The Sea Is Watching (2002) [Film Review]

The Sea Is Watching; or, The Measure of Love
     Misfortune added to misfortune only doubles the misery.
The Sea Is Watching is yet another Akira Kurosawa’s project that did not see its realisation before the director’s death. As a result, it was made as a tribute to Kurosawa after his passing. I have been meaning to watch the movie together with After the Rain (1999), but somehow something kept coming up and I kept forgetting about it. Thankfully, I finally managed to check it out and I share my thoughts on the film.

Release Info

Directed by: Kei Kumai Starring: Nagiko Tono, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masatoshi Nagase

Language: Japanese Original Title: 海は見ていた Runtime: 119 min

Synopsis
Japan, 19th century. Oshin (Nagiko Tono) works as a prostitute. She lives in a house inhabited by other ladies for company. One day, a samurai named Fusanosuke (Hidetaka Yoshioka) arrives in a house looking for safety after injuring a man in a fight. Oshin shelters Fusanosuke and falls in love with him. Unfortunately, the samurai breaks her heart by marrying somebody else. Then, Oshin meets a wanderer Ryosuke (Masatoshi Nagase).

Distant Stillness
Maybe it’s an insane wall of expectations from myself, but I think that The Sea Is Watching is an inferior film when compared to After the Rain. Indeed, both have the spirit and charm of Akira Kurosawa, yet the story of The Sea Is Watching feels so out of place from the director’s dramatic repertoire. All in all, the centre focus of the script is a prostitute with romantic feelings.

Come to think of it, if I hadn't known anything about the film, I would have assumed it was crafted by Nobuhiko Obayashi because of the female-oriented plot, traditional Japan setting, rich colour palette, and a touch of violence. That being said, we know Kurosawa is the one who wrote the script and director Kei Kumai did the directorial chores, and he pulled off the job in a satisfactory way.

While watching the film, I really sympathised with the difficult plight of Oshin, but at the same time, I thought her profession is overly romanticised in the film. Oshin’s professional friends are wholeheartedly supportive of the main heroine while dealing with their own share of toxic relationships. To be honest, all of the them function like remixed variations of Cinderella waiting to be saved and there is no Cruella de Vil in sight to stir things up for Oshin.

Still again, Kurosawa’s story is very poignant and it highlights the unpredictability as well as the sad uncertainty of life. You invest yourself emotionally into another person only to discover that this person does not understand you at all.

With regard to performances, Nagiko Tono played Oshin beautifully and it makes me all the more surprised that this actress did not have greater gigs in historical dramas. Super young Hidetaka Yoshioka convincingly portrays a scared samurai, whereas Masatashi Nagase does a great job as a disillusioned and pitiful loner. A word of mention also goes to Misa Shimizu who portrayed Kikuno.

Recommendations
I won’t write “if you like Kurosawa, then…” Just watch The Sea Is Watching and judge for yourselves if you sense the cinematic master’s vibe. It’s a well made slice-of-life tale, but After the Rain resonated better with me.
Overall score: 6/10

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Perfect Days (2023) [Film Review]

Perfect Days; or, The Art of Mindfulness
     Next time is next time. Now is now.
When I heard about a new movie project by Win Wenders centered around public toilets for the first time, I thought that the famous German director was going to commit another weird “auteur stunt” like Fruit Chan with his movie about toilets over 20 years ago. Thankfully, I couldn’t be more wrong. Perfect Days directed by Wim Wenders is not toilet-oriented insanity, but a thoughtful examination of our existence, and how we can live in peace with our surroundings.

Release Info

Directed by: Wim Wenders Starring: Koji Yakusho, Arisa Nakano, Tokio Emoto, Tomokazu Miura

Language: Japanese Original Title: Perfect Days Runtime: 123 min

Synopsis
Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) works for the Tokyo Toilet company as a cleaner. His life is governed by structure and rituals. He listens to music on cassettes, cultivates plants, reads books, but most importantly, he loves trees and takes pictures of them, trying to capture the elusive phenomenon of komorebi. We observe Hirayama’s life through his unlikely encounters with other people.

