictions of various aromas swirling through the air, from spray deodorant to dust to natural smells, Yuriko’s Aroma paints a picture of Yuriko’s world for the audience and does so quite effectively.  Although one may not fully understand Yuriko’s attraction, we still sympathize with her character (and, in fact, all characters).

Yuriko’s Aroma is a good example of the originality that is possible in Japanese cinema, the reason that many fall in love with this country’s movies.  This is the kind of film that reinforces one’s love of independent cinema in general, giving the audience something it hasn’t quite seen before.  Yuriko’s Aroma is far from perfect, but in it’s imperfections lies an endearing story and characters.  It is unconventional filmmaking and a strange story that most directors (and actors) wouldn’t approach, but is made to work quite well.  Yoshida Kota is a director to watch, as are both Eguchi Noriko and Sometani Shota.  Make sure to see this film, it’s sure to reinforce the fact that independent, original Japanese films are continuing to be produced and enjoyed.

Japanese Title: 東京物語 (Tokyo Monogatari)

I first watched Tokyo Story in a classroom some time ago and witnessed something curious.  I have never seen a group of people so choked up over a film, ever.  The most curious thing about it though is that most could not place what exactly made them so emotional.  There are moments in Tokyo Story in which you are hit with a wall of emotions, surprised and overwhelmed that this simple little film could evoke such feelings.  It’s something about the characters, the honesty, the way everything hits home despite the cultural and time-period barriers.

Tokyo Story takes a deep look at familial relations in postwar Japan.  Simply, it boils down to this: two aging parents (played by Ryu Chishu and Higashiyama Chieko) live far away from their children, who are in a quickly modernizing Tokyo.  The children in Tokyo are quite selfish and focused on their own busy lives in the hustle-and-bustle of the city.  The key character in this film, though, is Noriko (Hara Setsuko), the widow of one of the parents’ sons who died in the war.  Noriko turns out to be more active with her husband’s parents than their own children are.

The parents decide to make their first, and possibly final, trip to Tokyo in order to see their children and view the spectacle of the city.  The only person that can make significant time for them, however, is Noriko; the children are busy with work and even send their parents away to a spa!  In one heartfelt scene, the mother, Tomi, spends the night at Noriko’s in which she begs her to re-marry and apologizes for the burden that her son has caused.  During this time, the father, Shukichi, is out drinking with old friends and admits to them that he is disappointed with his children, agreeing with his friends who feel the same way.

Ozu Yasujiro is considered to be one of the world’s greatest filmmakers and Tokyo Story is considered his masterpiece.  There is no reason to deny this.  Ozu’s camera is often a topic of discussion–it usually sets itself at the level of people sitting on the floor (tatami), which allows the viewer to feel like they are sitting right with the characters.  It is usually always a calm camera, and very rarely pans.  His films are also often slowly paced and meditative, choosing to avoid showing important events which later are revealed through dialogue.  Ozu’s direction of children has always been brilliant, they are never a weak point in his films and he often bases his stories on child characters (though not here).

Tokyo Story contains all of the elements that make Ozu’s films popular with film students and cinephiles today.  His calm, observant camera; his real-life, non-embellished characters; his attention to detail and the emotional emphasis on certain objects; his perfectly timed music; among other things, contribute ultimately to the warmth and effectiveness of the film.  Ozu’s passion for filmmaking knew no bounds.

Tokyo Story will not appeal to everybody, especially today.  The typical moviegoer will either dismiss the film because it is “old” or “black and white,” or find it boring.  To the cautious and attentive viewers who allow themselves to connect with the characters and feel the story, Tokyo Story is a rewarding experience.  Tokyo Story, along with Ozu’s other films, is a good example of film as an art.  Aimed at telling a story and depicting true life on camera, it is much less of the “entertainment” experience that people have come to expect from the movies today.  There are no explosions, violence, chase scenes, or over-the-top characters here.  This is Ozu.  This is one of the greatest films ever made.

I may be a bit biased since I’m a guy, but Sawajiri Erika really gets to me, in a good way (at least in her early career, as of now).  She’s a rare example of an idol that I cannot dislike, despite her poor reputation.  Why am I writing this?  I felt like it.  It came to me easily.  I also believe that Sawajiri Erika is one of Japan’s gems, an actress that may be able to successfully cross over to the West at some point (barring English proficiency).  As long as she fixes her image and gets back into acting, she could quickly rise up the ranks as one of Japan’s best young actresses once again.

