Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Japanese Films in Berlin - Pt. 1
Following my Jan. 17 overview of Japanese films at the now-in-progress International Film Festival Rotterdam is my look at the selection at next week's Berlin International Film Festival, now in its 58th year.
To the left is the poster for this year's edition. I like the way they've incorporated the dancing bear more with the typography. They've also created separate posters for each of the festival's main sections as well as the European Film market and Berlin Talent Campus, which is a great idea. I will use some of them in miniature to denote each section I look at. I'm doing this in two parts because I'm busy.
Of course the big news here was Yamada Yôji's Kabei - Our Mother (Kaabee, 『母べえ』) being selected to compete for the Golden Bear. The film just opened here (which makes Berlin's screening an int'l premiere) on Saturday at a respectable 4th place in the weekend's top 10, with positive kuchikomi. Yamada's critical and box office hit Love and Honor opened the Panorama section last year, so he's on a roll. The only Japanese film to have ever won the Golden Bear was a little picture called Spirited Away, which shared the prize with Paul Greengrass' Bloody Sunday.
In the Panorama section there are two Japanese titles. First is First Love (Hatsu-koi, 『初戀』), directed by Imaizumi Kôichi (今泉浩一監督). Enjoy the bilingual official site here. A bit confusing since there was an OK Miyazaki Aoi film a couple of years ago with the same title (though different kanji). Imaizumi's film also played at the Kansai Queer Film Festival last year. With the endless supply of saccharine boy-girl movies here I could use some gay guerilla cinema right about now. Nice trailer.
Next up is Megane (『めがね』), directed by Ogigami Naoko (荻上直子監督). This film has periodically come up in articles I've written for Screen, whether for being one of 2007's most successful art house hits or Korea's Sponge picking up distribution rights (the film opened there in November). I haven't seen it so I can't comment on it, but you can read Mark Schilling's review here.
Pt. 2 will cover the mini Wakamatsu Kôji retrospective (and of course United Red Army is also screening) and the other Forum titles, as well as a couple of films in other sections.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Another "Top 10 Japanese Films of 2007" List For Your Perusal
Multi-decade resident and commenter on all things Japanese, Ad Blankestijn, is doing his Top 10 Japanese films of last year, devoting one extended post per day to each title. He's already written about Sakuran and Exte. Check it his blog "Japan Navigator" here.
Takeshi Kaneshiro - Returner to J-Cinema
Today was a press conference for Sweet Rain (Shinigami No Seido, 『死神の精度』), Kaneshiro Takeshi's return to Japanese cinema after a six year absence after Returner. Whatever you think of Kaneshiro, he's unique in Asian cinema -- one look at his filmography will tell you that. Ryuganji ran an article about the film last year (when its English title was still the direct translation Accuracy Of Death).
Pictured from left to right: Well-known short film director Kakehi Masaya (篔昌也監督), making his feature debut. Sweet Rain's plot seems to have inspired a Fuji TV series created by Kakehi. Next is actress Konishi Manami -- you might recognize her from Udon or Retribution (official site), where she played Yakusho Kôji's not-quite-there girlfriend. Next is Kaneshiro, and to his left is Fuji Sumiko (formerly Fuji Junko).
I don't have a lot of time to practice, but I'm getting a bit better with my D50. The above is a low-res version of one of the shots I took. I still need a longer zoom lens. The picture below was taken in the early evening today. The building in the background of the shinkansen (bullet train) is the Tokyo International Forum, where the press conference took place. It's also the venue of Tokyo FILMeX' opening screening each year. I knew the design was meant to evoke a ship, but I didn't realize how much until I saw this the structure from this particular vantage point for the first time. I've always liked Yûrakuchô.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Midnight Eye Best Of 2007
Finally, Midnight Eye has posted its list of the best and not-so-hot Japanese films of 2007, as well as some of our non-Japanese favourites. Check out our lists here. You can also vote and comment yourself here.
My compadres are really digging Strawberry Shortcakes. There's also a review for it by a new contributor named Paul Spicer. I subtitled it in late 2005 and it came out in Sept. 2006 so it just didn't cross my mind, but it had quite a few key fest dates last year. The lists are a good cross section of what's been shown overseas, what's on DVD and what I've taken in at the source.
