Log: week 46 / 2023
A pretty standard biopic. Not only are they quite easy to construe, but they're also the perfect excuse to chase a bit of marketable retro charm, something that will get all the film fans giddy. There's some decent drama here, but it does get a little tiresome after a while, especially after the film passed the 2-hour mark. The film's a little slow to get going, but the performances are quite strong and Suei's origin story is interesting. His life story is just that though, and there are better films handling Japan's adult industry. It's all a little too by the numbers, but if you're looking for decent filler drama, it's not the worst choice.Read all
A film for fans of somewhat sappy and nostalgia-ridden Japanese dramedies. Think Yamazaki's Always: Sunset on Third Street series, maybe with a dash of Koki Mitani. It makes for easy viewing, but I felt that after a while my tolerance for the feelgood started to slip a little (often when characters started singing older tunes). The outcome of the plot is pretty predictable, the performances are a little fluffy and the nostalgia was a bit hit-and-miss. The characters are cute though, and Japan's bathhouse culture is interesting. For a better film, I recommend Thermae Romae, but Yudo is decent enough filler.Read all
Tales From The Occult 2: Body and Soul
Hong Kong loves a good horror trilogy, so it's no surprise the first Tales from the Occult film got a sequel. The concept is pretty simple: three different horror(adjacent) stories that bear little connection to each other, but explore different niches within the genre. And that this film does pretty well. Each short brings something different to the table. The presentation is nice, the performances are decent and the horror elements are properly executed (read, there's none of that wonky Hong Kong comedy to detract from the film). It's a solid anthology, nothing too spectacular, but easy filler for horror fans.Read all
Orson Welles was a better director than he was an actor, sadly he just loved to cast himself as the lead role of his films, actively cheapening the entire experience. Mr. Arkadin is a pretty tepid noir film, struggling to stand out, but Welles' terrible performance just made it that much worse. Like most noirs, there's a lot of conversation to wade through, and most of it isn't all that interesting. The performances are poor and feel forced, the pacing is relatively slow and this certainly isn't Welles' most attractive-looking film. There wasn't a lot here I cared for, which seems to be the case for most classic noirs I've watched these past months.Read all
Quite a bit livelier than I remembered it to be. Black Cat, White Cat is a pretty entertaining film, full of zany characters, odd situations, and sporting a fair number of absurd moments, though never quite crossing over into complete madness. An uplifting Balkan comedy if there ever was one. Kusturica is fun as long as you don't expect a relaxing film. The characters are noisy, the music is ever-present and everything is well over-the-top. The comedy is borderline slapstick. Not always very refined, but there's a bit more to it than barebones physical comedy. A great way to waste two hours, if you have the energy for it.Read all
Turkish cinema tends to be bleak, and Brother's Keeper continues that longstanding tradition. The setting is depressing, the characters are not very sympathetic, and the dreary styling doesn't add much appeal either. And like many other Middle-Eastern films, it feels less like a narrative and more like a point that needs to be made. The kids do a pretty solid job, but the miserable location, the bland camera work, and the blatant moralizing made for an unappealing film. There's a little twist at the end that felt tacked on, and it simply wasn't enough to make me care about anything that came before. Not for me.Read all
Interesting horror flick. At first sight, it looks a lot like other, often game-based, Japanese high school fantasy horror films, where kids are locked in at night and strange things start happening to them. But Grand Guignol adds some unexpected slasher folklore and isn't stingy when it comes to blood and gore. It's not often you see clear slasher influences in a Japanese horror. Add to that the overt violence, LGBTQ characters, and a pretty cool killer, and you have a film that is more than just another generic horror rip-off. Fans of (Japanese) horror cinema would do well to give this one a shot. Not for the faint of heart though.Read all
A pretty decent musical. It's easy to see how it got its cult status, especially considering how the core themes of the film have evolved since its release, and now resonate stronger than ever. The blending of genders, glam rock music, and visual tomfoolery only add to the film's appeal. Mitchell's performance is captivating, the direction is interesting and the film is vibrant from start to finish. I didn't care much for the music, but it was still a lot better than I'd expected from a rock musical. People who love queer themes, a bit of experimentation, and/or musicals should give this one a go.Read all