Who is she?

For those who don’t know, Sawajiri Erika is a half Japanese/French super-idol whose base of activities is in Japan.  She began her career in gravure modeling after elementary school when she passed an audition for Stardust Entertainment and became quite successful in the modeling world.  She soon began appearing in TV Dramas and really broke out with her starring role in 1 Litre of Tears, where she played a young girl suffering from an incurable, degenerative disease.  Erika became incredibly popular after this, taking many starring roles in film and drama.

In true idol fashion, Erika began a singing career under the name Amane Kaoru–a character that she played in the 2006 drama, Taiyo no Uta.  She ultimately succeeded at this, gaining two number one singles in a row on the Oricon charts.  Her career went well for a couple of years, though she became known as somewhat of a problem, considered by many to have a bad personality.  Then the “Closed Note” incident occurred.

Scandal

In September 2007, Erika showed up for a media conference for her new film Closed Note.  She answered the media’s questions with short, uncaring, and noneffective answers.  This earned her much criticism from the media and a backlash from the population.  She became one of the most despised celebrities in Japan, earning the nickname “Erika-sama” (-sama is an incredibly polite name ending dictating extreme respect).  Erika has since taken a two year hiatus, spending much of her time abroad with her husband, Tsuyoshi Takashiro (they are currently rumored to be getting a divorce).  Only recently has she made her comeback, and what a comeback it has been!

The Comeback

After her contract was terminated by Stardust, Erika set up her own agency in Spain.  She also sent demands to the media in Japan, basically ordering them to give her space.  She has also singed with Avex, a massive entertainment company, for her future film and music endeavors.  She has done much modeling recently (view a HD video here) and has recorded a (very stupid-sounding) song completely in English for her brother, congratulating him on his marriage.  She may be heading in the wrong direction here.  What’s next?  Who knows, but it is sure to be reported on widely by the media.  She is the tabloid queen of Japan.

Why You Should Care

Sawajiri Erika is a very talented actress, in my opinion.  She has a screen presence that exceeds that of most other similar actresses, and has a unique beauty that one cannot take their eyes off of.  Her role in 1 Litre of Tears is phenomenal.  She has also been quite good in films (Pacchigi!, Sugar and Spice, Tegami), though most of her roles have been supporting.  Her draw isn’t only beauty–she has been devoted to her roles and is very convincing on screen.  One can only hope that her attitude doesn’t overshadow her talent in the future.  If filmmakers can get past her reputation, she should undoubtedly appear on screen again…

A Few Notable Film & Drama Roles

1 Litre of Tears (Drama, 2005) — Write-up here.

– Will she ever surpass this performance? Delivered at such a young age and with such effectiveness, Erika burst onto the scene.  She also appeared in the following film, also to much success.

Pacchigi! (2005)

– Erika won the Japan Academy Award for Best Newcomer for her role as a cute and resilient zainichi (Korean living in Japan) who wins the affection of a Japanese boy.  This film won a lot of awards, and Erika definitely contributed to its success.  She embodies her character perfectly, giving off an aura of independence but still remaining cute.

Sugar & Spice: Fuumi Zekka (2006)

– Despite the lack of development for her character and the film’s hollowness, Erika still provided a nice performance that was my entire reason for not dismissing the film right off the bat.  She doesn’t do much, but her screen presence and beauty is enough to hold the attention of the viewer.

Tegami (The Letters, 2006) — Write-up here.

– One of my favorite films, Tegami depicts the struggles of a young man whose brother is in prison for murder.  Erika plays a girl who loves him and is undeniably cute and spunky throughout.  She’s good at bringing a smile to your face, as the film is often dark.  Her character goes through a transition, from naive, cute young girl to sophisticated beauty school student and then to mature mother.  She plays all roles equally well.

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Let’s wait and see what she has to offer now beyond looking good and creating headlines.  One thing is certain–she has once again taken Japan by storm, but it’s not the same storm that followed her when she was younger.  It’s time to learn and adapt.  Hoping for the best.

Who doesn’t love food?