Jasper Sharp also weighs in with a review for one of the best Japanese crime dramas I've ever seen -- Katô Tai's By A Man's Face You Shall Know Him (Otoko No Kao Wa Rirekisho, 『男の顔は履歴書』). It was part of The Japan Foundation Film Series Part 3 lineup back in 2005. On a side note, I don't think of subtitles as art but this movie's titles are the standard I aim for when I create them.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Want To Star in Shinya Tsukamoto's New Film Bullet Man?
From an article on Variety Japan's website today. Tsukamoto's upcoming "new wave suspense movie" Bullet Man will go into production this June. Details below. Interesting times!
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Cast & Staff wanted for Shinya Tsukamoto’s “BULLET MAN”
An internationally acclaimed director Shinya Tsukamoto (“Nightmare Detective,” “A Snake of June”) is now looking for cast and staff members for his next film, “BULLET MAN(working title).”
“BULLET MAN” is a new wave suspense movie set in near future Tokyo.
A caucasian or a half caucasian male actor in his 20’s to 30’s is wanted. Must be fluent in English. Tokyo resident is preferred. Must be able to be in the production from June to September this year.
Send your profile and face / full-body photographs to the address below. Applications must arrive no later than late March.
We are also looking for volunteer staffs at any time. No experience necessary. Creative, movie lovers are welcomed.
“BULLET MAN”
Maison Igarashi 402, 1-32-4 Nishi Sugamo, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0001
Snowkyo
Growing up in Toronto, heaps of snow was a regular part of every year. When I lived in Nagano City, too. But in Tokyo there's usually only one or two proper snowfalls a year, if that. Earlier this afternoon was this winter's first. As you can see, Japanese people use umbrellas when it snows. Is this a Japan-only thing? 20 minutes later the snow turned into rain and everything melted, but for a short while it was very natsukashii.
The Japan Foundation Film Series Part 9 - Yamamoto Satsuo
If you live in Tokyo or are going to be here on the weekend of Feb. 2-3, the 9th edition of The Japan Foundation Film Series (presented in collaboration with Tokyo FILMeX) is screening five films of director Yamamoto Satsuo (山本薩夫監督). Two of the films are new titles that weren't screened during FILMeX's 12-film retrospective on Yamamoto last year.
All the relevant synopses and screening details are here (日本語はこちら). All films are screened with English subtitles and only cost 600 yen. There will also be a lecture by noted film scholar Chris Fujiwara on Sunday afternoon. He served as a jury member at FILMeX in 2006.
Also see one of my previous posts on Yamamoto back in October and my coverage of the 8th edition and prior here.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Subtitling KIDS
It's been a while since I've done any subtitling work. I believe the last time was polishing the Strawberry Shortcakes subs for DVD, preceded by subbing Heavenly Forest for Toei.
Next up is KIDS (Japanese only, but you can navigate to the trailer easily enough). It's directed by Heavenly Forest's assistant director Ogishima Tatsuya (荻島達也監督) in his debut. "Kids" sounds like "kizu" 「傷」(scar, cut, wound), which is a literal and metaphorical motif in the movie, it seems. The film is receiving a day-and-date release on Feb. 2 in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Avex is handling foreign sales at Filmart etc.
Ogishima also has his sophomore effort coming out in June, Kimi Ni Shika Kikoenai『きみにしか聞こえない』(imdb credits and review here).
Both films are based on books by prolific author Otsuichi (乙一), whose short stories were the basis for omnibus film ZOO, which we subtitled a few years ago (trace back from April 26, 2007).
It's been a busy week with Screen -- finishing my feature on Tokyo Sonata (see my Dec. 13 entry) and a bunch of articles on topics including Toho's record-breaking year, the success of Earth at the Japanese box office (trivia: Ken Watanabe does the narration in the local version), sales news about female Zatoichi flick Ichi (directed by Sori Fumihiko), some EFM coverage etc.
Following my post yesterday about the Japanese films at this year's International Film Festival Rotterdam, I noticed that the latest issue of Screen (out today) features an image from Tiger Competition entry Waltz in Starlight (bottom center). Probably because Kimi Kouishi's facial hair resembles that of a famed Dutch master who died broke and without his left earlobe.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Japanese Films in Rotterdam
It's that time of year again, when Japanese cinema enjoys its ongoing good relations with the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 23 - Feb 3) and the Berlin International Film Festival (Feb 7 - 17), in their 37th and 58th editions respectively. First let's take a look at the films in Rotterdam in this post, followed by a Berlin post later this week.
The image at left seems to be this year's official poster. What do you think of the cat without its stripes? Only world and international premieres are listed on the official site at the moment, but that's enough to write about for now.
