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Reviews
Dear Friends (2007)
What is a true friendship?
Actress Keiko Kitagawa has starred in many film and TV roles, and through the course of her short career, she is unquestionably most acknowledged for her role as Sailor Mars in the hit "Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon" Japanese television drama. Through the successful venture that was "Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon", Keiko Kitagawa has become an increasingly popular actress who has had minor roles in such international films as "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift". With her career blossoming, Keiko Kitagawa has landed her first main role in Kazuyuki Morosawa's "Dear Friends", a story that details the true meaning of friendship.
"Dear Friends" follows the exploits of Japanese high school student Rina (Keiko Kitagawa), whose increasingly malevolent behavior affects those close to her. She parties frequently, shows total disregard for her parents, and believes friends are just people "to use and dispose of". In fact, the opening scenes of "Dear Friends" showcase her twisted philosophy quite well; after one of Rina's friends discovers Rina has slept with her boyfriend, Rina is then questioned about her the motive behind the heinous act in which she promptly proclaims to her friend that "friends are to be used". But, all it not entirely well with physically well with Rina. When she periodically begins to show signs of sickness, she is taken into the doctor only to discover that she has cancer. With no one to support her through the ordeal, Rina slowly begins to discover the importance of friendship through visiting classmate Maki (Yuika Motokariya), who arrives unannounced to support Rina through her hardships.
"Dear Friends"conceptuallyis a film that portrays a meaningful attachment to the word "friendship". Numerous people think they have "friends", but do these people we accompany really deserve the title of being called a "friend"? The protagonist in "Dear Friends" is a confused individual, who like many people, is so infatuated with their own endeavors and selfish tendencies, fail to see how their actions affect themselves and the many individuals around them. When Rina rejects the many offers of genuine friendships that are presented to her throughout the film, it is not only the person she quickly rejects, but also her own willingness to accept emotional growth. Repeatedly throughout "Dear Friends" this is showcased, hinting around that Rina is a metaphor for one's illusion regarding what is true friendshipand what is not. Always running to individuals that "please" her rather than truly look out for her best interests, Rina is totally flabbergasted when her classmate Maki considers her a "friend". It's through her astonishment that she begins to find her true self and as well as true friends.
Director Kazuyuki Morosawa shoots "Dear Friends" exceptionally well. There are scenes within "Dear Friends" that he able to deliver an effective cause and effect to the screenshowcasing the frustration and mental anguish that Rina is portraying at the moment. Similarly, Keiko Kitagawa delivers a great performance as the emotionally detached Rina as well Yuika Motokariya who portrays her helpful and caring classmate Maki. Overall great performances.
In the end, "Dear Friends" is film that reconsiders the true essence of genuine friendship. The film does falter somewhat in its execution (specifically towards its conclusion) as well as become a little cliché in attempting to portray certain situations that arise in the film. But, "Dear Friends" does convey a strong message of friendship and willingness for one to change their life for the ultimate better, and that is what makes "Dear Friends" worth a watch.
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Noriko no shokutaku (2005)
A more introspective film than director Sono's previous film.
A sequel to 2002's cult-status film "Suicide Club", director Sion Sono's "Noriko's Dinner Table" tells the compelling and profound tale of the collapse and reconstruction of the family unit. The story follows Noriko Shimabara (Kazue Fukiishi), a seemingly unhappy teenager who lives with her mother, father, and younger sister. To escape reality, Noriko begins to regularly visit the internet site Haikyo.com, a BBS where she begins to chat with other girls just like her. One of the girls, known only by the title "Ueno54", persuades Noriko to runaway to Tokyo so they can meet in person. Noriko willingly accepts and escapes to Tokyo, wherein she meets the real person behind the mysterious Ueno54 and learns her true name—Kumiko (Tsugumi). What Noriko soon discovers is that Kumiko operates a "family-circle" program, which specializes in taking in young girls and giving them new personalities and families
With the release of "Suicide Club", a film that explored the disastrous effects that an enigmatic cult had on an entire population of youth, director Sion Sono not only created a memorable horror film, but also provided some social commentary on Japanese youth. And while it was effective in what it was trying to convey, many viewers considered it a gory, albeit somewhat intelligent film. Sono decided to take a different route with "Noriko's Dinner Table", this time around taking out the unnecessary gore and replacing it with a more introspective stance. The film is split up into various chapters, each dedicating ample time to the film's characters. While this might seem distracting for a film such as this, it does the exact opposite—the first-person narrative of the characters allow the viewer to understand some of the decisions they choose, why they choose them, and what they hope to arrive at after the decision has been made. It's through these narrative perspectives that provided the truly captivating moments throughout the film, wanting to see the outcome of characters I have gotten to know.
