Recently Seen, part 11 (March, 2016)
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ebossert — 10 years ago(March 27, 2016 07:47 AM)
Part 11 of my Asian Horror Year In Review playlist is now up. It covers movies released from 1994-1995:
Here are the films I saw this week.
Highly Recommended
Eye in the Sky (2007) (Chinese Suspense/Thriller) (repeat viewing) This is the ultimate surveillance film that revolves around the covert operations of an undercover police unit attempting to gather intelligence on a highly sophisticated crew of jewel robbers. From minute one the cloak-and-dagger shadowing begins and continues right up to the final moments. The pacing is fast and is assisted by fluid camerawork that keeps things moving while safely avoiding the subpar editing so prevalent in modern filmmaking. The acting is solid (Simon Yam, Kate Tsui, and the other Tony Leung are all great), the score well made, and the ending very satisfying. Fans of realistic, suspense-driven tailing sequences ala The French Connection will drool all over themselves.
Le Portrait de Petite Cossette (2004) (Japanese Anime Romance/Horror) (repeat viewing) A young man uncovers a delicate Venetian glass that holds a startling secret within: a haunted beauty, Cossette, has been waiting 250 years for someone to set her spirit free. The man soon becomes obsessed and determined to help the girl trapped inside the crystal, but the necessary sacrifices might be too great for him to bear. This outstanding film is one of the most visually stunning anime ever made as virtually every frame is saturated with fantastical gothic eye candy. Scoring is no less than phenomenal; a true accomplishment that should be mentioned more often. There is much in terms of surreal, nightmarish imagery that may confuse some viewers, but the storyline is nevertheless gripping because it develops the characters and conflicts in absorbing ways. Most interestingly, there is a dense romantic tone that mirrors the horror. The themes of love, sacrifice, and haunted imagery are expertly blended together. As one online reviewer noted, The result is a creepy riff on beauty, love, the madness of artists and the treachery of images. This is a work of art.
Cold Eyes (2013) (Korean Thriller) (repeat viewing) A high-tech police surveillance team attempts to take down a gang of ruthless bank robbers in this remake of the excellent Hong Kong film Eye in the Sky. Events play out in a very similar fashion here, but there are also a number of differences (e.g., the ending, etc.). In any case, there are a lot of positive qualities that make this a very entertaining movie. The focus on realistic, suspense-driven tailing sequences is preserved and proficiently executed. Pacing is brisk and all three leads (Hyo-joo Han, Kyung-gu Sol, Woo-sung Jung) give very good performances. Theres also a bit more action and bloody violence in this one. I still prefer the original, but thats likely because I saw that one first. Regardless, these two movies would make an outstanding double-feature.
Recommended
Skyline Cruisers (2000) (Chinese Action) Wilson Yip directs this action adventure in which the formula for a cancer-curing medicine is stolen, and a kung-fu fighting team must overcome rivals and doublecrosses in order to get it back. This has a loaded cast of recognizable names: Leon Lai, Jordan Chan, Shu Qi, Sam Lee, etc. Its really cheesy stuff, but totally entertaining (I laughed a lot). There are some really cool heist sequences that use creative tactics that are totally unrealistic but still very interesting to watch. Some unexpected twists are introduced along the way. Look out for the scene involving red laser-sights, which has some smart camerawork.
Ingtoogi: The Battle of Internet Trolls (2013) (Korean Drama) A young man is ambushed in public, physically beaten by an internet message board rival, and his personal information is hacked and released to the public. Afterwards, he trains in kickboxing and seeks out the perpetrator for revenge. The film does a good job of showing that the protagonist has been psychologically affected by the incident, but it also blends in some bits of humor as well. The lead actress (Hye-young Ryoo) is highly entertaining; shes got an attitude problem and shes quite funny. The ending is different from what I had expected.
Spectre (2015) (British/American Action) A cryptic message from Bonds past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE. This begins with a lengthy, cool tracking shot and a good fist fight within a helicoptor. The film really pops during the action (and there are at least 4 solid sequences to enjoy), but the story is rather bland. Almost every non-action scene involving the lead actress is boring. The runtime of 148 minutes is also a bit too long. However, theres one particularly hilarious sequence where Bond subtly threatens the lives to two cats. A good film that feels lik -
plsletitrain — 10 years ago(March 31, 2016 12:48 AM)
I'm late to the party. All this Koreeda talk has got me scrambling to the nearest copy of his latest film and I watched it.