Slow Living
Even though the movie had its premiere last year, and it has been widely discussed on the internet for a few good months, I was able to see it by complete incident, when I found out that a cinema in the neighbouring city was going to organize a screening (the distributor over here circulates the film over cinema chains for two months).

Well, I went to see the film completely blind. I did not read the synopsis and I did not watch any trailer. All I knew was that Koji Yakusho was the lead and Wim Wenders directed the film. I think the best way to describe the film is to call it a cautionary tale with a cathartic release.

I fell in love with the character of Hirayama and his simple approach to life. In this day and age, when we are bombarded with overstimulation from all sides, it is indeed refreshing to see the quiet lifestyle of a boomer who is only passionate about his hobbies and oriented within the moment. I dare to suspect that Hirayama is not Wenders’ attempt to romaticise Japanese people, but an embodiment of the director’s personal warning against hustle culture and digital slavery.

In addition, I couldn’t help but notice a few nods to Yasujiro Ozu. Indeed, Wenders is an Ozu fanboy and the clear expression of this is the traditional 4:3 aspect ratio of Perfect Days, which gives the film a wonderful vintage flair. What is more, I am not sure if the movie was shot on actual film tape or on a digital camera, but the vivid colour grading is outstanding.

With regard to performances, Koji Yakusho proves once again what a legendary actor he is. From Tampopo to Perfect Days, the man’s over 40-year-long career is sheer epicness. However, I am deeply convinced that Yakusho is the only guy on the planet who could play Hirayama. His withdrawal from society combined with genuine gentleness and sincerity very much echoes other character played by Yakusho, such as Sugiyama in Shall We Dance? and Kantake Kazumasa in Kamikaze Taxi.

Recommendations
All things considered, I experienced the film at a perfect timing. Perfect Days is the kind of fatherly advice everyone needs to hear from time to time. In some Polish review, I read that the film is the perfect example of a motion picture promoting mindfulness. The problem is that it is hard to find other examples from Japanese Cinema. There are plenty of comedies, and quite slice-of-life tales, but Perfect Days sets the tone for a very unique cinematic experience. Last but not least, I encourage you to visit the official page of the movie, which is a work of art in and of itself, and it includes additional info about Hirayama's life outside of the film.
Overall score: 9/10

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The Island Closest to Heaven (1984) [Film Review]

The Island Closest to Heaven; or, Let’s Go to the Beach
     See this river? If you follow it all the way out, it leads you to the sea. If you keep going, way to the south, all the way to the other side of the world, there’s a small island made of pure white coral. That is the island closest to where God is in heaven.
I continue my journey through Obayashi’s Kadokawa productions, this time with The Island Closest to Heaven from 1984, yet another Tomoyo Harada vehicle, based on an autobiographical book authored by Morimura Katsura.

Release Info

Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi Starring: Tomoyo Harada, Ryoichi Takayanagi, Toru Minegishi

Language: Japanese Original Title: 天国にいちばん近い島 Runtime: 102 min

Synopsis
When Mari Katsuragi (Tomoyo Harada) was a little girl, her father told her about an island far to the south where it is always sunny and warm. It was the island closest to heaven, and the father promised Mari that they would visit it together. After the father’s passing, Mari declares to her mother that she is going to search for the island on her own. She goes to New Caledonia where she meets a whole bunch of idiosyncratic natives and Japanese immigrants who will make an impact on her life.

Safe Space
I would say that The Island Closest to Heaven is the first unusual filmmaking endeavour for Obayashi because it does not have an avant-garde storyline or fantasy/horror elements. The film is primarily an introspective, soul-searching journey of the main heroine who makes her first steps into adulthood.

I would not call this a Bildungsroman in and of itself, but rather a slice-of-life evaluation of the Japanese immigrant experience within the French territory of New Caledonia. Indeed, Obayashi populates the story with many people deriving from different backgrounds and age groups. Mari finds herself particularly torn in between two men, a young “local” Taro (Ryoichi Takayanagi) and an elderly tour guide Yuichi (Toru Minegishi). She goes through teenage love in the first relationship, but Yuichi’s heartbroken past (which Mari glues back in the finale) teaches her that there is still much more to experience in life.