Itami Juzo’s Tampopo is a heartwarming film about people who love, and are often obsessed with, food.  The main narrative follows two truck drivers, Gun (Yamazaki Tsutomu) and Goro (Watanabe Ken) who stumble upon a run down, unpopular ramen noodle shop.  The shop’s owner, Tampopo (Miyamoto Nobuko), is running it all by herself and isn’t too experienced in the “art” of making good ramen.  After a brawl, Gun and Goro take it upon themselves to improve Tampopo’s cooking and redefine her shop.  The film not only focuses on this narrative, but is interspersed with brilliantly transitioned scenes of people’s interaction with food: a white-suited yakuza (Yakusho Koji) and his mistress perform erotic acts with food, a group of homeless turn out to be master chefs, a young corporate subordinate upstages all of his superiors with his knowledge of French cuisine at an expensive dinner, an old lady sneaks around in a supermarket just to feel the food, among others.

Never missing a step, Yamazaki Tsutomu fully embodies the character of Gun.  His tough assertiveness, along with the willingness to fight and instigate others, gives him many of the characteristics that John Wayne’s famous cowboy persona’s had.  In fact, the entire cast is filled with likable, charismatic characters.  Tampopo is spunky, determined, and easy to root for–we want her to succeed in her quest for ramen-making perfection.  Yakusho Koji is also a welcome presence with his depiction of the erotic possibilities of food; in one scene he cracks an egg and the yolk is passed around between his mouth and his beautiful mistress’s.  It is ultimately the way in which these characters are portrayed on screen that gives them such a likable presence.  Food is universally loved–showing characters and their intense passion for food strikes a chord with everybody.  It also makes you hungry.

Itami’s use of scene transitions is brilliant in its unobtrusiveness.  Scenes suddenly shift without the viewer even noticing–it’s seamless perfection.  For example, there is a scene in which Tampopo is exercising outside under Gun’s supervision when a group of businessmen in suits walks past.  The camera decides to follow the businessmen to their destination, a French restaurant, to watch them order their food, then follows the waiter out into the main seating area where it stops to observe a group of women receiving a lesson on proper Western dining etiquette (eating without slurping…although a Western man in the restaurant is slurping his noodles loudly, much to the chagrin of the teacher).  As the businessmen’s waiter passes through, the camera follows him back to the business party.  You can’t help but enjoy the way this all works–the transitions make for a creative and ultimately successful approach to telling a story with multiple plot lines and random happenings.

Let’s take a look at a single scene, the “supermarket intrusion” scene.  In this scene, the camera catches eye of an old lady sneaking around and follows her into a supermarket where she moves from aisle to aisle, avoiding the flustered worker attempting to catch her, in order to touch and feel the food within.  View it below.

Now that you are smiling, I’m going to discuss the scene a bit.  There is no music here, only the sounds of shuffling, running, and the touching of food.  The camera is used to great effect, tracking around corners and between aisles, panning from side to side to demonstrate frantic glances, and performing like true chase cinematography, never quite settling down on anything but the food.  The old lady obviously has an obsession with food, but why only touch it?  It is possible that she may not be able to eat these things any longer, so she must make do with purely touching.  I’m not going to go deeply into the scene, as I’m sure it was added for purely comedic relief, but it is a prime example of the film’s attention to food obsession.

Itami created a masterpiece here, one that should be seen and loved by everyone.  There are not many films that display the kind of warm splendor that Tampopo emanates.  You cannot avoid smiling throughout the movie.  The characters become deeply involving and one cannot help but feel connected with them.  This is the ultimate film for food lovers.  Try to avoid the pangs hunger while watching.  I couldn’t.

Contemporary Japanese cinema is a tough area to navigate.  You’ve got the idol fluff, the TV-Corporation produced C-movies, the mainstream films that are actually good, and the art-house, among others.  Here’s a list that includes my favorite films released between the years of 2001 and 2009.  It will be updated as new films are added to it, as it will be used as a reference post.  Ever wondering what you should watch next?  There’s a good chance that you’ll find something you love in every one of the following films.  Some films are graded higher because I just loved them so damn much, some are graded higher because they are just damn well-made.  In any case, this is a good list.  Hopefully you can enjoy these films as much as I have.

