二十四城记/二十四城記 Er shi si cheng ji (24 City)

Among the so-called Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers Jia Zhang ke absolutely is my favorite director and storyteller of ‘ordinary’ Chinese citizens compelling stories, told in what I can call very-realistic style no matter if story is real-life or fiction, or if film is documentary, fiction or a mix of both genres like what happens in 24 City.

It’s very difficult to remain a spectator while watching Jia’s films as characters, story and storytelling technique drag you inside the film quite fast to hold you inside story/ stories until the very last scene where you will feel completely satisfied after visiting the life of some people that exemplifies how China society has changed in the last 50 -or so- years. Using interviewers that we will never see but will hear we will watch amazing performances by actors and non-actors (who tell their real-life story) in what feels and look like monologues with some moments looking directly to camera while others just representing life moments, but all telling their compelling stories that go from how they became factory 420 workers until how the third generation with a more modern lifestyle (very western alike) will live in multi-story buildings with luxury flats at what now is called 24 City and will be built in what used to be factory 420 land.

If you’re familiar with Jia’s films you will recognize the actors from the non-actors as actors have been in many of his films, plus you also have well known actress Joan Chen; but all have great performances, so good that will make you feel and live whatever they’re sharing with you, the viewer.

Have to admit that is not an easy-to-watch style as maybe for some film will look like a series of interviews with people telling some interesting and other not-so-interesting stories; but if you’re familiar with Jia’s films I’m sure you’ll easily grab that film is a lot more than style. So, if you are not familiar with director’s work I strongly suggest you watch some of his films before watching this one, like for example Still Life, Platform or Unknown Pleasures.

I loved the film as a very human tale of China’s transition from a very controlled society to a ‘less-controlled’ society, a change that is happening so fast that learning about it (in films and/or real-life news) will amaze you. Not long ago I was reading about how in 10 years China built a comprehensive (and very modern) infrastructure and how now their efforts will be addressed to create a very-comprehensive ‘human infrastructure’. I feel Jia’s 24 City documents how China was able to address physic infrastructure while not taking much care about ‘human infrastructure’ and imagine that in 10 or so years maybe Jia could tell how the ‘human infrastructure’ was developed. Be sure that if he does I’ll be looking forward to watch his film as a learning experience but most of all as a visual and narrative very complete cinematic experience.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

33rd Japan Academy Prize

Last March 5th the Academy had the award ceremony and here are some winners.

Picture of the Year: 沈まぬ太陽 Shizumanu taiyô (The Unbroken), Setsuro Wakamatsu (will watch)
Director of the Year: Daisaku Kimura for 劔岳 点の記 Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki (The Summit: A Chronicle of Stones to Serenity)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Takako Matsu in ヴィヨンの妻 / ヴィヨンの妻　～桜桃とタンポポ～ Viyon no tsuma (Villon's Wife), Kichitaro Negishi (must be seen for me)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Ken Watanabe in 沈まぬ太陽 Shizumanu taiyô (The Unbroken), Setsuro Wakamatsu

Outstanding Foreign Language Film: Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood

To check the winners in all categories please go here if you understand Japanese or here to read them in English.

Think will watch the winner because I do enjoy Ken Watanabe performances, but I expect the story to be hard to watch. Still could be interesting to find how a Japanese filmmaker does this kind of story. I'll tell you what the story is about: "Based on the 1985 plane crash that caused 520 deaths, the worst aviation event in Japanese history".

If you like to watch trailers for best film and best actress film please use the facebook link in the first left column.

27th Tokyo International Film Festival Award Winners

Recently the fest closed and here are the winners.

Official Competition

Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix: Easter Plays, Kamem Kalev, Bulgaria, 2009

Special Jury Prize: Rabia, Sebastian Cordero, Colombia and Spain, 2009
Best Director: Kamem Kalev for Easter Plays, Bulgaria, 2009
Best Actress: Julie Gayet in Huit Fois Debout (Eight Times Up), Xabi Molia, France, 2009
Best Actor: Christo Christov in Easter Plays, Kamem Kalev, Bulgaria, 2009

Audience Award: The Trotsky, Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009
Earth Grand Prix: Loup (Wolf), Nicolas Vanier, France

Winds of Asia-Middle East
Best Asian Film: Ye Haeng Ja (A Brand New Life), Ounie Lecomte, Korea
Special Mention: Günesi Gördüm (I Saw the Sun), Mahsun Kırmızıgül, Turkey

Japanese Eyes
Best Picture Award: Live Tape, Tetsuaki Matsue, Japan

To check all award winners go here .