Probably one of the strongest elements of the film is the cast. Since Sono's attention to detail is so prevalent in this film, the cast had to be right on the mark. And they do a remarkable job. The highlight of the film is Kazue Fukiishi. Her portrayal of Noriko is a sight to behold and her transformation from being a stubborn, rebellious teen to an overzealous, rather detached individual is masterfully done. Noriko's family—her father played by film veteran Ken Mitsuishi and younger sister played by Yuriko Yoshitaka—are fantastic in their respectable roles as well. Actress Tsugumi in her portrayal as the chilling and austere Kumiko also brings to mind the exceptional acting talent so vividly on display here.
While "Suicide Club" showcased a telescopic overview of the shadowy "Suicide Circle" cult, which showed the cult's negative influence on numerous individuals, "Noriko's Dinner Table" portrays, rather successfully, how the mysterious cult affects a single family. It's a film that touches upon various contemplative societal issues such as individualism, family structure, alienation, and mind control on an enormous scale. With the release of "Suicide Club" a few years back, director Sion Sono had something to say. With "Noriko's Dinner Table", he takes it a step further, raising questions to issues that are relevant and meaningful today. A totally absorbing experience, I highly recommend it.
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Hachimitsu to kurôbâ (2006)
Good adaptation, but could have been better...
Based on the hit anime of the same name, "Honey and Clover" deals with five college art students. While the premise may sound simple, it's quite the opposite; the characters struggle through school, work, and love. All within the confines of a university, "Honey and Clover" showcases the journey that everyone must take from being a young adult and following the long and challenging road to becoming a full fledged adult.
First off, the cast is wonderfully presented. Their likeliness to their anime counterparts is great and for the most part (albeit hair color) spot on. The mannerisms of the cast also reflected the anime greatly and fans of the anime will certainly enjoy this aspect of the film. Another great aspect of the film is definitely the cinematography. Since this film's environment is mostly held at or around an art school, you would expect for most part, as viewer, to be stimulated visually, right? Indeed this is the case with "Honey and Clover". The film accurately displays the happenings of an art school, from the constant unfinished student projects scattered about, to the multiple classes that art students participate in, it is faithfully recreated here.
The musical score by famous composer Yoko Kanno is wonderfully implemented into the movie too. I for one have taken notice that Kanno is starting to produce more film scores, and she has done great job so far. With her most recent contributions to Su-ki-da and Kamikaze Girls, her slow transition from anime composition to film composition can only be seen as a good thing. I hope to see her contribute more to the realm of films in the future. Putting music aside though, "Honey and Clover" does run into some slight problems
Based on an anime series, one can truly see the tremendous amount of time and effort it would take to condense 26 episodes into roughly a two hour film. What happens in most cases when this occurs in other adaptations is that entire story arcs, characters, and original endings are left out. "Honey and Clover" suffers from the all these. While significantly better in many regards than most anime to film conversions, the story of "Honey and Clover" is just too character driven for a film. Maybe a Japanese TV drama would perhaps work well, but due to the time constraints of a film, it doesn't provide the adequate depth that the anime series does. This leaves viewers who aren't fans of the anime or manga sometimes clueless as to what is happening on screen. Some characters relationships might be questionable for those viewers who haven't seen the anime or read the manga. Some characters just pop in with little to no background and the viewer is expected to already know who they are, what their purpose is, and what their relationship is to plot. By the end of the film, all we are left is with a cast we don't really care for (even if you have seen the anime/read the manga). This hurts a film that otherwise is a moderately accurate retelling of a rather well crafted anime series.
With all but one minor quibble (a major one if you haven't seen the series or read the manga), "Honey and Clover" is one of the better anime adaptations out there. While fans of the anime will definitely enjoy this film, non-fans will probably be asking themselves why certain characters do this or that, unknowing to the fact that their questions are clearly explained in anime. In the end though, I recommend this film for fans, but I have to say pass if you haven't seen anything that has to do with 'Honey and Clover".
Please visit www.cinema-repose.com for more Asian reviews.
Love Com (2006)
Good comedy but could've been much better.
