Log: week 23 / 2022

A massive Chinese war drama epic. It's a whopping three hours long, time spent almost exclusively on narrative and melodrama. I can't say I've been really wowed by classic Chinese cinema so far, it's very different from the films I like and doesn't really do enough to set it apart from other films of that era.

An intriguing film from Masahiro Kobayashi. What looks like a police procedural gets stripped down to the bones to reveal a thrilling, oppressive and mysterious drama. The slow pacing and excessive length are deliberate and functional, even so I think cutting 15-20 minutes could've made this into a personal favorite.

One of Kawase's earliest feature films (though she already had a slew of documentaries behind her name), that has remained elusive for quite a while. I'm not sure why, as this is effectively one of her better dramas I've seen so far. It's a bit long (obviously), but it never felt forced or contrived.

A simple blockbuster adventure. The adventure genre made a big comeback these past couple of years, this is a more action-based version, which comes with a solid game franchise backing. For a film like that, just offering the basic blockbuster thrills is more than enough, and that's exactly what you're getting.

Better than I had expected. I can't say I heard of this title before, but I'm not a big fan of Ford and these late 80s/90s thrillers have aged considerably, so expectations were low. Not that Witness is a great film, but thanks to the very atmospheric score and above average cinematography it does manage to stand out.

Asia loves a good theater troupe drama, so I'm not surprised to see Ozu also took a shot. Two shots in fact, as this is a remake of his own film. Though made 2 decades later, I can't say it's a noticeably better film, it's not really the type of film that could benefit greatly from a remake either.

A stunning indie animation that is reminiscent of Studio 4°C's Comedy and Mamoru Oshii's Angel's Egg. Based on a manga, director Kubo sculpts a magical realm that slowly reveals its secrets. The animation is a little limited, but the art style is magnificent, and the score is entrancing. The characters are both mysterious and loveable, their relationship both simple and complex. After a somewhat slower start, the film really comes into its own during the second half, building up towards a beautiful finale. I really loved this one.

A fun 90s OAV. It's a very familiar title that I often ran into back in the day, but I never got around to actually watching Perfect Little. It's nothing too spectacular, a fun mix of sci-fi, action and some comedy, but the designs are pretty cool, the animation is proper and the pacing perfect.

Good film, but it begs the question of how many Japanese dramas people have seen. It sticks to conventions pretty neatly and apart from weaving in a play (which wasn't very subtle), it's a very solid but textbook example of what Japanese dramas deliver and how they go about delivering it.

Chia-Liang Liu's swan song. It's a very clear throwback to the heyday of the Shaw Bros studio, which is both a strength and a weakness. The film feels more than a bit dated for a 2003 project, but the focus on martial arts skills and choreography is tangible. With Liu both in front of and behind the camera, there's plenty to like for genre fans.

Ozu's final film. It also feels like a film from a director who is nearing the end of his career, though Ozu died relatively young and his films were never the most dashing to begin with. Avid Ozu fans will surely find a lot to like here, the strong focus on aged characters and old-fashioned morality just wasn't really to my liking.

An interesting take on the superhero genre. That's not too difficult, considering everyone is simply trying to mimic Marvel and/or DC, but it's at least somewhat refreshing to see there are still people willing to make an effort. I don't think the potential was used to its fullest here, but it was a pleasant enough film.

Jissoji adapts another Rampo story. The two are a great match, although with Jissoji it can be a little tricky to put a clear label on him. He's a director with some unique and varied sensibilities, handling auteur/arthouse productions and popular cheese with the same ease. The mix of the dark and the perverted, so typical for Rampo's stories, is another thing he really does well.

The film didn't start off too bad, but like too many films from the 30s, the narrative and dialogue get in the way of a decent watch. The cinematography is interesting and expressive, the narrative is pretty boring and the bland dialogues just slow things down even further. Not the worst of its kind though.

Even worse than the first one. I don't even know anymore what they're trying to do with this franchise. The plot is completely inane, the dark humor has all but gone, the soundtrack is a collection of ill-fitting pop songs and the characters are only a shimmer of their former selves.

China does Dune mixed with Mad Max on a budget. While they're clearly nailing some genres, sci-fi is proving to be a tough nut to crack. We're not talking Asylum-level bad here, but there are moments that seem to reference the work of the infamous American knock-off studio. I wouldn't bother too much with this film, unless you're starved for sci-fi.

Somewhat better than expected. Then again, expectations were pretty low as we're talking a Japanese comedy from the '30s. It's not quite as stuffy or slow-paced as I'd feared, it's not exactly a roaring onslaught of laughs either. If you like the classic samurai fare, and you want something lighter, I doubt this one will disappoint.

A horror film that thrives on atmosphere. The underlying mystery isn't too complex, but it is revealed slowly and without too much explicit dialogue. Keating does a lot of things right, it's just that the middle part is a tad tepid and the reveals aren't that exciting, which lessens the impact of the mystery.

China doing cyberpunk. It's a shame they're trying a little too hard to copy the modern Blade Runner vibe (though on a much smaller budget). It's both lacking in cyber and in punk, which results in a setting that isn't quite appealing enough to carry the film. Not that this was a terrible attempt, it's just that a lot more could've been done with it.

A somewhat inconspicuous short to start off Shinohara's career, except that Work on the Grass is a perfect precursor to Breathe In, Breathe Out, arguably one of Shinohara's best films to date. The premise is very similar, so is the appeal, though the limited runtime keeps Shinohara from hitting the necessary dramatic notes.

This must be one of the cheapest looking blockbusters out there. It's mind-boggling this film was made in 2008, it looks like a cheaper blockbuster from the early 90s. Maybe it's not so bad if you're watching this with your kids, otherwise I'd suggest staying away from it, unless you're a huge adventure addict.

The latest instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise takes a while to get going. The first half feels like watching some butchered James Bond flick, it isn't until the second half that the Jurassic Park mood starts to surface. And then there's just a bit too much pandering to previous episodes.

An old sci-fi flick based on H.G. Wells' novel. I haven't read that, so I'm a bit unsure where to place the blame, but it's safe to say that the film is somewhat of a mess. The pacing is completely off, and it feels like you're watching 5 seasons worth of material rolled into a single film. Luckily there are some stand-alone scenes that still make it worth a watch.

Dunstan returns with a fun take on classic premise. The film is written like a horror flick from the 80s, but the execution feels way more contemporary. Cue a bunch of disgruntled horror fans who can't handle the lack of 80s pandering, so don't be too worried if you read a series of negative reviews.