Kiyoshi Kurosawa continues to develop his expansive ability with the film medium. I do not know of any other filmmaker today who can shift so effectively and powerfully from low-budget genre films such as his J-horror 'Pulse', thrillers such as 'Cure' to his latest work 'Tokyo Sonata', a sensitive and touching examination of the modern Japanese (disfunctional) family. It deserves all the praise it gets. If you have not yet tried a Kiyoshi Kurosawa film, do so now and discover a contemporary master of cinema. If you desire understatement and enigma get hold of his works: 'Pulse', 'Charisma' and 'Barren Illusions' and his wonderful 'Bright Future', a study of youth, which has been compared to the films of Luis Bunuel. His enigmatic thriller 'Cure' rivals 'Seven' for its power. Even his made for television, short feature, 'House of Bugs' (you must excuse the title) has structural shifts that make any one interested in non-linear film-making sit up and take note. And 'Seance', another shorter feature made for television, displays an understanding of human relationships that linger long after the horror effects have faded. An understanding you can see in all his films and which he has brought to fruition in 'ToKyo Sonata'. He has used his prodigious production output (sometimes three films a year) to learn valuable lessons on how to make films that can touch you, scare you and leave you thinking long after you have finished the end credits. The only question about Kurosawa is:what will he do next?
Review of Tokyo Sonata
