Kiki’s Delivery Service: charming film about maturity, finding oneself and never giving up hope
Hayao Miyazaki, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) A charming coming-of-age film about a young witch who
Category: Japanese Films
Reviews of films from Japan.
Symbol (dir. Hatoshi Matsumoto): polished and slick slapstick comedy on nature of the universe
Hatoshi Matsumoto, “Symbol” (2009) A slapstick comedy about interrelationships and the impact one person can
Profound themes of evolution, maturity, cycles of life and death, and Japan’s modern history in Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Akira”
Katsuhiro Otomo, “Akira” (1988) In an alternative but parallel universe in 1988, a scientific experiment
Early Summer: visually stunning film with message about effects of change on families
Yasujiro Ozu, “Early Summer” (1951) Calm and serene with a thin plot, “Early Summer” looks
French and French-language Films | Japanese Films
Inju, the Beast in the Shadow: a standard crime thriller with unrealised potential
Barbet Schroeder, “Inju, la bête dans l’ombre” (2008) Enjoyably silly movie about a literature academic
Princess Mononoke: flawed epic with ambition and good intentions
Hayao Miyazaki, “Princess Mononoke” (1997) When I first saw this movie about a decade ago,
Shinobi – Heart under Blade: film could have been cut above other live-action films based on manga / anime
Ten Shimoyama, “Shinobi – Heart under Blade” (2005) Based on a novel “The Kouga Ninja
One Missed Call (dir. Takashi Miike): over-the-top approach smothers observations about families and chaos in the world
Takashi Miike, “One Missed Call” (2004) Coming from Takashi Miike (of “Ichi the Killer” fame),
Dororo: a fun escapist samurai-fusion film let down by cheap effects
Akihiko Shiota, “Dororo” (2006) Based on the original manga by Astroboy creator, Osamu Tezuka, “Dororo”
Empire of Passions: pedestrian story saved by beautiful visuals and psychological character study
Nagisa Oshima, “Empire of Passions” (1978) By coincidence, when I saw this film the first