I'm with sitenoise on this (I read zelena's thoughts on the film and he didn't like it as much as we did) and I would also rate it a 10/10. Sitenoise and I usually don't meet when it comes to our favorite directors but we're on the same boat on Koreeda and I think he's the one of the few directors I never get bored watching their films even if nothing much is really going on or there's no eventful twist or mystery that would make me attentive as a viewer.
True, the film reached utopian levels that it made me wonder if Koreeda is a real person who watches the news about how cruel the world is (that's why I made mention about looking at his face on his IMDb photo which really looks like he's a kind soul who has experienced nothing but sunshines and rainbows). I see his movies as someone made by a child (I'm not saying it's childish and immatured) who has this simple and innocent view of the world and it effectively reaches out to me. I personally would not have wanted that a "problem" would occur on "Our Little Sister" because I can personally relate to the story somehow so on a personal level the movie was a "hey the world still has beautiful traits left after all" testament to me.
I think Koreeda has this "magic" on how he does that that even if there's not much action and thriller/mystery elements, I'm still going on with the film and not bailing out. I'm trying to figure out if it has something to do with the scenery, his love of nature, but definitely has something to do with his background music. Yes, the music. And the nature, sceneries..that helps. It's like you're watching through a life of your neighbor, or someone you know, someone that exists in the real world, then you get attached to his characters and you're curious as to how their story will go.
The movie could be labelled as monotone-ish (i.e. its just same flatline story without a climax and a resolution) but I could say it was a successful movie. It well-conveyed its message, its message and story was clear, the actors were good, the sceneries helped me to "breathe" (I'm biased for movies with green sceneries), and the music was a big plus.
Sidenote: Kudos to zelena for his post "Koreeda sometimes thinks he can just Ozu his way through films.". If that's not trademarked, I'd like to borrow that in the event I get involved in a confrontation and I'd say "Hey you think you can just Ozu or you way out???!!!!! or Hey you think you can Koreeda your way through work?????!!!" lol.Silentium-
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zelena33 — 10 years ago(March 31, 2016 05:47 PM)
the film reached utopian levels
That's an interesting observation and choice of words. I think maybe that is the perfect word. There is indeed something utoptian about it. I think that is an excellent 'lens' to view it through. I just don't have sensors to pick up that kind of thing (cynical New Yorker) and I'm missing something going on in this film that others pick up on. Almost reminiscent of a hippy commune or something. Everybody just holding hands and singing kumbaya, so to speak. There is a consistent harmony and calm. And obviously is takes a certain huge artistic imagination to conceive of a world where people are not scheming and being crappy to each other. For me it's just hard to see why this is a "10" for three or four of you, while to me, it's just like any other arthouse film where people chat and nothing happens. But this stuff about "hey the world still has beautiful traits left after all" I'm like, huh? No it doesn't!
I share your appreciation of music in films, it's so important. And also the nature and outdoor shots. Sometimes directors forget that we are watching, not just listening to the conversation, and it's so boring when it's just people in a room talking. I want to see some natural splendor or good architecture.
Señor Sitenoise is definitely going to gag, but I would suggest that there is a similarity between Koreeda and Steven Spielberg in some ways in how he directs children and can channel their point of view. It's a very warm and simple concept around children. I'm thinking of E.T., not Saving Private Ryan So no surprise Spielberg is a fan and bought the rights to the hollywood remake of Like Father, Like Son. And also some of Koreeda's shots have that Movie Magic transcendent quality, like the last shot in Like Father very big.
Like I said before, I love Koreeda's
movies
. I just don't love his
home movies
of the family hanging out in the kitchen making tofu. He seems to make those two types. What I like about him is the massively adult maturity, which is rare in people, not just filmmakers. But I do think he's a little too conscious of Ozu and trying to well, Ozu his way through a film
By the way, did you see Floating Weeds? -
plsletitrain — 10 years ago(March 31, 2016 08:18 PM)
"Everybody just holding hands and singing kumbaya, so to speak.
I just don't love his home movies of the family hanging out in the kitchen making tofu."
