Hello and welcome. It has been a while since my last batch of editorials. The delay was mainly caused by the fact that I have been too busy in the latter half of 2022, and because of that I was unable to contribute to sites outside of my blog. Recently, I decided to do something about this shortcoming.
As I have explained in my original post, I do not want to have subscribers of my blog (especially those from the mailing list) missing out on the content that is posted elsewhere. Therefore, I am providing a concise update about my publications in a post form. This batch includes articles and special reviews published between January and April 2023. I hope that you will enjoy these and please feel free to share your thoughts either via email or in the comments.
I am coming back to blog updates fresh from finishing my work on the Haruki Murakami editorial. This week, however, rather than posting a standard review or editorial, I decided to take a trip back down memory lane and compose a good old recommendation list. To be specific, I was flicking through letterboxd reviews under some of my fave films and one of the random comments about “the holy trinity of one-shot films” caught my attention. What is the holy trinity of one-shot films when it comes to Japanese movies? Here are my suggestions:
One Cut of the Dead (2017)
Synopsis: Takayuki Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu) is an experienced commercial director, but he does not have groundbreaking projects on his record. He is approached with an offer of making a live zombie film that will be used as a launch feature for a TV horror channel. Takayuki assembles the cast and crew, but he does not have much faith in the picture. While shooting at an abandoned factory, it turns out that the real zombie apocalypse just broke out. The cast and crew have to fight for their lives, whereas Takayuki keeps on shooting in order to realise his masterpiece. Please take the synopsis above with a grain of salt. One Cut of the Dead is so much more than just a tongue-in-cheek survival flick with comedy elements. The first 36 minutes of the film is an excellent parody of the genre, but also a brilliant showcase of filmmaking technique. (The entire first act was shot in one take) Allegedly, the crew had to redo this sequence six times in order to get it right.
After the outstanding introduction, the viewers are presented with the lives of Takayuki and other crewmembers about a month before the shooting. The second act actually blurs the lines between reality and fiction. The “making” of One Cut of the Dead becomes a meta-commentary on filmmaking, joining the line of such classic "movies about movies" as Ed Wood (1994), Bowfinger (1999) and The Disaster Artist (2017). The motif which grabbed my heart the most was the one focusing on Takayuki and his family. It is a joy watching their interactions and how they all jump at the One Cut of the Dead project. This is where the third act kicks in, which can be best described as a companion piece to Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997). In a way, both movies are about failed productions which become masterpieces by pure coincidence.
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2021)
Synopsis: Kato (Kazunari Tosa) is the owner of a small café. His apartment is actually located one storey above the café. After a whole day of working, he returns to his flat only to discover that on his computer monitor there is an image of himself. Kato realises that his PC monitor shows what will happen two minutes in the future. What is more interesting, another screen downstairs in his café shows the past of two minutes ago. Kato and his friends place the two mysterious devices opposite each other, which creates an infinite loop, allowing them to see into the future beyond the limit of two minutes. Obviously, this uncanny situation is going to lead to many hilarious situations, moments of danger as well as paradoxes... Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes starts off like a typical, peaceful slice-of-life drama, but do not let the appearances fool you. During the first 5 minutes of the film, it becomes apparent that this is a spiritual successor of One Cut of the Dead (2017), in terms of both the execution and a wild storyline.
The first half of the picture really goes at lengths to meticulously explain to viewers what on earth is happening on the screen. It goes without saying that the screenwriter was really into hard science and fantasy, which translated into movie language really well. Basically, the filmmaking team took the concept of Droste effect and gave it a time-travel spin. The only other movie I think of in which this idea was used is Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). Think of Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes as the light-hearted, comprehensible, and low-budget version of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet (2020) which compensates the lack of IMAX visuals with witty dialogue, heart-warming characters, and a touch of romance. The premise of the film is not so much meddling with time as in Back to the Future (1985) but more like blurring the boundaries between cause and effect as in Predestination (2014). From the technical standpoint, I really have to praise the crew not only because of the fact that they went with one continuous shot method, but also because they shot the entire movie on a smartphone! Short making-of compilation during the end credits really shows hard work and passion of the makers.