The juxtaposition between the indigenous people and the Japanese immigrants done by Obayashi is also interesting. Mari, in the course of her journey experiences disappointment after disappointment, failure after failure. The Japanese settlers to whom Taro belongs reject Mari because they perceive her as an outsider: “You shouldn’t fall in love with a tourist. You’ll end up being lonely,” Taro is warned. However, the natives unconditionally rush to the rescue and save Mari suffering from fever. This marks her rite of passage into an adult woman.

In addition, Mari’s relationship with a Japanese widow who visited New Caledonia to pay respects to her deceased husband is also intriguing. One would expect the widow to behave in a restrained and conservative manner, but her character (as expected from Obayashi) is suffused with sentimentality, and she advises Mari that “Life is not long. You need to be unreasonable sometimes.” This stands in stark contrast with the behaviour of Mari’s travel colleague Fukuko (Maiko Ogo) who carelessly consumes alcohol and hunts in the hotel poolside for prospective French boyfriends.

With regard to performances, Tomoyo Harada provides a decent performance as the female lead, but I preferred her more assertive modus operandi as depicted in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Ryoichi Takayanagi does a better job this time round as the love interest, but his delivery of lines is still off. Toru Minegishi is outstanding in the supporting part and a true highlight of the motion picture.

Recommendations
All things considered, this is one of the Obayashi films to which I fondly come back just to revisit the tranquil ambience. Thanks to the wonderful cinematography helmed by Yoshitaka Sakamoto and the peaceful, orchestral music score composed by Tomoyuki Asakawa, The Island Closest to Heaven feels like a classic Hollywood picture from the 1930s but suffused with vibrant colours and breathtaking locations. The Third Window release of the film contains such bonus features as an original theatrical trailer, an audio commentary by Samm Deighan, and a video essay called “Obayashi - Femininity in Transition” by Robert Edwards. My only complaint is that the theme of the essay would have been more fitting for the potential discussion of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.Overall score: 8/10

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Beloved (2022) [Film Review]

Beloved; or, Stay With Me
     I have an idea. How about we spend one last day together? Go somewhere, walk around, have dinner…
Director Bishrel Mashbat is no stranger to this blog as I have already reviewed his feature-length debut In the Land of Lost Angels (2018). I was pleasantly surprised when Bishrel Mashbat reached out to me recently with information that he made a new movie called Beloved. Needless to say, I checked it out and was not disappointed.

Release Info

Directed by: Bishrel Mashbat Starring: Iveel Mashbat, Jana Miley, Charletta Rozzell

Language: English, Mongolian Runtime: 92 min

Synopsis
Anar (Iveel Mashbat) and Kassy (Jana Miley) constitute an inter-racial couple living in the United States. They have been married for five years, but things are not going well. In fact, their marriage gradually falls apart and they two behave towards each other more like roommates than husband and wife. Both of them consider divorce, but are they truly willing to give up on their relationship?

Memories of You
First of all, I have to say that Beloved seems to be a conventional story that has been done numerous times before, but the theme of marriage examination is not as important as that of nostalgia and introspective feelings of the main characters.

It is difficult for me to describe it, but the usage of music by Louis Armstrong, Camile Saint-Saëns, Eric Satie, Tchaikovsky, and Chopin, coupled with top-notch production design done by Nimi Lkhagva evokes this distinct feeling of coziness and warmth that can be found in pictures of such auteur filmmakers as Wong Kar-wai or Hirokazu Koreeda.

In other words, I felt as if I wanted to step into the 4:3 frame and experience the setting surrounding the characters on my own. Consequently, it goes without saying that Bishrel Mashbat is an artist who puts extreme emphasis on visuals rather than dialogue. Therefore, Beloved pulls you in with its ontological aspects (characters functioning in spaces and stuck in the past) rather than with expository means (standard breakaway of marriage).

With regard to performances, of course, I immediately spotted Iveel Mashbat whom I have already seen in In the Land of Lost Angels. In my opinion, he gives a more compelling performance in Beloved due to the general subject matter of the film. Obviously, Jana Miley cannot go unnoticed as well. She did a great job playing an emotionally-torn wife. My praise also goes to Charletta Rozzell who played a supporting but extremely vivid part.