As with last year, there is one feature competing for the Tiger Award -- photographer-turned-director Wakagi Shingo's (若木信吾監督) Waltz in Starlight (Hoshikage no Waltz, 『星影のワルツ』). I saw an industry screening of this during Tokyo FILMeX and liked it well enough. Shot on video, it depicts a young man's return to his hometown and his relationship with his Grandfather and his two mentally challenged childhood friends. It reminded me of a strong Pia Film Festival entry (that is a compliment). There's also one Japanese film competing for the short film award -- Makino Takashi's Elements of Nothing, which features music by Jim O'Rourke (who also did music for Wakamastu's United Red Army).
I don't know if it's an official retrospective on Ishii Yûya (石井裕也監督), who's all of 25 years old, but he has five features in the "Sturm und Drang" section. First there's 2005's Bare-Asssed Japan, which won the Grand Prize at the Pia Film Festival last year followed by sophomore effort Rebel, Jiro's Love (Hangyaku Jirô no Koi)『反逆次郎の恋』). Ishii's latest video features, Monster Mode (Bakemono No Moyô,『ばけもの模様』) and Girl Sparks (『ガール・スパークス』), are also screening. He's part of the second generation of directors from the Osaka University of Arts indie film scene where directors like Yamashita Nobuhiro and Kumakiri Kazuyoshi came out of.
This World of Ours (trace back from my Sept 9 2007 entry) continues its world tour in Rotterdam. Where do you think it ranks on my Top 10 of the year?
There's also Shadow Of Sand (Suna No Kage, 『砂の影』) directed by Kaida Yusuke (甲斐田祐輔監督). It stars Tom Mes' cinema Goddess Eguchi Noriko. Shot in 8mm, including what looks like location work in Tottori Prefecture, where the legendary Women of the Dunes was filmed.
In the "Time and Tide" section there's Megumi: Until They Took Her Away, directed by Dutch filmmaker Mirjam van Veelen. It's co-produced by John Williams' 100 Meter Films. Congrats on the selection, John.
In the same section is Junk Films: The Collected Short Shockumentaries of Tsurisaki Kiyotaka. Tsurisaki's work looks like the kind of Japanese/Chinese/Italian mondo death videos I used to watch in my teens, but captured through an artistic eye. Not sure if I could stomach it anymore.
In the "Cinema Regained" section is Half Empty or Half Full (Hanshin Hangi, 『半身反義』), which sounds interesting.
Finally, on a more mainstream front, Appleseed: Ex Machina screens in the "Rotterdamerung" section.
See my 2007 overview here.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Kinema Junpô Announces Top 10 of 2007
Famed Japanese film magazine Kinema Junpô (キネマ旬報) announced their annual awards and Top 10 lists today. There are always some (and often many) head scratchers on their lists, but I guess that's the nature of rankings.
Below are the Top 10 Japanese Films (with separate links for English reviews and Japanese official sites), followed by the Top 10 Foreign Films. There's also a Top 10 "Cultural" Films ranking. I suppose this could also be classified as "Art House," though I'm not sure they all got theatrical releases. I don't have time to provide links/translated titles, though #8's Franz Kafka's A Country Doctor (Kafka Inaka Isha), directed by Yamamura Koji (山村浩二監督), has won several awards overseas and will be familiar to animation fans. Update: Looking again, it seems that other than Kafka... they're all documentaries. I saw #10 (Yasukuni) in Pusan.
Individual awards included: Director Suo Masayuki won Best Director & Screenplay and Kase Ryô (one of my favourite thesps) won Best Actor for I Just Didn't Do It. Takeuchi Yûko won Best Actress for Dog In A Sidecar. Best Supporting Actor went to Miura Tomokazu for Adrift In Tokyo (cool!) and Best Supporting Actress to Nagasaku Hiromi for Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers. The acting awards also factor in work done in other films released in 2007. Best Foreign Director went to Venice and Tokyo FILMeX favourite Jia Zhangke. The award ceremony will be held on Feburary 5th at Yûrakuchô's Asahi Hall.
My own Best Of 2007 will be up on Midnight Eye very soon. A couple of my selections are in the first list -- you can probably guess which two.