Airport 2013
Synopsis: Chigusa Okouchi (Yuko Takeuchi) is a ground staff officer at a small Matsumoto airport which mainly handles local airlines. Nevertheless, an airplane bound for Tokyo forcefully lands in Matsumoto due to bad weather over Haneda airport. Until the meteorological conditions clear up, Okouchi has to take care of passengers who wait to resume their journey. In the course of her assignment, Okouchi will unravel lots of family secrets and conspiracies that will lead to many hilarious incidents. My only wish is that I could have discovered this gem of a movie much earlier. Koki Mitani does not present a disaster scenario as in Airport 1970 or a happy-go-lucky take on how airlines operate as in Happy Flight (2008). Rather than that, the viewers are presented with a day in the life of a diligent ground staff worker who carries tough responsibilities on her shoulders.
Initially, you may think that Okouchi has to deal with a family of degenerates, but all of them are vibrant personalities who turn out to be extremely likable in the end. Okouchi’s interactions with each character are so amazing and the dialogue is so witty! If you want to experience a heart-warming and motivational story exploring tough day at work and difficult family relations, then Airport 2013 is the sure-fire choice for you. You can never go wrong with Koki Mitani and his storytelling style. In addition, the movie is a marvelous showcase of Yuko Takeuchi’s talent. It’s such a shame that this great actress is no longer with us.
All things considered, this was my recommendation list. I hope that you will pick up some of the suggestions. If so, don’t hesitate to share your opinion on the films in the comments. Thank you for reading.
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Hanalei Bay; or, Silent Grieving Being forgetful isn’t the problem. Forgetting is the problem. At the moment, I am making my way through the movie adaptations of Haruki Murakami’s novels for the purposes of my upcoming editorial. I thought it could be a idea to slow my pace and focus in greater detail on one particular movie, which is Daishi Matsunaga’s Hanalei Bay. Release Info
Directed by: Daishi MatsunagaStarring: Yo Yoshida, Nijiro Murakami, Reo Sano
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ハナレイ・ベイ Runtime: 96 min
Synopsis Sachi (Yo Yoshida) receives a phone call informing her that her son died in Hawaii due to a shark attack. The woman arrives in Hanalei Bay to take care of formalities and retrieve the ashes of her son. Nevertheless, Sachi continues to come back to Hanalei Bay every year…
By the seaside One could think that Murakami purposely came up with the theme of a mother losing her son to tell a sappy tale centered on grieving, but the mother figure is an extremely bitter and self-reliant person who helps out two noob teenagers from Japan.
Director Daishi Matsunaga recreates the main plot points a T, but the reserved camerawork, stoic atmosphere, and the striking performance by the legendary Yo Yoshida are the factors that make this particular adaptation stand out to me. The third act is especially captivating as the viewers see a clear difference between the difficult past of the main heroine and the present stillness of the titular bay.
I have to say that the mother in the film is not simply bitter. She processes her feelings towards her unruly late son while becoming the mother figure to two Japanese surfers. Undoubtedly, the most touching scene is the one in a skate park, and it is an original addition not penned by Murakami at all.
With regard to performances, Yo Yoshida undoubtedly carries the weight of the film on her shoulders. Nijiro Murakami does well in the supporting role as one of the young surfers in need. Reo Sano is quite memorable as the son, in spire of the limited screen time. I also appreciate the fact that there is a lot of dialogue in English. Some viewers voiced their concerns about the delivery of lines by Yo Yoshida, but I think she did it very well, definitely better than Satomi Ishihara in Shin Godzilla(2016).
Recommendations If you are looking for a tranquil feature that will make you reconnect with the lyrical loneliness, then recommend Hanalei Bay. Unfortunately, the film is unavailable on streaming platforms at the moment. However, the movie is making rounds as part of many film festivals (that’s how I watched it originally), and there’s also a Japanese DVD edition out there.
Overall score: 9/10
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