I should have been warned before reading these parts. I literally laughed out loud!
"while to me, it's just like any other arthouse film where people chat and nothing happens."
I understand what you mean as I'm one who's more into visuals rather than dialogue. But I think Koreeda reconciles the two: His visuals aren't the conventional type. But the visuals talk. Then he has this dialogue that's..natural. Its hard to describe but I see that as magic because I'm usually the first one to bail out when there's nothing much going on in the movie.
"By the way, did you see Floating Weeds?"
Unfortunately, I haven't. But if you recommend it, I'll include it on my priorities list.Meadows of Heaven-
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sitenoise — 10 years ago(April 02, 2016 12:14 AM)
You've seen
After Life
Wandâfuru raifu (1998)
,
Our Little Sister
Umimachi Diary (2015)
, and
Air Doll
Kûki ningyô (2009)
. All 10s, or thereabouts. You've yet to see my favorite,
zelena
's favorite (I believe), or Koreeda's two highest rated ones on IMDb. That's a ridiculously good batting average and on deck circle for a director.
His visuals aren't the conventional type. But the visuals talk.
Likers gonna like. -
ebossert — 10 years ago(April 03, 2016 08:17 AM)
Part 12 of my Asian Horror Year In Review playlist is now up. It covers movies released in 1996:
Here are the films I saw this week.
Highly Recommended
A Brand New Life (2009) (Korean Drama) (repeat viewing) After being abandoned at an orphanage by her father, a little girl must adjust to her new life. This is deliberately paced and very realistic. The main characters are very young but their world is captured beautifully by the director, who apparently used her own personal experiences as a guide. The actresses are all good, but Sae-ron Kim is flat-out excellent. Theres a lot of feeling and information that is expressed without words, and the interaction between the girls is very interesting. Quite sad at times but all of the emotion is earned thru minimalism without the need for melodrama. Runtime is perfect at 92 minutes. Awesome.
All Esper Dayo (2013) (Japanese Comedy Television Series) In Notsu, Oita Prefecture, a variety of sexual perverts are inexplicably endowed with supernatural powers in this J-drama (12 episodes, 30 minutes each). High school student Yoshio Kamogawa (Shota Sometani) is one of them and can read other peoples minds. He befriends some other oddball characters and hopes to one day save the world. Sion Sono co-directs, which is obvious due to the number of upskirt panty shots (and leg shots). The humor is relentlessly sex-themed and perverted, but its also delightfully light-hearted. Im not the biggest fan of sex-based humor, but this is phenomenal stuff! Tons of laugh-out-loud moments in this one. This isnt just a compilation of jokes, however, because some dramatic elements creep up at times and are well-executed. The characters are properly developed too. The finale episode is one huge curveball, and I really liked it. Sometani is perfectly cast as the lead. Kaho has played some disturbed characters in the past, but shes totally awesome here as a spiffy, tough-as-nails chick. Erina Mano is smoking hot, by the way.
Run and Kill (1993) (Chinese Thriller/Horror) (repeat viewing) A chubby salesman inadvertently starts a series of violent events that gradually escalate to produce a heaping body count. This is a rarity because it offers a scintillating storyline despite its CAT III classification. The real treat of this film though is Simon Yam, who gives one of his best performances as one of the most sadistic bad-asses in the history of CAT III cinema. His character is a highly trained war vet who breaks out machetes, flammable liquids, and even AK-47s to wipe out victims of all ages and sizes. The violence isnt as graphic as the more extreme movies within this genre, but it does have some rather shocking deaths. The finale is one of the most exciting duels-to-the-death youll ever see.
Spotlight (2015) (American Drama) Revealing a string of cover-ups stretching back decades, a team of reporters exposes the Catholic Archdioceses history of keeping reports about child molestation and other preist-initiated abuse under wraps. This is predictable stuff, but its proficently executed and absorbing. It reminded me in some ways of The Insider with its premise of journalists who fight an uphill battle against a seemingly insurmountable system of cover-ups. This movie does a good job at showing the amount of work that is necessary for such a task. This has a solid cast of Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, and others who are assisted by well-written dialogue. Its nice when the Academy awards Best Picture to a film thats not a turd pile.