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Not only are they well-made, I’d watch them again any day…

Fish Story (フィッシュストーリー) — Nakamura Yoshihiro – 2009

Thoughts~ Whoa, whoa, whoa…wait.  You say that a meteor is on its way to destroy Earth in 2012 and a SONG is going to save the world!?  A timid loser who saves a rape victim, a “champion of justice,” and a no-name punk rock band…a story told in a way that will blow your mind.  Read my review.

Departures (おくりびと) — Takita Yojiro – 2008

Thoughts~ Well you should know of this film already, right?  Departures won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2009.  It revolves around the story of Daigo, an unemployed cellist, who moves back to his hometown with his wife and decides to take a job which, unbeknown to him, prepares the dead for traditional funerals.  Departures explores death, human emotional growth, family, and ultimately the enjoyment of life. It is one of the most touching and well-done films of the past decade. Amazing music by Hisaishi Joe and great acting all around–I specifically enjoyed Yamazaki Tsutomu.

Tokyo Sonata (トウキョソンナタ) — Kurosawa Kiyoshi — 2008

Thoughts~ Incredible film about the downward spiral of a family in recession-time Japan.  Haunting and modern.  It both gave me chills and made me tear up.  Tokyo Sonata is a modern horror story with a premise that doesn’t seem much like horror at all.  Once you realize that the seemingly normal family portrayed in the film is going quickly downhill, the chills begin–this could happen to your normal family.  Expertly handled by societal horror master Kurosawa Kiyoshi.

5 Centimeters per Second (秒速５センチメートル) — Shinkai Makoto — 2007

Thoughts~ *Anime film* 5 Centimeters per Second is a film split into three parts, all stages of one man’s life–from boyhood to adult.  Each part deals with a new relationship–it emphasizes the fact that it is difficult to forget your first love.  This is an absolutely beautiful film, I have never seen animation quite like it–combining CG and drawn artwork.  All I need to say is that you need to watch this movie.  It is an emotionally moving masterpiece.

Little DJ-A Tale of a Little Love- (Little DJ〜小さな恋の物語) — Nagata Kotoe — 2007

Thoughts~ Little DJ is a spin on the SekaChuu story (boy and girl fall in love, girl develops a deadly disease, tragedy strikes), with genders reversed.  It’s a rare example of a tragic movie that actually works.  Acting is surprisingly impressive, especially by Fukuda Mayuko and Kamiki Ryuunosuke, who are both children.  The film features a very inspirational and touching story and used its screen time very well.  One of the few films that have emotionally moved me.

Be With You (いま、会いにゆきます) — Doi Nobuhiro – 2004

Thoughts~ An enchanting Japanese romance film that is the best of its class.  Be With You concerns a father and son whose wife/mother has passed away, but only after promising to return during the rainy season–which she does, without her memories of them.  So, they remake their memories, revisit their past, and rediscover their love.  Unforgettable music and fitting acting contribute to the overall feeling of nostalgia and warm fuzziness that you’ll feel while watching.  If you are not incredibly touched by this film, that is quite strange.

All About Lily Chou-Chou (リリイ・シュシュのすべて ) — Iwai Shunji — 2001

Thoughts~ In my opinion, this cinematic genius in the original and groundbreaking type.  All About Lily Chou-Chou deals with childhood bullying and subjects such as the internet as a social medium, music as a comfort zone and a connecting force, exploitation, and general problems that youth in Japan may experience–to the extreme..  My first time watching Lily, I was mesmerized and when the credits began to roll it felt as if I had awoken from a dream.  Perfect Iwai (very experimental, handheld) cinematography, great soundtrack, and inspired acting by many young actors who would go on to become very famous.  People have varying opinions on this film, but I consider it to be a unique, stand-out film that embodies much of what people love about Japanese cinema.

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Japanese title: カケラ

Director: Ando Momoko

Info links: AsianMediaWiki, IMDb, Trailer

Rating: ★★★★½

“Men and women are all humans.  It’s only hard when we categorize ourselves … Maybe we don’t need to define ourselves as man or woman.  Maybe [the determination of our sex at conception] is as arbitrary as whether the zoo was open or not.  What we do know is that in the beginning all humans start out being women.”