（７）Dream Girls
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Sign of the Taimuzu
Getting some work done at a coffee shop in Shinjuku that has free WiFi. On the way here I snapped a picture of the above hoarding near Shinjuku station's south exit. It's an ad for an upcoming Sunday night TBS dorama called Sasaki Fusai No Jingi Naki Tatakai (『佐々木夫妻の仁義なき戦い』), which translates to The Sasakis: Battles Without Honor & Humanity -- yes, it's a play on Fukasaku Kinji's classic yakuza film series.
The series stars Koyuki, whose recently quiet international rep will get a big boost with upcoming roles in John Woo's Red Cliff and Blood: The Last Vampire in the wake of her joining Avex' talent roster. Her costar is SMAP member Inagaki Gorô, who's appeared in some films including University of Laughs (Warai No Daigaku) and is quite knowledgable about movies, sometimes doing critiques.
Inagaki and Koyuki play married couple Hôrin and Ritsuko Sasaki. Both lawyers with completely opposite personalities, they hastily tied the knot three years ago and are running their own little law firm (the first kanji of their names forms the word hôritsu / "law"). They're both working professionals but Hôrin still expects Ritsuko to take care of the housework. The dishes, laundry and trash are piling up at the house and their married life has become one fight after another -- are they heading for divorce? The civil suits they take on at work (the pilot sees them settle a garbage dispute) causes the legalese to spill over into their arguments at home. The bruises and cuts on their faces in the ad seem to suggest War of the Roses-styled physical battles, but it's all verbal violence followed by kiss and make-up sessions.
Once a taboo topic in Japanese society, rikon (離婚) / divorce is everywhere you look nowadays. A considerable amount of the entertainment news sludge I wade through every day is concerned with marriages or divorces. The quotient is even higher in the weeklies. There have been concrete changes to divorce law as well, most significantly the pension-related amendment in April 2007 (see BBC story here or do your own Googling). In Japan single mothers and other women filing for divorce are fighting for what my kaachan and her contemporaries did way back in the 70s and 80s. Warren Adler's novel which served the basis for the Douglas/Turner flick came out in 1981. Crikey.
I don't watch many dramas but maybe I'll set my hard disk recorder for the pilot on the 20th.
Update: According to this Zakzak article, the screenwriter based their characters on famed pro wrestling couple Sasaki Kensuke and his wife Hisako (aka Hokuto Akira). Other than watching Jumbo Tommy Tsuruta as kid, I know zilch about Japanese wrestling. Apparently some real fists will fly in the show, too.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Sabu's Dancing Mary in Hong Kong's HAF
I wasn't going to chime in until some time next week, but I'm relaxing at my favourite hotel in Tokyo and the Hong Kong Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has announced their list of 2008 projects, so I can now mention that Sabu is participating with a project entitled Dancing Mary.
The official HAF site hasn't been updated to include synopses yet, but I can say that Dancing Mary is a fun story that will define what might just be a new subgenre that we've dubbed "tearjerker horror." It's been quiet on the Sabu front for a couple years, but with Dancing Mary, and Arrested Memories / High in Heaven (see my related entries here), Sabu now has three projects set for foreign production. There's also a domestic film that goes before cameras this year (more on that later). Sabu is a popular guy in the HK film world, so we're hoping it'll go down well!
Nakata Hideo (see my Nakata interview here) also has a project at HAF entitled Gensenkan, which is possibly a new adaptation of Tsuge Yoshiharu's 1968 manga Gensenkan Shujin (『ゲンセンカン主人』), which Ishii Teruo adapated in 1993 (his return to the big screen, and which I didn't realize screened at the Toronto film fest), but I have to confirm that. On a side note, check out Midnight Eye's excellent interview with Ishii, which I believe was one of his last before he died. For trivia buffs, in Sabu's days as an actor he appeared in Nakata's Don't Look Up (Joyû-rei,『女優霊』), which is now being remade by Fruit Chain.
The other Japanese project at HAF is Tsûtenkaku (『通天閣』), which is a famous tower in Osaka. Maybe Osaka is looking for its own Tokyo Tower-styled contents boom. Director Ôtani Kentarô, who made a little film called Nana, is at the helm.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
2008 Has Arrived!
2008 謹賀新年！
Happy New Year 2008 from Tokyo!
The show will begin shortly...
Update: I couldn't find a good graphic to accompany the post but what should arrive in my inbox but greetings from friend Alex Zahlten -- festival director of Frankfurt's Nippon Connection, Europe's best Japanese film event. NC mascot Maruchan turns 8 when the festival opens this April (2-6). You can still catch the last leg of the 2007 edition tour later this month at Yale University (Jan 24 - Feb 3).