Recommended
Vendetta (1992) (Chinese Thriller/Action/Horror) (repeat viewing) A police officer kills two violent robbers (a man and a woman, who were twins), but years later his twin children become possessed by the spirits of the dead criminals and seek vengeance upon him. In true Hong Kong style, you get a mix of horror, action, bloody violence, and laughable absurdities. Its an entertaining mix indeed, especially when considering that the children are toddlers! Toss in a sadistic third robber whos a tough son-of-a-gun and youve got a fun romp on your hands.
Mood of the Day (2016) (Korean Romantic Comedy) By chance, a man and a woman meet on the KTX train and spend 24 hours in the unfamiliar city of Busan. This has a nice rhythm to it, with a laid-back mood and good performances. Its simplistic but very focused on the two leads, which showcases a lot of interaction between them. The male character is basically trying to sleep with the lady throughout much of the runtime, but there are some good moments along the way. The script uses a few contrivances and the ending is cliched, but I enjoyed this one. Ill watch Chae-won Moon in anything.
Armed and Dangerous (1986) (American Comedy/Action) (repeat viewing) A fired cop (John Candy) and useless lawyer (Eugene Levy) sign up as security guards and find theyve joined a corrupt union. The story and characters are weakly developed, but this still holds up in terms of fun comedy -
zelena33 — 10 years ago(April 03, 2016 03:59 PM)
Nice write-up, All Esper Dayo (2013) looks completely bonkers. Not sure I'll watch the whole series, but it's kind of kooky with all the signature Marilyn Monroe oops!-my-skirt shots. I just happen to have watched Mood of the Day last night - will give my take next time. I share your take on Mockinjay. Where did all the money go indeed. Malibu, I think. I have a bad habit of paying $10 to see this stuff just for the sake of going to the movies - that makes me an enabler or something..
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ebossert — 10 years ago(April 03, 2016 04:03 PM)
I'm interested in hearing others' opinions on Mood of the Day. I get the feeling that I may be in the minority on that one.
YouTube Asian Movie Review Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/anticlimacus100 -
zelena33 — 10 years ago(April 07, 2016 08:58 PM)
Watched a hell of a lot of films recently:
1.
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Not a big fan of Ghibli, but I popped this one on to cleanse the palette from something toxic, and I loved it. Liked it much better than Spirited Away, which I found good but disturbing and pushy. Kiki is put together in a way that is just like how kids play make believe. Just takes kooky ideas and runs with them, in a cutely serious and guileless way. The "city" where it takes place is a real work of imagination. It's funny how everyone sees their own city in it. It's a hodgepodge of European city characteristics, as imagined by a Japanese kid. The beep street signs were a great touch. Fake jumbled Hungarian and Italian, etc. I saw Prague and Dubrovnik in this city. Phil Hartman from SNL as a cat? My girl Kirsten Dunst in the lead, and Janeane Garofalo as artsy aunt saucypants. Great casting. This is a real nice charming film; that characteristic Japanese nicey-nice that many of you like. By the time you get to the end credits, with the bopping 80s Japanese pop song, you think; yeah, that was good. I'm glad I watched that. 8/10
2.
The Wind Rises (2013)
So I also queued this one up. Absolutely gorgeous animation. Not a big anime guy, but one thing I like about animation is the ability to create whole worlds, especially historical worlds. For the audience, it's not important whether it looks real, it's important whether you can "buy it." And animation does that better than CGI when it comes to creating whole cities at specified points in the past. This one is closely related to Grave of the Fireflies. The cameo from
a famous person
is great. It's a big spoiler to say this is a
heartbreaking tragedy
. Sometimes you're in the mood for that. 7/10
3.
Mood of the Day (2016)
I basically agree with everything Ebo-san had to say about this one. It is a little below par for a krom kom, but that's a pretty high bar. I thought this one was going pretty well for the first half. But it fell into the trap that a lot of romcoms do: the first half is just the characters being fun, and everyone including the audience is having fun. Then around halfway, the writer realizes, damn, I'm gonna have to wrap up this plot. And the second half just gets bogged down in tying up the plot, in cliche and obvious ways, when it can only really end in one way:
Smootching on a train platform (duh).
If they just kept being fun, I wouldn't give a damn what happened to the plot. As ebo says, a lot is 'forgivable' in a comedy. Everything except being annoying.