Kakera: A Piece of our Life is an emotionally-charged independent film about the budding relationship between two women.  Haru (Mitsushima Hikari, of Love Exposure fame) is a quiet, odd-ball college student dealing with a boyfriend who is with another woman and only uses Haru for sex.  Riko (Nakamura Eriko) is an enthusiastic, excitable prostheticist who prefers women “because they are soft and cuddly,” as she states in one scene.  They meet quite randomly–in a coffee shop; Haru is drinking her mocha and ends up with a cute chocolate mustache.  Riko is immediately smitten.

I must begin with the performances.  Both actresses are absolutely phenomenal.  Mitsushima Hikari is great, as usual, playing an off-beat yet quiet character.  This is a departure for her, as she is usually the loud one.  As director Ando Momoko has stated, Mitsushima was willing to do anything she asked, even excitedly growing out her facial and underarm hair.  Mitsushima’s character, Haru, is portrayed as the opposite of attractive–shown going the bathroom, wearing strange clothes, with facial and armpit hair, etc.  This obviously upset her fan club, as the heads of it attended the first screening and, according to Ando, came up to her furious about how Mitsushima was portrayed (she used to be of the pure, cute, cuddly, idol-type).  I give major props to Mitsushima for courageously committing to her characters and her acting career.

Nakamura Eriko is impressive as well.  I had previously seen her in the film Shikyu no Kioku (2007), where she played a quiet, cute young college student in a small role.  She, like Mitsushima, reversed her typical character-type in Kakera, playing the tough, loud, enthusiastic Riko.  I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a performance quite like Nakamura’s; she makes you feel her happiness, her excitement along with her.  There is also a haunting, brilliant short performance by Katase Rino as a depressed, lonely older woman in need of a prosthetic breast.

Kakera is Ando Momoko’s first film, and she is definitely a young talent to watch out for.  The daughter of Okuda Eiji and sister of Ando Sakura, cinema is definitely a family affair–though she prefers to do things her own way.  Her camera is varied, delivering many important still shots, slow tracking shots, extreme close ups of faces, and an intimate styling when needed.  It ends up as a refreshing experience.  The visuals are deliberately dull and monotone, with certain colors popping out for special effect.  James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins contributes to the score and delivers fitting, quiet, atmospheric, and progressive music that highlights the light, bouncy, and uplifting yet sometimes sad, though never dark, quality of the film.

There are both some extremely powerful and totally irrelevant scenes included in the film.  One scene in particular is striking in its use of background imagery to deliver an emotionally tied message.  Haru had decided to tell her boyfriend that they were over, but after delivering the message falls over and lands face-first on the floor.  She rolls over and says “I’m done,” then lays there and allows the guy to have his way with her as she hums mindlessly to herself.  Meanwhile, a war documentary is playing in the background, guns firing and bombs exploding.  This emphasizes the turmoil and chaos both in Haru’s mind and in the scene as a whole.  Another scene, where a thrown bottle transforms into a two-headed pigeon, is completely irrelevant and removes the viewer from the reality of the film–especially with the cheap CG used.

Kakera is a deeply engrossing and thought-provoking film that seeks to show that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to love, it’s about finding yourself and looking at the person inside.  Haru and Riko’s relationship is a normal one, they experience things that any “normal” couple would experience.  Just as Riko fills up prosthetic pieces, she also fills up Haru’s heart and helps her move through her rocky relationship with her boyfriend; however, they are not immune to typical relationship woes.  The actresses had fun making this movie–you can tell because they infect you as well, causing wide smiles to magically appear on your face.

I’ll leave you with a little quote of wisdom from the film: “Favorite foods are better eaten a little at a time.”  Remember it.

Japanese Title: ライズアップ

Director: Nakajima Ryo (This World Of Ours)

Info Links: AsianMediaWiki, IMDb, Trailer

Rating: ★★

Watch the trailer and you’ve seen the movie.  Enjoy, then read my review.

Nakajima Ryo, who burst onto the scene with the original and refreshing This World of Ours (2007), which was immensely popular on the film festival circuit, is a promising young director that I assumed would be bold with his filmmaking.  Being a fan of his freshman feature, I naturally was quick to pick up his sophomore effort.  Rise Up disappoints in almost every way possible.  While This World of Ours was fresh, original, and powerful, Rise Up is a complete departure, resulting in a film that is overly cliche and suffers from the pitfalls of mainstream conformity.  I predicted the entire movie within the first 10 minutes and the film turned into a comedy for me as every prediction came true.