27th Tokyo International Film Festival

This year the other TIFF brings a complete program with many interesting films in several sections that include the Competition and one of my favorites Tied-Up Program: 22nd Tokyo International Women’s Film Festival with films created by female filmmakers. The fest runs from October 17 to 25.

Here are the films in Competition that were “carefully chosen from 743 nominated titles from 81 countries and regions”.

Acacia, Jinsei Tsuji, Japan, 2008
Dieci Inverni (Ten Winters), Valerio Mieli, Italy and Russia, 2009
Dom Zly (The Dark House), Wojtek Smarzowski, Poland, 2009
Easter Plays, Kamem Kalev, Bulgaria, 2009
天长地久 Heaven Eternal, Earth Everlasting, Li Fangfang, China, 2009
Himpapawid (Manila Skies), Raymond Red, Philippines, 2009
Huit Fois Debout (Eight Times Up), Xabi Molia, France, 2009 (interesting)
Ilusiones Opticas (Optical Illusions), Cristián Jiménez, Chile, Portugal and France, 2009
Rabia, Sebastian Cordero, Colombia and Spain, 2009
Road, Movie, Dev Benegal, India and USA, 2009
台北飄雪Snowfall in Taipei, Hugo Jianqi, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, 2009
Staten Island (Little New York), James DeMonaco, USA, 2008
Stories, Mario Iglesias, Spain, 2009
The Trotsky, Jacob Tierney, Canada, 2009
Zona Sur (Southern District), Juan Carlos Valdivia, Bolivia, 2009

To read film info and watch trailers go here.

Main Competition Jury
President Alejandro González Iñárritu, director
Mieko Harada, actress
Jerzy Skolimowski, director/actor
Caroline Champetier, director of photography
Yoo Ji Tae, actor/director
Masamichi Matsumoto, Director of Cinémathèque

To check juries for other awards go here.

The 22nd Tokyo International Women’s Film Festival will screen the following films

Girls of the Dark
Kinuyo Tanaka’s New Departure
Sisters on the Road
Mother’s Way Daughter’s Choice
Beautiful Islands
Katyn
Les Plages d'Agnès (The Beaches of Agnes), Agnès Varda, France, 2008 (documentary)
Der Rote Punkt (The Red Spot), Marie Miyayama, Japan and Germany, 2008
Tokaidoyotsuyakaidan

This section site is here but is available only in Japanese. You can check pics from films here and as you noticed, wasn't able to find more info for many of the above movies.

Other sections in the Main Program include

Special Screenings
Winds of Asia-Middle East
World Cinema
Natural TIFF

The Co-Hosted Program has the following sections

Bunka-Cho Film Week – Here & There
Minato Screening
TIFFCOM 2009

Besides de Women’s fest, the Tie-Up Program also has the following sections

Korean Cinema Week 2009
Shorts Shorts Film Festival & Asia 2009 “Focus on Asia”
2009 Tokyo China Film Festival
German Film Festival in Tokyo – Horizonte 2009
Terra Madre –Mother Earth by Ermanno Olmi
The 2nd Old Town Taito International Comedy Film Festival
Tanabe-bennkei film festival 2009 (young directors from Asian countries)
Japan Location Market 2009
Case Study on Co-production project between Japan and Hong Kong
Akihabara Enta-Matsuri 2009 (Manga and animation)

If you’re interested in checking any of the above sections go here but most links are available only in Japanese.

As every year the TIFF has a very complete program for all tastes, genres and countries cinema.

Dangkou (Plastic City)

Very strange debut movie by Nelson Yu Lik wai, who is better known as the cinematographer of Jia Zhang ke (who’s one of the multiple producers) that’s visually interesting but the story and storytelling style is not.

This is a Chinese, Japanese and Brazilian production with a story set in Brazil about a crime family in the counterfeit goods business. Tells about Chinese counterfeit “king” Yuda (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) and his adopted Japanese “heir” Kirin (Jô Odagiri) who embark on a power war and eventually are ousted by an ambitious Chinese younger “king wannabe”.

