One of the unsung heroes of 80s and 90s Japanese cinema. Somai has a very peculiar, pointed style that combines touching drama with strong genre influences. If you like the films of Obayashi, you should definitely give this guy a go.
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A somewhat hermetic, but beautiful drama. Somai doesn't make it easy on his audience, the characters aren't the most charming and are pretty introverted, the structure is a tad confusing and their haphazard trip may feel rather pointless. But as the film moved along, the characters started to grow on me (helped by some terrific performances), the delicate styling didn't miss its effect and the drama grew stronger by the minute. Somai's swan song is a film to cherish, one that should appeal to people who love Japanese drama and don't mind an arthouse finish.
A worthy Somai film. I've been slowly going through his oeuvre, and that has been a pretty fun trip so far. He's consistently interesting and always adds something unique to otherwise basic dramas. Moving reminded me a little of Obayashi's family-friendly entertainment, probably because of the younger lead and the more rural setting. Tabata does pretty well for her age, the setting is pleasant and the tone is light. The first half of the film is nice enough, but not all that notable. When Somai adds a bit of couleur locale to the second half things get noticeably better. The cinematography and soundtrack stand out and there are quite a few memorable moments. Another good Somai.Read all
I'm slowly catching up with Shinji Somai's films, and I'm not complaining. Tokyo Heaven reminded me a little of an Obayashi project. There's a decent dramatic basis here, but it's the fantasy elements that make the film interesting. It's not an ultimate classic, but certainly an underappreciated gem. It's a fun setup (not entirely unlike Kon's Perfect Blue, there's even some imagery that matches) which allows Somai to work in some dreamy, fantastical scenes. These are the moments when the film shines and it becomes a little more than a simple, amusing narrative. A very pleasant surprise.Read all
Somai is one of Japan's forgotten treasures. It took me long enough to (re)discover this interesting director, but I'm a fan now. Even his older films are still pretty appealing. Point in case: Luminous Woman. This underseen film is a challenging romance with some eye-popping beautiful scenes, right up my alley. Interesting characters, solid performances, and superb cinematography make Luminous Woman quite the treat. It's a tad too slow and long to be a true personal favorite, but some of the scenes are absolutely stunning and will be burnt on my retinas forever. This film puts me halfway through Somai's oeuvre, I'll be making sure to get through the other half too.Read all
A pretty straightforward drama by Somai, with a strong early 90s vibe. Whereas men like Koreeda were already well on their way to reinventing the Japanese drama, Wait and See is a film that belongs to the previous generation. It's a bit cruder, a little rowdier, and not quite as subtle as I would've preferred it to be. The performances are decent but a little rough, the drama is a tad predictable and while the presentation is nice, it never really stands out. The film is on the shorter side though, which helps. Ultimately, this felt like a safer entry in Somai's oeuvre, but it's definitely not a bad film. Just a bit of oldskool Japanese drama filler.Read all
A solid Somai, though not a film that is all that remarkable. I've seen plenty of similar dramas, dealing with failure, suicide, prostitution, and the like. It sounds quite heavy and there are some dark scenes, but it's not an overly depressing film. So far, Somai's work has been very consistent. The performances are good, the cinematography is decent (but somewhat unremarkable), while the drama covers familiar territory, (though admittedly, mostly covered by more recent films). It's a perfectly fine film that doesn't overstay its welcome, fans of Japanese dramas will feel right at home, but it lacks something to make it a bit more memorable.Read all
An early Somai that reminded me quite a bit of Obayashi's 80s work, though without the fantastical spins. It's a quirky little adventure film where a couple of kids are getting messed up in adult affairs. It's not the most exciting or challenging premise, but the film is light and easily digestible. Some kids taking on the Yakuza isn't the most believable of plotlines, then again, this film doesn't take itself all that seriously. The performances are decent, the mood is light and pleasant, and even though it's quite a long film, it never bored me. It doesn't really stand out too much, then again, it's hard to stand out next to Obayashi. Cute.Read all
Early Somai, which sees him exploring more straightforward drama territory. The film isn't quite as distinctive as some of his other work, but it shows that Somai is a capable director, even when he can't rely on a more flashy premise. More proof that my resolution to further explore Somai's oeuvre was warranted. The pacing is deliberate, the setting quite grim and Somai's choice to register rather than narrate is a solid one. The performances are good too, but the drama is pretty basic and predictable, and the runtime is pretty hefty for a film that holds few surprises. It's a good drama, but it lacks that little extra to distinguish itself.Read all
Not the crazy genre fest you may expect from the title (or even the premise of the film), but a rather stylish and well-made coming of age drama set against a Yakuza background. This is only my second Somai film so far, but it seems I should be paying a bit more attention to his oeuvre in the future. When a Yakuza boss dies, he carries over his gang to his nephew. What he doesn't know at that time is that his nephew isn't alive anymore. In that case the responsibility is carried over to the next of kind, but that turns out to be Izumi Hoshi, a young school girl who has never seen a Yakuza member up close. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun has its share of genre elements (yes, at one point Izumi empties a machine gun in a room full of gangsters), but most of the film is a lot slower, reminding me a bit of Kitano's crime oeuvre, with people just hanging around. The cinematography is pretty nice too, the only thing that bothered me was the mediocre performance of Hiroko Yakushimaru as Izumi. An interesting film though, well recommended.Read all
A somewhat meandering coming of age film by Somai. There's not much in the way of a real plot here, instead Somai creates a setting where his characters are allowed to blossom. The idea is pretty solid, but the execution feels a little too unfocused and some scenes drag on for too long. Performances are pretty decent and I do appreciate the concept, but the film's a bit rowdy and the characters feel somewhat generic, which makes it exceedingly tough to spend two hours with them. There are some moments that stand out, but not enough to keep me engaged all the way through.Read all