A director who built his career on dreamy, poetic teen dramas. Iwai's style is breezy, effortless and subtle, but rarely without a darker twinge. No doubt one of the essentials of contemporary Japanese cinema, but his films are not for everyone.
Rare treats
The Case of Hana & Alice
Iwai found the right balance between Japanese live action drama and the magic of animation. The film looks great, the story is moving, the characters quirky but lovable.
Hana and Alice
It's a very sweet, very natural and naive little film that has charm aplenty and feels particularly short for a film that runs well past the 120-minute barrier.
The good stuff
April Story
Picnic
Undo
A Bride for Rip Van Winkle
With this film he returns to his core style, picking things up right where he left off back in 2004. Strong acting, an intriguing plot and a warm, dreamy atmosphere make this an easy recommend.
Swallowtail Butterfly
Solid pieces
Last Letter
Shunji Iwai in China. Last Letter is certainly better than his American adventure, but it doesn't quite match his prime Japanese work. The drama is fine, but there's a little too much intrigue and not enough time to delve into the core drama. The acting is great though and there are some pretty shots scattered throughout the film. A solid entry in Iwai's oeuvre, but he's made better films.
New York, I Love You
Jam Films
Love Letter
Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?
Worthy but flawed
All about Lily Chou-Chou
Fried Dragon Fish
Ghost Soup
Dubious filler
The Kon Ichikawa Story
Plain forgettable
Vampire
Big nopes