Moon what's-her-name from
Love Forecast
is great - great at facial expressions. But pretty-boy was in over his head. He could handle playing the rake: a charmingly-arrogant-millionaire-who-is-kind-to-old-ladies-and-children, but a lot of guys can handle that. I think that's the easy part. When it came to the moment of deep feelings flashing across his face, he looked like "damn, what do I do with my face again?", and it took me out of the film. An actor needs to know what to do with his face. Hell, I'd rather watch Kang ho-Song as a romantic lead! Any day, and twice on Sunday!
I bet they shot this in two weeks last October and had it in theaters in January. Some nice images of Busan. This movie really had that fresh-out-of-the-oven smell that Korean TV and pop films have, and I do love that. Maybe it was the opening drone shots of Seoul, but it feels incredibly 2017, in a good way. It's like stepping into next year. Korean films do seem to carry a spirit of communal experience, all of us in on it, more than Japanese or Chinese culture exports. Maybe I'm just more open to it, but judging by how korean wave has swept the world, I think there's some magical secret sauce to it. A foreign policy of inclusion and charm. Like Serbia on organic vegetables, but more clean-cut and happy and sober and financially solvent and with fewer machine guns. Yeah. 6/10
4.
My Love, My Bride (2014)
I bail on a lot of films if I'm just not feeling it, so you might want to take this with a pinch of salt. This wasn't that bad, but I bailed at the halfway mark. So I'd say definitely below par for a krom kom. Too much drama. 5/10
5.
A Hard Day (2014)
Watched this one by accident because I confused it with a different film, a comedy.. I think someone here reviewed it recently. I don't normally watch this kind of film - action/suspense/thriller - so it was kind of fun and certainly well done. I think Hitchcock is huge in Korea; this is some well done no-don't-go-in-there suspense and great real (not CGI) special effects. Some violence but not the kind of spurting blood you see in a lot of asian films, which I can't stomach. Jin-woong Jo great as the unkillable baddie. 7/10
6.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Ok, Western Asia? I had somehow managed to not see this film up until now. Just didn't interest me. Arabs? Nah, I don't want to watch a movie about Arabs But this film is simply stunning. It instantly slam-dunked itself into a spot on my list -
sitenoise — 10 years ago(April 08, 2016 01:20 AM)
Jin-woong Jo
is the reason I decided to watch
A Hard Day
. I loved him in
An Ethics Lesson
. I like these big frumpy unstoppable Korean guys like him and Kang-ho and the guy from
The Chaser
.
I'd probably agree on the Wei Zhao issue if hell froze over and I watched
Lost in Hong Kong
. I recently called out Zhou Xun for Jumping the Shark. That generation is over.
I'm excited about
Right Now, Wrong Then
because of
Min-hee Kim
. She so impressed me in
Hellcats
that I forgive her for
Very Ordinary Couple
. Haven't liked her in Action/Thrillers either.
RNWT
and Hong seems like a fit for her.
I'm not sure yet if I want to break my vow of never watching movie trailers. -
zelena33 — 10 years ago(April 08, 2016 07:12 AM)
I think Right Now, Wrong Then is right up your alley. I didn't know you're anti-trailer, but this is certainly one case where the trailer won't help you and won't do justice. You seem to have a much higher tolerance for the dead serious, and even I liked this one. In fact, I hated it at first so much that I wasn't fully prepared to like it by the end. But it's actually about more than I said in the review. Would be very curious to hear your take. Min-hee Kim is really good. I am just trying to place where I've seen her maybe something from TV that isn't credited on imdb..
By the way, Kang has one coming up this year as a secret agent, with director
Jee-woon Kim
of Good Bad Weird, and Tale of Two Sisters This could actually be a strong year for films.
Oh, you meant Koreeda's trailer. Yeah, check it out, I think you're going to hate his new one. -
plsletitrain — 10 years ago(April 08, 2016 01:44 AM)
"Not a big anime guy, but one thing I like about animation is the ability to create whole worlds, especially historical worlds. For the audience, it's not important whether it looks real, it's important whether you can "buy it.""