Wataru (Hayashi Kento) is standing at the top of a huge hill, enjoying the beautiful scenery before jumping off and paragliding down as his friend, Hiroya (Taiga), films him.  Before touching down, a girl, Rui (Yamashita Rio), walks in Wataru’s path, causing him to crash land in an unexpected way.  Hiroya is angry and continuously yells at Rui, but Wataru quickly realizes that she is blind and accepts the situation.

The three meet again soon after, initiating a “job” of sorts in which the two boys lead Rui around town as if they are her “seeing-eye dogs.”  They soon find that she is difficult to handle, though Wataru seems to develop a liking to her.  It is soon discovered that the two boys work for Rui’s brother (Aoki Munetaka) at an amusement park as mascot animals, initiating a few comedic scenes.  Life continues and friendship develops until certain memories come to light and expose a tragic incident that occurred in the past. (This is all in the official trailer, along with more).

Rise Up is billed as a touching, sentimental romantic drama but fails to present the events that take place in an effective manner, causing the viewer to feel disconnected from the characters.  During some scenes, I was puzzled as to how things happened the way they did.  Some events are just too convenient or random–a token example of a director unable to find a good flow for his movie.  The story is definitely tragic and is intended to be touching, but the movie is too short to effectively immerse the viewer in the characters’ world.  What Rise Up does do is present the Japanese population as completely helpful and kind, as every person that Rui encounters (except for one man, who, in a rush, knocks her over) while she is out on her own never fails to assist her in the best way possible.  I view this as a hopeful message to society, as real life is definitely far from the way the story presents it.

Acting is sub-par at best, even from Hayashi Kento (though he shows signs of promise and has definitely delivered acceptable performances in the past–his face stands up well to the intimate camerawork).  The characters themselves are one-dimensional, performing as expected and never straying from the generic path established in the beginning.  The two friends–Wataru and Hiroya–are opposites; Wataru is kind, understanding, and quiet, while Hiroya is loud and argumentative, though good at heart.  These two are perfect friends, playing off one another well.  As a side note– I assume that a major draw to most potential viewers is the possible romantic aspect between Wataru and Rui, but it is not as involved as you may expect.  You have been warned.

Though Rise Up is drastically different from This World of Ours in subject matter, it somewhat retains the stylistic camerawork of Nakajima’s first film (in which he was the cinematographer; however, he chose to use a separate cinematographer for Rise Up).  The camera is intimate, though less in-your-face and not filmed in the hand-held style, and I did find it to be visually pleasing.  The soundtrack is all over the place, with some tracks honestly sounding like music you would hear in a commercial or a hotel lobby.  These are contrasted with some uplifting tracks and the inclusion of the classical piano masterpiece, Clair de Lune, three separate times.

Rise Up is a disappointing effort by Nakajima Ryo to make a mainstream, commercially accessible film, unlike his previous, drastically different This World of Ours.  Though it includes some beautiful and visually pleasing shots, the film as a whole exudes amateurism, which worked for This World of Ours, but fails in this context.  It’s not overlong and is paced fairly well, but the flow of events is improvised in some cases and doesn’t completely work as a whole.  This is a tragic drama that attempts to be sentimental, and it is–but it falls short of making a lasting impression on the viewer because of its unbelievable story and awkward flow.  I hope your next film is an improvement, Mr. Nakajima.

Recommended for potential viewers who:

1. saw This World of Ours and want to witness Nakajima’s drastic departure (some would say this is versatility, some would say this is failure–I say that he tries but ultimately fails, hard);
2. like Hayashi Kento and would enjoy seeing him look weepy throughout most of the film;
3. may be able to tone out the film’s problems and take the light messages delivered to heart.

Roger Ebert is possibly the world’s best-known film critic and has been at it for years, contributing reliable reviews and critical analysis that many English-speaking film-goers turn to when in doubt about what to spend their money on.  He has a massive collection of reviews on his website, over 6,400 according to movie review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.  Roger Ebert’s collection of reviews includes a large amount of foreign films, many of which are Japanese.  He lists Ozu Yasujiro as one of his favorite directors, so his films are well-represented, but he seems to also have a penchant for Koreeda Hirokazu, Miyazaki Hayao, Kurosawa Akira, and other Japanese greats such as Mizoguchi and Imamura.

