There’s nothing I love more than a film about food. I love almost everything about them. The mouth-watering shots. The ever-present nostalgia. The way they so easily lend themselves to philosophical ideas. It’s almost always a joy, even when the movie itself is mediocre. So, when I read the premise of Haruki Kadokawa final feature, “Mio’s Cookbook”, I had high hopes. A food film/period drama by a legendary producer and highly respected veteran director? On paper, it’s a perfect hybrid. Perhaps due to the fact that it was Kadokawa’s first big directorial effort since 1990 (“Heaven and Hell”), but against all odds, though, this adaptation of the popular series of novels by Kaoru Takada failed to stir the same feelings in me that so many other food films I’ve seen, and after an overlong runtime of two hours, whimpers its way to an unimpactful stop.
- 6/12/2021
- by Luke Georgiades
- AsianMoviePulse
Odd List Ivan Radford 7 Jan 2014 - 06:37
Last year may only be a memory, but its film themes linger in the mind. Here's Ivan's pick of 2013's best soundtracks...
Just a quick scan down the list below reveals an extraordinary breadth of genres and subject matters, from imposing, expensive science fiction films to quiet, intimate stories about men at sea on boats or outlaws breaking out of prison to be with their wives. Disparate though the films are, they're all linked by at least one common motif: their music is utterly brilliant.
So with 2014 already well underway, and an entire new wave of films with great music in them beckoning, join us as we look back to the movies of last year, their finest soundtracks, and the must-listen pieces of music you can dig out on each one.
1. Gravity (Steven Price)
Must-listen track: Don't Let Go
When does sound...
Last year may only be a memory, but its film themes linger in the mind. Here's Ivan's pick of 2013's best soundtracks...
Just a quick scan down the list below reveals an extraordinary breadth of genres and subject matters, from imposing, expensive science fiction films to quiet, intimate stories about men at sea on boats or outlaws breaking out of prison to be with their wives. Disparate though the films are, they're all linked by at least one common motif: their music is utterly brilliant.
So with 2014 already well underway, and an entire new wave of films with great music in them beckoning, join us as we look back to the movies of last year, their finest soundtracks, and the must-listen pieces of music you can dig out on each one.
1. Gravity (Steven Price)
Must-listen track: Don't Let Go
When does sound...
- 1/6/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Being the son of animation’s unequivocal living master who’s body of work ranks among the best cinematic creations ever made, Goro Miyazaki understandably had much trepidation about taking up his father, Hayao’s craft, eventually to be put in comparison to each other, for better or worse. When he finally succumbed to the family business after being approached by Toshio Suzuki, one of Studio Ghibli’s longest running producorial collaborators, neither Ghibli’s seasoned animators or the majesty of the company’s lineage could save Goro’s paltry debut, Tales from Earthsea. Notably missing Hayao’s direct involvement thanks to familiar disagreements, the film, rich with dragons and magic, became one of the least enchanting releases of Ghibli’s generally pristine catalog. Approaching Goro’s sophomore effort with the same apprehension he began his directorial career, with doubts of creative significance lingering in the long, overbearing shadow of his father,...
- 9/3/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Tales From Earthsea (Studio Ghibli)
Stars: (Japanese) Bunta Sugawara, Junichi Okada, Aoi Teshima, Jun Fubuki, Kaoru Kobayashi, Yui Natsukawa, Y?ko Tanaka, Teruyuki Kagawa. (English) Timothy Dalton, Matt Levin, Blaire Restaneo, Mariska Hargitay, Susanne Blakeslee, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin | Written by Ursula K Le Guin, Gor? Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa & Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Goro Miyazaki
“Goro Miyazaki’s debut feature as a director, Tales From Earthsea is an epic adventure, adapted from the much-loved series of novels by Ursula K Le Guin. It tells the story of Ged (voiced in English by Timothy Dalton), the most powerful wizard in Earthsea, and his attempts to protect Prince Arren (Matt Levin) from the evil machinations of rival wizard Cob (Willem Dafoe). Together with Therru, a young girl he rescued from slave takers, Arren must unite with Ged to defeat Cob and return balance to their world. Beautifully animated, Tales From Earthsea will...
Stars: (Japanese) Bunta Sugawara, Junichi Okada, Aoi Teshima, Jun Fubuki, Kaoru Kobayashi, Yui Natsukawa, Y?ko Tanaka, Teruyuki Kagawa. (English) Timothy Dalton, Matt Levin, Blaire Restaneo, Mariska Hargitay, Susanne Blakeslee, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin | Written by Ursula K Le Guin, Gor? Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa & Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Goro Miyazaki
“Goro Miyazaki’s debut feature as a director, Tales From Earthsea is an epic adventure, adapted from the much-loved series of novels by Ursula K Le Guin. It tells the story of Ged (voiced in English by Timothy Dalton), the most powerful wizard in Earthsea, and his attempts to protect Prince Arren (Matt Levin) from the evil machinations of rival wizard Cob (Willem Dafoe). Together with Therru, a young girl he rescued from slave takers, Arren must unite with Ged to defeat Cob and return balance to their world. Beautifully animated, Tales From Earthsea will...
- 7/13/2012
- by Baron Fornightly
- Nerdly
Following Tales From Earthsea, which was somewhat crushed under the weight of expectation, Goro Miyazaki's next project will be Kokurikozaka Kara, from the 1980 manga by Tetsuro Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi.Goro and his father Hayao (Spirited Away) had a rather public falling-out over Earthsea, with Hayao going so far as to question his son's choice of career in the press. But that water seems to be under the bridge now, and Hayao will once again be contributing the screenplay for his son's sophomore effort, in collaboration with Keiko Niwa (The Borrower Arrietty). Kokurikozaka Kara ("From Kokuriko Hill") doesn't seem to be a manga that has ever travelled outside of Japan (or at least, it hasn't been translated into English at this point), but is apparently a coming-of-age story about a girl in Yokahama in 1963 whose father disappears. Aoi Teshima, who played Theru in Earthsea, is on theme-song duty.The...
- 12/16/2010
- EmpireOnline
Arren in Tales from Earthsea
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures Note: The screening of Tales from Earthsea I attended was the original Japanese-language version with English subtitles. The version that will be released domestically is dubbed in English and uses voice work from the likes of Timothy Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Willem Dafoe and Cheech Marin. The following review is in reference to the version I saw, not the English-dubbed version that will be released in the States.
I had high hopes, but I wasn't sure what to expect from Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea. Goro is the son of the highly awarded Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Spirited Away) and Earthsea serves as his writing and directorial debut. Based on the six-book "Earthsea" fantasy series by Ursula Le Guin, Goro co-wrote the script with fellow first time screenwriter Keiko Niwa, and unfortunately their filmmaking infancy shows. Tales from Earthsea is moderately impressive to look at,...
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures Note: The screening of Tales from Earthsea I attended was the original Japanese-language version with English subtitles. The version that will be released domestically is dubbed in English and uses voice work from the likes of Timothy Dalton, Mariska Hargitay, Willem Dafoe and Cheech Marin. The following review is in reference to the version I saw, not the English-dubbed version that will be released in the States.
I had high hopes, but I wasn't sure what to expect from Goro Miyazaki's Tales from Earthsea. Goro is the son of the highly awarded Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki (Ponyo, Spirited Away) and Earthsea serves as his writing and directorial debut. Based on the six-book "Earthsea" fantasy series by Ursula Le Guin, Goro co-wrote the script with fellow first time screenwriter Keiko Niwa, and unfortunately their filmmaking infancy shows. Tales from Earthsea is moderately impressive to look at,...
- 8/13/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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