Yeah, that's one thing I like about anime or animation in general. It brings you to another "world". What I like with Ghibli in particular is that it has this trademark of putting life to overlooked little-yet-lovable things, such as butterflies, the grass, or a pond and it breathes life to it. It gives me a light feeling whenever I see these drawings.
"Arabs? Nah, I don't want to watch a movie about Arabs"
Lawrence of Arabia has been on my to-watch list for a million years now, I wonder why I keep on forgetting. I'll have to watch this but if you don't mind, why don't you like to watch a movie about Arabs?
Speaking of Arabs and animation (although this one's not really Arab but close to it) I just finished watching a 2013 Indian animated film entitled MAHABHARAT. And wow, so much for being India's most expensive animated film. I have read it stars the big names of India, so its probably where its budget went? Because I didn't see it in the animation. It was very poor. I don't know if it was in 3D or 2D or whatever D, it was really messy. The story had a good premise, it had potential. And the voices were soothing and accurate. Wasted and gone because of the crappy animation. Like, I can't make of the character who speaks their lines because they look all the same?????????
The story was good. It was about betrayal, love for family, revenge, thirst for power, etc. All serious themes. Then the letdown: since it was about a family or two with hundreds of members battling it out on the kingdom, you have to make of the many Hindu names that I can't memorize. Then added with the same-looking faces talking to each other, so yeah, great. lol.
(Sorry I had to inject my thoughts on the film on my reply to your post. Everything is just so fresh I wished to write them down immediately. Hehe.)
Koreeda's new film! I won't watch it. The reason being: I almost cried watching the trailer. Although if Koreeda stays on tract with his pattern, it should end in a happily ever after. ButI pitied the father. I'm not ready to cry. So I'm not watching it. Anything with someone living like he's useless and worthless, I really pity. Sorry, I'm that immatured that I had to take everything so seriously. lol.
That's what happened with me with MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7 that's why I bailed out after a few minutes. I just can't take too much sadness. I mean, life-sadness. Except for love stories because that's what I'm looking for. I'm talking about life sadness. You know, being left by your loved ones, being alone and you're sick, feeling so worthless, defenseless, prejudiced, judged, etc. etc. Hehe. I can't handle it.Meadows of Heaven-
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zelena33 — 10 years ago(April 08, 2016 07:32 AM)
What? You don't like soul-crushing tragedy? I love that stuff! It's fun, it's like dark music, the whole point is to get it out of your system. Let's not fish for spoilers, but with the new Koreeda, I wouldn't be surprised if it has a happy ending. Or some kind of wholesome ending anyway. I think it looks good. More like my kind of Koreeda film because it has a little bit of levity to it. I'm certainly going to check it out.
I agree, the details in the Ghibli films are pretty amazing. I like his lighter, more childish ones. I don't think the heavy themes translate as well into animation for me. I want to see a real person suffer and fear
By the way I forgot to mention I re-watched Floating Weeds after we discussed that. One of my all time favorites. Some scenes from that one just stick with me over the years the upstairs place where the actors work on their make-up, the colors. Nothing else looks like that film. And it's so dense as a "play," it's like there are three films crammed into one. Some scenes are unforgettable Machiko Kyo is amazing. I guess all of Ozu's films are basically the same, but this one is the most beautiful, to me.
Re: Arabs; I just mean my country has had such a tortured history in the past 15 years with the Arab/muslim world, and I find none of the film coverage of it any good. Most of it is terrible, and like a lot of people I would just rather not think about it. That's part of what makes LoA so incredibly refreshing and unexpected to me. It felt like a cool, crisp spring morning. -
ebossert — 9 years ago(April 10, 2016 07:56 AM)
Part 13 of my Asian Horror Year In Review playlist is now up. It covers movies released in 1997:
Here are the films I saw this week.
Highly Recommended
Rocky (1976) (American Drama) (repeat viewing) When world heavyweight boxing champ Apollo Creed announces hell give an unknown fighter a shot at the title as a publicity stunt, his handlers pick Rocky Balboa, an uneducated collector for a Philadelphia loan shark. I almost forgot how much I enjoyed this one. The dialogue is especially good and it develops the characters very well. It really builds towards the fight in a profient manner, which makes the fight itself very exciting. Carl Weathers screentime is limited, but hes fantastic.