This was a difficult list to put together.  The idea came to me as I was sitting at work, wondering if Ebert’s review database was sortable or searchable in some way.  I arrived at home to find that it is tough to pinpoint his reviews of Japanese films, though searching the website can net a few.  So, I poured over countless reviews to find the Japanese films represented in this list.  It’s probably not a perfect representation–I’m sure I missed some–but there is a wealth of great films along with Roger Ebert’s expert opinions and analysis here.  Although I don’t agree with him on everything, he is mostly spot-on.  Ebert has seen a great amount of Japanese masterpieces and you’ll notice that out of the 61 films on this list, 52 of them received a rating of three stars or higher (out of four) or are on his “Great Movies” list.  Truly a great list for anybody interested in foreign and masterful cinema.

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My Neighbor Totoro (1993) — Miyazaki – Great Movies

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) – Great Movies

Ran (1985) — Kurosawa — Great Movies

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) — Schrader — Great Movies

Vengeance Is Mine (1979) — Imamura – Great Movies

Samurai Rebellion (1967) — Kobayashi — Great Movies

Yojimbo (1961) — Kurosawa — Great Movies

Floating Weeds (1959) — Ozu – Great Movies

The Seven Samurai (1954) — Kurosawa — Great Movies

Sansho the Bailiff (1954) — Mizoguchi — Great Movies

Ugetsu (1953) — Mizoguchi — Great Movies

Tokyo Story (1953) — Ozu — Great Movies

Ikiru (1952) — Kurosawa — Great Movies

Rashomon (1950) — Kurosawa — Great Movies

Late Spring (1949) — Ozu — Great Movies

The Only Son (1936) — Ozu — Great Movies

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The Cove (2009) — Psihoyos — ★★★★

Departures (2008) — Takita – ★★★★

Still Walking (2008) — Koreeda — ★★★★

Ponyo (2008) — Miyazaki — ★★★★

Letters From Iwo Jima (2006) — Eastwood — ★★★★

Twilight Samurai (2002) — Yamada — ★★★★

Spirited Away (2001) — Miyazaki — ★★★★

Metropolis (2001) — Rintaro — ★★★★

After Life (1998) — Koreeda — ★★★★

Maborosi (1995) — Koreeda — ★★★★

Tampopo (1985) – Itami — ★★★★

Kagemusha (1980)  — Kurosawa — ★★★★

Red Beard (1965)  — Kurosawa — ★★★★

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Tokyo Sonata (2008) — Kurosawa Kiyoshi — ★★★1/2

Big Man Japan (2007) — Matsumoto — ★★★1/2

Memories of Tomorrow (2006) — Tsutsumi — ★★★1/2

Nobody Knows (2004) — Koreeda — ★★★1/2

Three… Extremes (2004) — Chan/Park/Miike — ★★★1/2

Zatoichi (2003) — Kitano — ★★★1/2

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) — Sakaguchi — ★★★1/2

Shall We Dance? (1996) – Suo — ★★★1/2

Sonatine (1993) — Kitano — ★★★1/2

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Tokyo Godfathers (2003) — Kon — ★★★

Dolls (2002) – Kitano — ★★★

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001) — Imamura — ★★★

Taboo (1999) — Oshima — ★★★

Fireworks (Hanabi) (1997) — Kitano — ★★★

Ghost In The Shell (1995)  — Oshii — ★★★

Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) — Kaneko — ★★★

Madadayo (1993) — Kurosawa — ★★★

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992) — Tsukamoto — ★★★

Rhapsody In August (1991) — Kurosawa — ★★★

Roujin-Z (1991) — Kitabuko — ★★★

The Wings of Honneamise (1987) – Yamaga — ★★★

Vengeance is Mine (1979)  — Imamura — ★★★

Dodes’ka-den (1970)  — Kurosawa — ★★★

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Tokyo! (2008) — Gondry/Carax/Bong Joon-ho — ★★1/2

Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) — Miyazaki — ★★1/2

Kikujiro (1999) — Kitano — ★★1/2

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) — Oshima — ★★1/2

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Steamboy (2004) — Otomo — ★★

All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001) – Iwai — ★★

Brother (2000) — Kitano — ★★

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GODZILLA (1954) — Honda — ★1/2

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Godzilla 1985 — Hashimoto — ★

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Also,

Ozu: The masterpieces you’ve missed

Silence is golden to Ozu

Hayao Miyazaki interview

Japanese Title: 俺たちに明日はないッス aka. Oretachi ni Asu wa Naissu

Director: Tanada Yuki

Info Links: AsianMediaWiki, IMDb, Trailer

Rating: ★★★

“The Summer when youthful passion sweltered in the air.”

