Since i cleared out my to-watch shelves, I finally got to order some new Japanese DVDs.
I got them this past weekend and have watched most of them. I keep trying to get some time together to write up some proper reviews, but ... too lazy.
Here's what I got :
MIND GAME - animated. bizarre. No the typical "anime style" and looks like it belongs in Liquid TV. Lots of rotoscoping, live action video overlay/compositing, and some CG. Visually enchanting. Story was so-so. Expensive, even for a Japanese dvd.
LORELEI - big budget summer stupid movie. Interesting central idea undone by so many just ridiculous plot elements. SOME stupidity in a film like this is acceptable (perhaps even desired), but almost everything within is at some level of ridiculousness. Where it could have been a sci-fi-ish/supernatural DAS BOOT, it ends up being a bizarre PEARL HARBOR-esque mess.
HEAVEN'S BOOKSTORE - Beautiful elegy to love, guilt, and regret and the redemptions that one can find. Heaven in this case looks more like Purgatory and is an interesting idea approaching that of AFTER LIFE. Some minor characterization problems and perfunctory scenes detracted a bit, but the tenderness was palpable.
MOONLIGHT JELLYFISH - Similar to GILBERT GRAPE as a Yakuza has an autistic younger brother who he cares for. The beautiful and forlorn nurse plays the love interest. Overall concept and design is good, but never quite comes together quite right. Main casting seemed off and the plot gyrations were a bit tedious.
BREATHE IN BREATHE OUT- 6 Tokyo-ites go to Okinawa to cut sugar cane. As they work together, they grow to know each other and the stories they carry. Very interesting in that the focus is primarly on the work they do and that much of the backstories actually goes UNTOLD and just implied. It's beautiful and feels too short. recommended.
MY SECRET CACHE - An earlier work from director Yagushi Shinobu of SWING GIRLS and WATERBOYS. Comedy about a girl who knows where a $5M stash is hidden but whose efforts to find them lead her on some wild adventures. At times surreal, at times bizarre, quite enjoyable.
Just watched Breathe In, Breathe Out. Liked it a lot! I think I will be reading your site more for more ideas of movies to watch.
Posted by: Alex Lin | October 22, 2006 at 12:18 AM