Recommendations
If you are in need of a peaceful, yet thoughtful film, then I recommend Beloved. It officially premiered at the Seattle Asian Film Festival and is currently making rounds at other festivals. I sincerely hope that, similarly to In the Land of Lost Angels, Bishrel Mashabat’s latest film will also make its way to Amazon Prime and/or other streaming service.
Overall score: 7/10

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Little Cheung (1999) [Film Review]

Little Cheung; or, The Age of Innocence

     I thought Little Cheung came to say goodbye. But he was chasing the ambulance. That was the end of your friendship and the end of our childhood. I will always remember my happy times with him in Hong Kong.
In the final movie of The Handover Trilogy, Little Cheung from 1999, Fruit Chan provides an autobiographical look at the life of a typical hardworking family. In the style similar to Edward Yang and Hirokazu Koreeda, he paints a portrait of children of Hong Kong.

Release Info

Directed by: Fruit Chan Starring: Yiu Yuet-Ming, Mak Wai-Fan, Yiu Yuet-Ming

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 細路祥 Runtime: 118 min

Synopsis
The story presents Little Cheung (Yiu Yuet-Ming) who leads an ordinary life with his working family in Hong Kong. Cheung’s grandmother (Chu Siu-Yau) enjoys watching the performances of a classic opera singer Brother Cheung, whereas the parents frequently clash with the neighbouring restaurant owners. Little Cheung soon befriends Fan (Mak Wai-Fan) who is an illegal immigrant. The girl starts helping Cheung in his food deliveries.

Hong Kong Citizens
Evidently, the protagonists are of the film are children. They may be poor, they may be working on the streets, but they remain unconcerned about grand historical events happening around them. One of the most interesting subplots of the film is Little Cheung and his grandmother’s obsessive fascination with a classic opera singer Brother Cheung. The Pilipino maid (Armi Andres) in the house accurately notices that the family would care more about the death of this singer rather than the death of Deng Xiaoping himself.

In this way, Fruit Chan communicates that being Chinese does not mean being an ideological communist by default. Communists do not understand ordinary life, which is reflected in yet another scene where Cheung together with his friends scream at Hong Kong downtown in the distance and say "Hong Kong is ours!"

Nevertheless, changes do take place in Little Cheung’s life. With the handover of power, Little Cheung’s childhood drastically comes to an end. He has to find his own voice in a new world. Ironically, in a twist similar to the conclusions of grand epics by Krzysztof Kieślowski, the protagonists of all three films encounter each other at the zebra crossing in the concluding scene of Little Cheung. After all, the citizens of Hong Kong constitute its future.

Recommendations
I highly recommend Little Cheung. It is a great conclusion of The Handover Trilogy. Unfortunately, as in the case of The Longest Summer, the movie to date has no Blu-ray release, so you need to fall back on DVD.
Overall score: 8/10

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The Longest Summer (1998) [Film Review]

The Longest Summer; or, Lost in a Big City
     I'm disappointed in you! Want me to join the mob? Want me to rob a bank? You think you're cool? I'm disappointed in you! I pity your parents! You understand?
The next movie from Fruit Chan’s The Handover Trilogy, The Longest Summer, is one of the few Hong Kong productions which openly addresses the 1997 transfer of power. Unlike Made in Hong Kong, the movie focuses on a group of retired soldiers who try to find a new way of life in post-British Hong Kong.

Release Info

Directed by: Fruit Chan Starring: Tony Ho, Sam Lee, Jo Koo

Language: Cantonese Original Title: 去年煙花特別多 Runtime: 128 min

Synopsis
The story revolves around five officers of the now disbanded Hong Kong Military Service Corps. Jobless and with no prospects, the retired officers decide to rob a bank, but in such a way that no one will get hurt. Surprisingly, the bank is robbed by another team of bandits just moments before the protagonists were about to enter the building. However, they manage to snatch the stolen cash and hide it. All of that happens during the period of the handover of power. However, there is a growing distrust among the colleagues about the money.

