Movies
A pretty rough drama. The protagonists aren't the easiest to empathize with, and their behavior isn't necessarily neatly confined to a single condition. To me, it made the characters more interesting and more well-rounded. Yamanaka has a very humane touch that adds depth to the film, and structurally, she made some fun yet challenging choices. The presentation could've been cleaner, and it's a pretty big departure from her lively breakthrough film, but Yamanaka shows that she has range. An impressive drama.
21st Century Girl
Welcome to a new generation of directors. 21st Century Girl is an anthology featuring only young, female directors, tasked to make a film for 21st century girls (hence the name of the project). Apart from Yuki Yamato, I wasn't familiar with any of the chosen creators, so I was looking forward to the result. Lack of consistency is often seen as a weak point of anthologies, personally I love the versatility they bring. That's my only real critique here. While there are a few highlights and no real disappointments, I expected a bit more variation in themes and styles. It too often feels like there's just one typical 21st century girl, which is highly doubtful. My main takeaway from this film is that Yuki Yamato is by far one of the most promising young directors working in Japan today. I instantly recognized her short and it's easily the stand-out of the bunch. The rest of the women deliver solid films, and they all deserve their shot at a full-length feature. For an anthology though, I expected a tad more creativity.Read all
A sweet, short, and fun indie film. The lead character is the biggest attraction here, because the film itself looks like something that could've been shot in the late '90s. It has that early Hideaki Anno vibe. It's a little poppy, somewhat rough around the edges, but charming and relevant. The film's only an hour long, but that's enough for this little quest. The presentation is basic, but the performances are fine, the characters are fun, and there are some quirky scenes that result in some larger-than-life moments. Fans of Japanese dramas will surely appreciate this one, others probably shouldn't bother.Read all