The Big Short (2015) (American Drama/Comedy) Four denizens in the world of high-finance predict the credit and housing bubble collapse of the mid-2000s, and decide to take on the big banks for their greed and lack of foresight. Some very interesting observations are introduced regarding the recklessness of bank lending, as well as the behind-the-scenes deals with those who in some ways should be regulating them. There was also a lot of pressure on the protagonists that tested their resolve. The cast contribute impressive performances. Christian Bale is great as the oddball. Im not a fan of Ryan Gosling or Steve Carell, but even they are really good in this. The infusion of comedy also helps to maintain pacing, and there are a handful of legitimately funny moments.
Surprise Party (aka Surprise) (2002) (Korean Romantic Comedy) (repeat viewing) A girl plans to give her boyfriend a surprise party upon his return to South Korea, but her plans are thrown into chaos when her father expresses his disapproval. Therefore, she sends her best friend to the airport in an attempt to stall her boyfriend for 12 hours while she works to change her fathers mind and set up the party. Unfortunately, her friend has never met the boyfriend previously, which forces her to think of ways in which a stranger could possibly stall someone for that long resulting in a variety of misadventures. The acting is solid, the characters are likable, and the tempo is fast. The scriptwriting is smarter than you might expect, and gets more interesting as the film progresses. This is a remarkably pleasant genre film with an emphasis on charming interaction and simplistic everyday humor instead of over-the-top wackiness. Look out for the supporting roles and cameos by now popular Korean actors and actresses.
Appaloosa (2008) (American Western Drama) Two friends hired to police a small town that is suffering under the rule of a rancher find their job complicated by the arrival of a young widow. This has a generic plot, but it is executed very well. I especially enjoyed the dynamics between the lead characters and how it developed throughout. The big decision that is made near the end is understandable and nuanced. Performances are top notch (Ed Harris, etc.). Heck, even Viggo Mortensen is impressive in this and that doesnt happen often.
Rocky 2 (1979) (American Drama) (repeat viewing) After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on, but soon enough, the Italian Stallion and the Master of Disaster are set on a collision course for a climactic battle. This is a solid follow-up that shows the unfortunate events that befall our protagonist. Pacing is actually a bit slower than Rocky, but the final half hour is pure awesomeness. I love the scene with the kids running with the protagonist, and the fight is one of the best ever. For maximum impact, I highly recommend that this film be watched immediately after its predecessor.
Recommended
I Hate But Love (1962) (Japanese Drama/Romance/Comedy) A famous talk show host contemplates his unsatisfying lifestyle, deals with his nutty lover/manager, and helps a caller who has promised to deliver an old jeep to her penpal boyfriend. The first half is practically a romantic comedy, while the second half shifts towards a road trip drama with the theme of celebrity. This has a lot of energy and some major sparks between the leads. All of the actors really bring it in this one, almost with a sense of determination in all of their everyday actions. I must say that I enjoyed the first half more than the second, but this is good stuff overall. Ruriko Asaoka is insanely hot too.
Coming Home (2014) (Chinese Drama) A devoted couple is forced to separate when the man is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. He finally returns home (years later) only to find that his beloved wife no longer remembers him. This causes some distress for the man and his teenage daughter, who try various methods to cope with the situation. This is directed by Zhang Yimou and stars Gong Li, so its no surprise that its good. I also liked the male leads performance as well. Im glad this avoided melodramaticism for the mos -
this_seat_taken — 9 years ago(April 11, 2016 12:27 PM)
Suna no utsuwa (1974)
AKA "The Castle of Sand" (Yoshi-tarô Nomura, 1974)
Watched it conveniently on Hulu because of a current dedicated thread on Film General. It didn't click with me so I was motivated to dig out my custom subtitled DVDR of "Home from the Sea" which I know I like.
Furusato (1972)
AKA "Home from the Sea" (Yôji Yamada, 1972)
Rewatch of the nice 2.35:1 Region 2 DVD bootlegged with custom subs. 8/10 -
ebossert — 9 years ago(April 13, 2016 03:22 PM)
"The Castle of Sand" was pretty good, I think. It is less concerned with evidence and more concerned with the investigation into the victims relationships with his acquaintances. Theres an abrupt, stylistic change made during the final 40 or so minutes, which was rather interesting. A good film, but perhaps a bit too long at 143 minutes.
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