Kick the Habit
The Longer Summer is, in my opinion, Fruit Chan’s best motion picture. The director managed to craft a dynamic drama in which the main hero has to give up his entire identity, his own subconscious, in order to be able to embrace the new state of affairs. As a result, it can be inferred that the colonial legacy of Britain as well as the Chinese advent of communism are nothing more but ideological burdens.

The is perhaps most visible in the scene where the main hero, Ga Yin (Tony Ho), is informed by his triad boss that Hong Kong turned into a baby within the span of just one day. Indeed, this change is observable with the singing of Auld Lang Syne in two languages and with the arrival of the People’s Liberation Army.

Interestingly, this movie heavily emphasises Fruit Chan’s fascination with urban space. We get to see lots of scenes with the characters riding through Hong Kong’s downtown or being surrounded by the city’s hustle and bustle. This is arguably the strongest aesthetic advantage of the film.

The plotline itself is quite slow-paced and serves to initiate a discussion about the pros and cons of the handover of power. The scene in which the retired soldiers salute the People’s Liberation Army is, indeed, the most touching, but the grand moment is interrupted by a baffling police chase after a guy running with a melon. Hong Kong has truly become a baby that needs to grow up and stand on its own. The sad ending of the film communicates just that.

Recommendations
I recommend The Longest Summer to anyone who would like to see some tidbits from Hong Kong’s history. Unfortunately, the movie is not available on Blu-ray which is a real shame. As a result, we are forced to admire the beauty of Hong Kong cityscape in a SD format. If you are not interested in the story, then watch the film just for the visuals. You won’t be disappointed.

Overall score: 8/10

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A Confucian Confusion (1994) [Film Review]

A Confucian Confusion; or, The Way of a Copywriter
     Don't you feel emotion is becoming dangerous nowadays? Emotion has only become an excuse. It can be faked. Take you, for example, your innocence, loveliness, tenderness, vivacity. They all can be faked. Think about it.
Recently, I found myself in a dire need for Edward Yang. Yi Yi (2000) is obviously a masterpiece and to date remains one of my all-time favourite movies, but I wanted to check out the director’s earlier works as well. My choice became A Confucian Confusion from 1994. I have been eyeing this particular motion picture for quite some time, but I was either not in the mood for it or too tired to pay attention to multiple storylines. Well, I finally watched it, so here are my thoughts on the film.

Release Info

Directed by: Edward Yang Starring: Suk Kwan Ni, Bosen Wang, Chen Shiang-chyi, Danny Dun

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 獨立時代 Runtime: 125 min

Synopsis
The story focuses on the misadventures of Molly (Suk Kwan Ni), a fast-paced yet moody businesswoman who is unhappy at work and also within a relationship. She is engaged to Akeem (Bosen Wang) who is a businessman doing international travels. Needless to say, he is hopelessly in love with Molly and incredibly jealous. Molly manoeuvres through her friends, former colleagues, and relatives, who are also in search of true meaning in life and true love. Will they be able to find both?

Taipei Nights
Description of the film on MyDramaList says that if Woody Allen were to direct a Taiwanese picture, then it would have looked like A Confucian Confusion. In my opinion, this statement is a bit far-fetched. Edward Yang, in his own, idiosyncratic auteur style, mercilessly dissects the social stratum of Taipei yuppies. The 1990s were a decade in which Taiwan was a rapidly growing economy; therefore, people became overwhelmed by rampant consumerism. What were the implications of that?

In A Confucian Confusion, Yang elaborates on the themes of fakeness and emptiness. It is always so easy to fake emotions or to pretend to be somebody else at work just to achieve a certain goal. What is more, the masses are interested only in the mainstream stuff, opting to cheer for a scummy artist rather than series writer. If Confucius himself got reincarnated and returned to Earth, people would tell him that he is a fake.

So this is the main modus operandi of the characters. They are deeply unhappy in modern society and desperately try to do something about it, to make the right choice. Here Yang's allegory about choosing either autocratic rule or democracy is important. To be honest, I very much enjoyed all the interactions and conflicts presented in the film. Yang presented the whole thing as if the audience performed the function of bystanders who witness flashes of events concerning ordinary people. My favourite subplot was the one focusing on Qiqi and her boyfriend.