When dealing with manga-to-movie adaptations (or any adaptation for that matter), the director and his staff have to be very careful with the material that they have at their disposal. When all is said and done, and the film is released, the reaction to it can lead numerous paths. For instance, the film could be a disservice to the original fan base, displeasing hardcore fans alike. On the flip side, the film could also follow the route of being a faithful adaptation that could win over new fans as well as please the existing fans. "Love Com" is the rare case where the film is neither considered a "fan service" or "fan disservice", at least when I viewed it.
The film's storyline is the reiteration of the manga "Lovely Comlex". The main quirk of the manga is its two protagonists, Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Otani, who although with their considerable height differences, begin to fall for one another. In the film version, Risa is played by model Ema Fujisawa while Atsushi is played by singer and drama star Teppei Koike. The casting was a highlight for the film, with each of the lead roles, as well as the supporting cast, providing an accurate outwardly depiction of the manga cast. The use of vibrant colors throughout the film as well as the creative costume designs were also highlights of the film. Where the film falters though is the incredibly overreacting acting from the cast. Each character is so widely animated it gets to be a little irritating after awhile. I understand the use of facial expressions in order to express to the viewer what the character is going through, but the over abundant use just wears out over time. Combine this with a plot that is so thin, you can guess what happens next, and you got yourself a ticket to cinema clichéville.
Speaking of the cliché nature of the film, the film starts out promising enough, but then soon drivels into absurdity. For a film that harps so much on the height difference of its protagonists, it soon drops all that in favor for your standard trivial "boy and girl don't like each other at first, but then slowly begin to fall for one another" plot. In the end, the movie felt like one long Japanese television drama episode, which isn't a bad thing, but they could've done a lot more.
This is a quirky film, and you will probably have to be in the right mood to watch it. Not a film I would recommend to newcomers, (just stick to reading the manga first, then watch) but it's a film that should please some fans, but I imagine not all. Not entirely bad, "Love Com" does what it needs to do, and that is provide the laughs, which is one thing it does right.
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Kamyu nante shiranai (2005)
One of the best Japanese films i've ever seen (and I've seen a lot!)
Who's Camus, Anyway? follows the trials and tribulations of a group of Japanese university film students, more specifically, it follows the final five days of the shooting of their first film, which recounts the story of a high school student who killed an old lady just for fun. Each day leading to the film's conclusion is filled with tension and anxiety, ranging from long planning meetings to the character's daily lives. What makes Who's Camus, Anyway? a great experience though, is the great character development that is so prevalent throughout the film. From the impressive opening sequence, to its stunning conclusion, Who's Camus, Anyway? is a great character study.The private life of the various protagonists interferes with the preparation of the film, and the professor who oversees their works (nicknamed Aschenbach after the character in Death in Venice) must also cope with his own personal problems. Each character on the film crew is given ample screen time, and by the end of the film, I felt like I was actually part of the film crew myself. The film is essentially a film with a film, giving us (the viewer) an inside look into how a student film is actually made, from the budget, the casting, to eventually the shooting process. This all takes a backseat though, and what are mostly displayed are the character interactions, and this is where the film really shines. The director, Mitsuo Yanagimachi, shoots the film with a great eye for shot composition. Each shot is delicately taken with care and definitely gives the viewer a great perspective to the film's scenes. His choice of youthful actors was great as well; they each were able to play their parts convincingly and gave great performances. The music throughout the film was great and was a pleasure to listen too. It reminded of music that would be played during a play or opera, and this film certainly played out like one. The music was able to display the emotional impact of certain scenes quite well, and in some cases, enhanced the scenes significantly. My final say on this film is very short and consists of only three words; just see it. It's a magnificent film, with a great cast, music, and direction. It also raises questions such as "does art imitate life, or is it the opposite?", and with a stunning conclusion that will definitely have you speculating, how can you not appreciate this film? A totally engaging experience, I whole-heartedly recommend viewing this film, you will not be sorry.
Mamiya kyodai (2006)
Two brothers who hopelessly are searching for love...