Ain’t No Tomorrows opens with this line, though it would be more accurate as “The Summer when youthful and somewhat annoying characters suffered in the sweltering air.”  Hiruma (Emoto Tokio), a high school senior whose only goal in life is to get laid as fast as possible, attempts to blackmail the sickly Tomono (Miwako), who is in a serious relationship with their teacher (Taguchi Tomorowo), into having sex with him.  Repeatedly failing, he turns to Ando (Kusano Ini), a fat boy, in order to take out his sexual urges by squeezing his man boobs.  Little does he know that Ando is lusted after by Akie (Misaki Ayame), the school beauty, who seems to like him for “who he is.”

Hiruma and Ando’s friend, Mine (Yuya Endo), one day stumbles upon Chizu (Ando Sakura), who is passed out in the grass with period blood running down her leg.  She has no idea about her own body and appears to not be knowledgeable about sex, so Mine “helps her out.” This pairing turns out to be the best in the film, though it is the least represented on screen.  In fact, the scene in which they meet is the best scene in the movie.

Ando Sakura delivers the most notable performance of the film with very little screen time.  There is an undeniable draw that her character exudes–you’ll find yourself wishing that the whole movie was about her character.  She also bares it all, not afraid to hide what exists underneath her clothes, unlike most Japanese actresses who can actually act.  To have an actress that’s unafraid to do anything in the Japanese film industry, that’s something special.  Endo Yuya as Mine, paired with Ando’s Chizu, delivers a likable yet unlikable performance, making their scenes together some of the best of the film.

“Once I jacked off 13 times in one day” — Hiruma

The rest of the cast is somewhat annoying, especially the character of Hiruma, whose endless quest for sex will end up driving you crazy.  He is always either yelling profanities, grabbing Ando’s man boobs, reading from erotic novels, or masturbating.  The teacher, Yoshida, is quite pathetic, allowing himself to be made fun of by students and is even beat up by Hiruma, though he eventually rounds out.  Ando is extremely awkward, especially when spending time with Akie, who has a liking for his obesity.  All in all, no horrible performances, but weak characters that seem to have little ambition in their lives.

Cinematography is of fairly normal Japanese fair, with many close ups, a slightly shaking and constantly moving camera, and an intimate style.  The camera never feels obtrusive and always captured the scene well.  Music is basically nonexistent, except for the ending credits.  Director Tanada Yuki keeps the film short–only 79 minutes–which worked quite well; the film ended just as I was about to check the time.

Although much of what the characters in Ain’t No Tomorrows do is baffling and pathetic, it effectively illustrates the darker side of growing up: experiencing the things that your parents never really talked to you about.  What separates this film from the TV-sponsored, idol-fair teenage dramas is Tanada’s commitment to the diversity of her characters, regardless of the fact that some of them are extremely unlikeable.  She presents the film in a manner rarely seen in youth films, using non-pretty faces and utilizing actors that are far apart from the popular, mainstream idols.

Based on a manga by Saso Akira that I have not read, the film caters to a high school or older audience, marked by the frequent addition of profanity, nudity, and scenes of (mostly attempted) sex.  It is an unexpectedly dark film, with infrequent scenes of comedy that may make you chuckle, but not laugh.  Ain’t No Tomorrows is not the most likable film out there, but it is not completely dissatisfying.  It is a film that succeeds in establishing itself as unique and apart from the typical teenage drama, but feels like a surface film–one that should not be thought too deeply about.

Recommended for potential viewers who:

1. like to watch teenagers on a uniquely presented, possibly sometimes meaningful quest for sexual fulfillment;
2. want to see another great performance by Ando Sakura, even though she doesn’t get enough screen time;
3. will recognize AV-star Aoi Sora in a cameo that I guess she has