With regard to performances, I obviously enjoyed Suk Kwan Ni as the main lead, but I also greatly liked seeing Chen Shiang-chyi and Danny Dun in the supporting roles. Interestingly, there are small parts done by veteran actresses: the late Chen Limei who played Molly’s sister and Elaine Jin who portrayed the Auntie.

Recommendations
If you are in the mood for a satirical (nearly Shakespearean, indeed) comedy flick from Edward Yang that rides to the ground the unlikable (yet deeply existentialist) business people from Taipei, then I recommend A Confucian Confusion. It is indeed a hidden treasure from director Edward Yang.

Overall score: 7/10

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Mama wa Idol (1987) [Drama Review]

Mama wa Idol; or, Woman of the House
     It’s tough being a mother!
Well, I guess we could say that Miho Nakayama went meta way before John Malkovich or Nicolas Cage! From the times when she was primarily an idol rather than an established actress, comes a heartwarming drama in which Miho plays a fictionalised version of herself, a popular TBS star and singer who tries to divide her time between career in showbiz and… being a mom! Let’s take a closer look at Mama wa Idol.

Release Info

Developed by: Yoshimoto Masahiro Starring: Miho Nakayama, Kunihiko Mitamura, Kumiko Goto

Language: Japanese Original Title: ママはアイドル! No. of eps.: 10 + SP

Synopsis
Mr Shuichi Mizusawa (Kunihiko Mitamura) is a school teacher and a widower who single-handedly looks after his three children. One day, when the children come back home, they discover Miho Nakayama cooking in the kitchen. Miho greets them and explains that from this moment on she is going to act as their mother. This situation infuriates the daughter, Akira Mizusawa (Kumiko Goto), who refuses to accept Miho as a new family member. What is more, Shuichi and Miho actually married in secret and try to hide this fact from the public spotlight so as not to burden the children with paparazzi and unnecessary scandal. Will the secret remain under wraps? Is Akira going to warm up to Miho?

Being Miporin
Watching the first episode was definitely a weird experience. It made me wonder how much crack the screenwriters smoked to come up with an idea of a 17-year-old(!) idol marrying her former homeroom teacher and becoming a mom to kids who are barely younger than her. This may be too much to sink in for certain viewers, but the drama is by no means NSFW. On the contrary, it's a feel-good Miho Nakayama vehicle similar in spirit to an old Disney family comedy called Man of the House (1995).

Once you get over the initial shock triggered by the premise, the show becomes very enjoyable. There are lots of funny as well as touching moments when Miho desperately tries to be a mother while hiding her idol identity in front of the Mizusawa’s pesky neighbour, Ms Tokita (hilariously played by Jun Fubuki). In addition, the drama also provides an insight into the everyday challenges of an idol such as rehearsals, photo sessions, location shooting, and concerts. A lot of real TBS crewmembers and even other idols (Risa Tachibana, Aiko Morishita, Naoko Amihama) have either guest or cameo appearances as well.

Nevertheless, the real heart of the show is the complicated relationship between Miho and Akira. The daughter has her own romantic life which serves as a nice subplot throughout the series. In my opinion, the best episode of the drama is the ninth one, where Akira actually tries to become an idol herself and Miho is cheering for her.

Needless to say, the finale of episode 10 is extremely touching and idealistic. It really makes you wonder if an idol is capable of having a family and being active as a star. The obvious answer is that it’s not possible. Consequently, the SP episode very much underlines this message in its own finale.

Apart from the brilliant performances of Miho Nakayama and Kumiko Goto, I have also enjoyed seeing Kunihiko Mitamura as the dad and Masatoshi Nagase as one of the sons. Apart from Jun Fubuki, also Shigeru Muroi has a hilarious supporting part as Miho’s co-worker. Last but not least, I have to stress that I totally dig the main theme Hade!, which is sung by Miho in the opening credits.

 Recommendations
All things considered, Mama wa Idol is a neat, good ol’ JDrama which strikes the right chord. It comes as no surprise that it had influenced Hoshikuzu Paradise (1991) anime and Papadol! movie from 2006. Definitely worth checking out, if not for Miho herself, then at least 80s vibes of bubble era Japan.
Overall score: 8/10

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