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Reviews
Rentaneko (2012)
Nice recovery after Toilet
Some directors keep making the same movie over and over again. This seems to be the case with Ogigami Naoko. I happen to like the movies she makes, so when a new one is out, I try to see it. It started with one of my favorite dorama series Suika. When I noticed that most of the cast from Suika was present in Megane, I had to check that one out. It turned out to be a wonderfully relaxed and quirky movie with subtle humor. There was no big climax. Just life's little developments. The subtropical Ryukyu Islands seemed quite an exotic place for Japanese city slickers. Kamome Diner had much of the same feel to it. Finland seems quite an exotic place for Japanese. It's tough adjusting, but worth it if you don't give up. Rent a Neko has the same wonderfully relaxed feel to it. It was not an exotic place this time, but an eccentric person called Sayoko. She's a bit of a slacker trying to find her own way in society by renting out cats on her own terms. That way she helps people to find some solace in life. Ichikawa Mikako is utterly convincing in this role. It's great to see her play the lead for once. She doesn't do too much, but has some very funny faces that make me burst out in laughter. Best part for me was her dream with Japon Rent a neko. "Master Utamaru is not class C!" I really love the repetition in the story and then the slow development. In the end it was all about loneliness and adjustment, or lack of adjustment. Just as in Ms. Ogigami's other movies. I'm not mentioning Toilet.
Akunin (2010)
hurt vs love vs time
There is no right or wrong. People are just driftwood. The currents decide where we go, who we meet. What we do have is our choice though. It's basically yes or no that we decide. But mostly we don't choose at all. How many people take fate in there own hands? Create their own world? In Akunin the main characters live their lives until cumulated anger takes it all apart. Hurt remains. Love seems to be the healing factor, but love is under a permanent siege. Then time is the healing factor.
Akunin is a film that looks at the state of mind of several people connected to the murder of a girl. At first it isn't clear who murdered the girl, and that makes out the suspense in the first half of the story. Then when the murderer is known, the love story between the murderer and a very lonely girl begins. Even when he tells her that he killed someone she won't let go of her one glimmer of hope to get out of her dreary existence. This love story leads to catharsis for the killer. The girl is left with regrets though... and an experience. The family of the murderer and the victim is also an important part of the story. The father of the victim is trying to find out more to take revenge. He will ultimately confront the person who mistreated her before the murder took place. This is not the one who killed her, but has provided the opportunity to have her killed. He's an elite and a coward with a gutter mentality. It's gratifying to see him suffer, but troubling to think that he will be in a position of power. The grandmother of the killer takes all the blame and tries to survive this horrible situation. She raised the kid, and finds it hard to understand why he would kill someone. She is innocent, but gets most of the burden. She is just an easy person to put the blame on... because she takes the responsibility. The story is well told and beautifully shot. The actors are the creme de la creme of Japanese cinema: Tsumabuki Satoshi, Fukatsu Eri, Emoto Akira, Mitsushima Hikari, and Kirin Kiki(!) as the granny.
Black and Tan (1929)
Mmm... right.
Well, although I agree that this movie short is stereotyped and the sound is not very good(1929!), I don't agree with the low rating. To see Duke and his college friend Arthur Whetsol play Black and tan fantasy is delightful. Yes, the original with Bubber Miley on trumpet is better, but it's not on film. This short gives a good impression of the Cotton Club scene at the time this club was run by gangsters and although the entertainers were black, no black people were allowed in. This was not a gangster thing but a common American racist practice. Still, even if this clip is a racist stereotype, it's not nearly as bad as say, the average hip hop clip nowadays, which is something to worry about. Now, this movie is of enormous historical interest and features an early version of the most significant jazz orchestra of the 20th century! So please don't listen to the puritan reviews and check this out. Then try to see maybe "Cotton tail" with Ben Webster on tenor, or basically anything by Ellington. It's great music! And American culture at its best.
Beat Street (1984)
Too bloody commercial
Maybe you shouldn't compare, but Wild Style and Style Wars are original Hip Hop. Beat Street does have a lot of the original artists of early Hip Hop, but they've been obviously made clear that this could be their big break, of course for some it was and that's nice. But if you view this as original Hip Hop Culture you're wrong. It's overproduced and has a Hollywood sauce. Rather look for the first two movies i mentioned. They have convey the grittiness that comes with life in the ghetto. Yes, the rating for this movie is low, but the reviews are mostly positive or even raving. This is probably because although the story, the acting, the dialogues and the direction all are dreadful, the music and dancing is what the people love about it. Me, i do love the dancing but at the time thought that electro was the death of Hip Hop (i was so glad when round '86 a new generation of now classic Hip Hop artists appeared, like Krs One, Public Enemy, Ultramagnetic Mc's, Jungle Brothers, Bizmarkie to name a few), and i still don't like most of the beats in this movie and that is why it doesn't work for me. I mean, Wild Style has not much of a story but the music there is great and authentic. Of course tastes differ and that's alright. But as far as i'm concerned, this movie is trash except for the break dancing and some of the music and so i can't rate it higher than a 4 out of ten.
To Have and Have Not (1944)
chemistry all over
You know, everything has probably been said about this movie already, still i got so enthused by seeing it for the first time in 25 years that i felt compelled to give some praise. When i was about 15 years old i was mad about Humphey Bogart, and did my best to see many of the movies he was in. I guess i saw 10 or so and some many times. My favorites being Casablanca, The Afican Queen, The Roaring Twenties, Key Largo, White Heat (Oh no, that was with my other favorite James Cagney), Angels with dirty faces and so on, and so on. Yes i was an adolescent boy with a need for role models. The thing is, i haven't seen these old movies for a long time now, and am 40 now. Just last week i saw The Big Sleep, one of Bogey's movies that eluded me somehow then. I loved the dialogues and the great acting in that one. So i thought to try To Have And Have Not, I saw half of it then and never again. Boy, i wasn't disappointed. This one was oozing with tension and atmosphere. Great screenplay as well. I always felt that Casablanca was overrated and thought this infatuation with bogart was a fase. With exception of the John Huston Movies, him being such a strong human/director and all. Howard Hawks did to my opinion outclass him in this flick. The psychology of love on the edge driven to the limit, but never beyond believe. Slowly working to a fantastic shocking climax. The chemistry between Bogart and Bacall being the icing on the cake. BRILLIANT!