The Mamiya Brothers is a film that portrays two brothers, Akinobu (Kuranosuke Sasaki) and Tetsunobu (Muga Tsukaji) Mamiya and their attempts to gain social acceptance, or a more appropriate term, to become "popular". You see, the brothers aren't what most outsiders (at least in Japan) would consider "cool", and it certainly shows through their actions; they watch baseball on TV and hand write every stat of their team, they race each other to whatever destination they are going to, they watch 3-4 movies in a row
.the list goes on. They mutually agree that they should expand their social horizons and decide to plan on hosting their own curry party at their place. This brings into mind who they should invite and they finally choose to ask Naomi (Erika Sawajiri), the clerk at the local video store they often visit, and Yoriko (Takako Tokiwa), Akinobu's co-worker. This of course brings the brothers into many awkward (and funny) situations, and we begin to see that the brothers might be in a little bit over their heads
I really enjoyed The Mamiya Brothers not only because it was a comedy, but because it showed how strong a relationship between two siblings can be. The viewer obviously can tell see from the first five minutes of the film that the brothers have a very strong bond (they live together) and throughout the film we begin to see that bond being tested. Another aspect I enjoyed was the comedy in the film. The situations the brothers participate in (particularly the curry parties) are very funny and provide ample laughs. The one thing that did bother me about the film though was that the plot of the film was diverted sometimes in order to provide background on certain supporting characters. Now I have no problem with character development, but in this particular case, when a film is supposed to be carried by the performances of two actors (Sasaki and Tsukaji), I expected a little more time for their development rather than supportive characters. This is just a minor distraction though, and doesn't affect the film as a whole.
The duo of Kuranosuke Sasaki and Muga Tsukaji is what makes the entire film. They were able to portray the brothers quite well and played off each other's vibe excellently. Erika Sawajiri is one of Japan's up and coming actresses and this film just shows even more how wonderful a talent she is. Takako Tokiwa was funny for her portrayal as the moderately shy teacher and provides some of the laughs throughout the film. Overall the acting was great.
My final word on The Mamiya Brothers is that it's great little comedy with considerable acting. Even though it isn't the greatest Japanese comedy I've ever seen (that's reserved for Ping Pong), it's a funny and original film that does exactly what it's supposed to, and that is entertain.
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Su-ki-da (2005)
The kind of film that will stick with you long after you've seen it.
The film opens to a black screen, and suddenly a person's voice is overheard, they say, "Hey Yosuke
Do you remember? I remember
" and thus begins the beautiful film that is Su-Ki-Da (Japanese for "I Love You"). When I heard about this film a couple of months ago, and was fortunate to be able to view the trailer, I was instantly enthralled by the beautiful visuals that were presented in the trailer. I was finally able to obtain a copy of the movie (which has been recently released on DVD), and I can tell you this, I wasn't prepared for what the film had in store, visually as well as emotionally.
The film follows the lives of Yu and Yosuke, and the story spans from their teenage years all the way to their adulthood. Yu has a major crush on Yosuke, but she doesn't know how to express her feelings to him, but there is also a slight problem; Yosuke likes Yu's older sister
and you can probably tell by now there are going to be some problems that arise from this. We flash forward 17 years later, in which Yu and Yosuke run into each other by accident, and old feelings and regrets begin to come forth.What I loved about this film was that each actor played their parts so convincingly; you become absorbed into their world and truly care about the relationship of the two main characters and what the outcome of it will be. From the awkward moments of the characters trying to convey their feelings through words
.but just can't, to the emotional reunion when they are adults, it's all presented so realistically that it hurts. Even though there is little dialogue throughout the film, the characters body language says more than any words could ever express.
As for the acting, it was superb to say the least; Actors Aoi Miyazaki (who plays Yu) and Eita (Who plays Yosuke) are fantastic in their roles of the young Yu and Yosuke. When the film shifts to their adult lives, Hiromi Nagasaku (who plays adult Yu) and Hidetoshi Nishijima (who plays adult Yosuke) takeover and were able to deliver the similar appearance of their youthful counterparts as well as their mannerisms. The cast did a great job, and the traversing between young adult to adulthood was handle very well. This film also had a lot of close-up shots of the characters, which made the film seem even more intimate.
One thing I just have to comment about though is the beautiful cinematography. Director Hiroshi Ishikawa is able give each shot an amazing amount of depth and emotion, and it certainly lends the film a poetic touch. Most of the film was done with an earthly color tone, giving the characters and backdrops a dull look, and it totally enhances the film's overall presences. The pacing of the film seemed a little slow at first, but definitely picks up, as well as builds up towards its conclusion.
For my final statement regarding Su-Ki-Da, is that it was a pleasure for me to watch, and I was spellbound every minute of it. It's the kind of film that will definitely stick with you long after you've seen it, mainly because of its heartfelt story. From the excellent visuals all the way to its great cast, Su-Ki-Da is a film that will definitely be in my collection. A notable classic in my books, I greatly recommend it.
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