Movies
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
A capable but rather basic mystery/thriller. After setting up a sudden disappearance, the rest of the film is spent finding out what happened to the missing person. Clues pop up at the right time and little by little the real story is revealed. Director Inudô feels a bit absent from the film though, which is why it fails to rise above its peers. Teiko marries Kenichi through an arranged marriage. A week later Kenichi has to take care of some business for his old employer, when Teiko sees him off she's blissfully unaware that it'll be the last time she'll see Kenichi. Once she's informed of her husband's disappearance, she travels after him hoping to unravel the mystery. Performances are decent, but the cinematography, soundtrack and plot are a bit too simple. I guess it's telling when a poster of a film adds more intrigue than the styling (kudos for the cool poster though). Zero Focus isn't bad, fans of whodunits will surely find something to love here, but it's in no way exceptional.Read all
An older Inudô film that resurfaced not too long ago. I can't help but feel Hidetoshi Nishijima's role had something to do with it, even if it was rather minor. It's not Inudô's greatest, a bit old-fashioned and too stereotypical at times. Even so, it's a film that has its heart in the right place. Saori is hard up for cash, and her current job isn't giving her many prospects. Her father left her years ago, and suddenly a colleague of his seeks out Saori and offers her to come work for him. She doesn't want to reconnect, but when he presents her with a big lump sum of money, she reluctantly agrees. The characters are a bit too stereotypical and the presentation could've been better. Some of the comedy and drama haven't aged too well, but there are also some wholesome and pleasant moments. The cast is also pretty solid, it's just that Inudô can do better. Decent drama, but not that memorable.Read all