On the pursuit of Hirokazu Koreeda
Maboroshi no Hikari (1995)
Wanted to watch this for Esumi Makiko, and was not disappointed. However, definitely on the artsy side (think Su-ki-da, Kids Return): quiet and long, still shots (lots of them!), very little dialogue, very little action. Showing, not telling. But it's so beautiful. It plays out like an Impressionist painting with the natural light and wide landscape shots. Poignant, beautiful themes too that sort of haunt you afterwards. Oh! And the music. I'm very tempted to buy the soundtrack since I can't find it anywhere online. A very special film.
Still Walking/Aruitemo, aruitemo (2008)
I liked this less than Maboroshi, but I still liked it. There were some parts that made me bored but then a few parts that unexpectedly made me cry (the scene with the butterfly made me straight-up put my head down and sob.) Again, not much in terms of a plot, but it's a really nice realistic portrayal of a family. Shadows of a ghost lingering in all their hearts, some things go unsaid. Beautiful soundtrack as well. As always, I love Abe Hiroshi.
After Life (1998)
I heard all the rave about this one but I actually didn't like it as much as the other 2. Maybe it's the interview style and the set. All of it pretty much takes place in one boring building, so aesthetically it isn't as pleasing. I also didn't really understand the "climatic" scene with the character's epiphany. Ah well, I tried. Still give points for originality and theme. A bunch of the actors and stories here weren't actually scripted but real people and their stories. I think I cried in this too, but not from a scene that you'd think.
In addition to these I've seen Nobody Knows and Like Father, Like Son :) So that's 5 checked off the list of Hirokazu Koreeda!
On my to-watch list: Air Doll, I Wish (Miracle), After the Storm
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Les Actions
Hateful Eight (2015)
What a crazy movie. I don't think this was my favorite from Tarantino (can't beat Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs or Kill Bill) but it was still good old entertainment, although on the long side. I rooted for Samuel Jackson even though he played an asshole in this movie. (I think that's the point, all of them are assholes). I wish I'd seen this in theater though for the special film quality.
To-watch list from Tarantino: Jackie Brown
Sword of the Stranger (2007)
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Les (Other) Anime
Your Name (2016)
Well there was SUCH a fuss made over this movie. And ok, I did like it, even though I totally dislike Makoto Shinkai's other works (I find them sappy, with poor writing and only pretty pictures to carry the film). This one was greatly improved in writing and plot. Some twists I didn't see coming. As always, it IS gorgeous animation in that super-polished, almost CGI-smooth way. But guess what, Makoto Shinkai is still a sappy romantic and this showed. Call me bitter but I still don't see why he's being compared to Hayao Miyazaki (hello? not even close!) while no one knows who Satoshi Kon is. Excuuuse me? Satoshi Kon, always the daring mastermind who actually pushed boundaries! Sigh. Congrats to Shinkai, he's made lots of moolah with this one.
A Letter to Momo (2011)
Aww, now this was an anime film to remember!! I have never heard of this director or this movie, but I randomly got it from the library and watched it on the Greyhound. Adorable, touching, funny little story. The animation is VERY nice, like quirky and charming. I loved Momo's character and her freaky friends. That one scene made me seriously tear up too. This was so offbeat and unique and perfect to my taste. Perfect! Just perfect.
Memories (1995)
Obviously by now you should know I'm obsessed with Satoshi Kon. I think he's one of the MOST underrated anime directors ever. This one he didn't direct, but he wrote and animated. It's a collection of 3 short films: Stink Bomb, Magnolia Rose, Cannon Fodder. Stink Bomb was my favorite; just downright entertaining and hilarious. Magnolia Rose was an interesting, sort-of-tragic sci-fi. Cannon Fodder was a steam-punk dystopian kind of thing, he had a crazy animation style for that. These aren't as classic as his long features (Paprika, Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers) but still do Satoshi Kon justice. Recommend!!!!! (Wow, I've actually seen ALL of the films he's directed now... )
On my to-watch list: The Boy and the Beast, Summer Wars.
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Movies I actually saw in theater...
Arrival (2016)
I wanted to watch this film MONTHS before its release. I was so worried I wouldn't catch this in theater (like I'd missed Kubo and My Name is Not Madame Bovary). Buuuut, luckily I got to watch this! And came away satisfied, although not blown away - but still pretty happy. I always like my plot twists and this one was a thought-provoking one. The cinematography and music ambience were great. My major beef is the Mandarin (or what they tried to pass off as Mandarin). Geez, either train Amy Adams so that her Mandarin is decipherable or get someone to dub her.
Fantastic Beasts (2016)
Now being a Harry Potter fan I was gonna watch it but I wasn't expecting much. I mean, clearly this was a highly commercialized Hollywood film with its usual gimmicks. But I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Eddie Redmayne was adorable but actually it's the guy who played Jacob who stole my heart! All the scenes with him made me laugh my arse off. I'm still kind of annoyed at the ending (can Ezra Miller just never catch a break?) but overall, this was quite good for a commercial flick. The sequels are probably gonna drag and suck, but just based on this one, I might give them a chance.
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My return to Miyazaki Aoi craze
Harmful Insect (2001)
I might have seen this already in high school, but I rewatched it recently. I just love coming-of-age stories whether books or films. Plus Miyazaki Aoi was so young and fresh in this. This is before she moved into doing more commercial and mainstream films. I liked this a lot despite the weird jumps the film seems to do and the parts that don't make too much sense. But I guess the director just wants you to try to interpret on your own. It's not the best film cinematography and there's barely a soundtrack, but the writing is good. I like raw, stark realism, muhahaha.
If cats disappeared from the world (2016)
... this was a waste of my 2 hours, honestly. It's your typical man-is-dying so reflection-on-life mandatory tearjerker. Aoi's role is super one-dimensional, and she does her Oscar-crying scene but I was just like, um, why are you even crying?!! So lame. I DID cry, but it was for the friend in the film shop and then the part with his mom and dad. Psshhh. Movies like this so do not impress me. I guess this was adapted from a novel, and the novel probably was just so stupid you can't fault the director... Meh...
My SO has got depression (2011)
Um... so this was recommended to me from a friend but I don't even know if I should put it here since I technically didn't even FINISH it. It was that bad. Alright, it wasn't terrible and I get what they're trying to do. But the way they went about it was so... cutesy and fluffy. Doesn't seem realistic enough for depression at all. Aoi's role is again, pretty substandard. She's a cute housewife who lurves her hubby. Yawn. Ok, so I didn't even get to the climax (if there is one) so maybe I'm not being fair. Will probably finish this movie when I take the Greyhound again later this week.
To-watch list: Vancouver Asashi, A Chorus of Angels.
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