What makes this movie strange is that looks and feels like a Japanese or Chinese film/story but the Sao Paulo setting really crashes with the story the film is telling. I tend to believe that if the same story is told in Hong Kong, Tokyo or any other major Japan or China city, the story, the film, and the storytelling style would have made a completely different film that would have been a lot more interesting.

Main actor’s performances are really good but their acting style looks and feels totally out of place; still that’s one of the reasons that allowed me to watch the entire film, besides the eye-catching visuals and excellent cinematography. But neither saves the film as a whole and when is over leaves an unpleasant taste in your mouth that travels fast to your head.

It’s hard for me to imagine how a film with such excellent credentials went so wrong. But this is not the first (and probably won’t be the last) movie with excellent Asian credentials where storytelling goes wrong because of the setting, just remember Kar Wai Wong's Blueberry Nights.

The film was in competition for the Golden Lion at the 2008 Venice Film Festival and I also do not understand how it end-up there, as is a film with style but very little substance.

I cannot recommend this movie.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

The Limits Of Control

This is the new movie from filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, set in the landscapes of Spain (both urban and otherwise). Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love, Paranoid Park) is the responsible for the cinematography. I have followed Jarmusch’s career for a while, as well as Doyle’s, and I was hoping to be impressed. That was not the case, however.

Isaach De Bankolé stars in the lead role, in his fourth collaboration with Jarmusch. The Limits of Control also features John Hurt, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Gael García Bernal, Paz De La Huerta and Luis Tosar, just to name a few. Impressive casting, to say the least, and the acting was according to it.

So we have the story of a stranger on a mission (De Bankolé). He is in the process of completing a job but initially we don’t know what the mission is. His journey takes him (and us) across Spain, meeting different and quite mysterious people, receiving something from them that he needs to keep going. Each of these characters engages in a monologue about subjects like musical instruments, music, art, science and so on.

The Lone Man usually just sits there listening. The monologues seemed pretentious and if they were meant to be thought provoking, it didn’t work for me. On top of that, there are some core ideas that Mr. Jarmusch seems to want to make sure we don’t forget, as a main theme underneath the story, and I found them quite ordinary and very annoying after a few repetitions. The slow pace of the movie also does not help and even if I’m not against slow-paced movies just because, in this particular case it’s not a good thing.

The ‘Lone Man’ has the interesting habit of always asking for two espressos and I can relate to that. It’s the only thing in the movie I can relate to, though.

Seems to me Jim Jarmusch must have had a really good time making this movie and I hope he did, to me it just looked like an exercise of intellectual masturbation. In my opinion, when you want to make a deeply intellectual movie sometimes it best not to be too obvious about it.

Best thing of the movie: the visits of the Lone Man to the Reina Sofia Museum. For anyone that likes to look at paintings, of course.

If you want a more mundane reason to give this movie a chance, that might be the opportunity to watch Paz de la Huerta nude basically all the time. De la Huerta says that her character, who is first seen naked and pointing a gun, is an enigma. “Hopefully the audience will feel about her what they wish.” Well…the audience will feel what they wish, but even her presence didn’t stop me from yawning. If you are into some pseudo-philosophical dissertations that bring nothing new, I suggest going to a bar with a few friends and buying them some beer. Same effect and much more entertaining.

Yellow light. And I really mean, “Proceed with caution”.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Aruitemo aruitemo (Still Walking)

Ryota (Abe Hiroshi) returns to his parents' home with his new wife Yukari, as the family is holding a memorial for the eldest son who passed away 15 years ago. He is only attending because he feels obliged to. To his father, Ryota can never compare to his late brother, and this has caused bitterness.

As we spend time with this family, tensions arise, problems are discussed and we start to get a glimpse of their lives, their past, and the connections between them. Even if at moments the story seems to be about simple gestures and common life, this well crafted movie is perfect in showing us the feelings and motivations of all the family members. There is no lack of depth or characters neglected.

Above all, this is not the story of a Japanese family; it’s the story of a family, any family, in any part of the world. Even if some aspects can relate to the Japanese culture, most of the relationships and their subtleties are very universal and we all can relate to what is going on. What makes it special is the graceful and yet serious way in which the movie unveils under the unique direction of Hirokazu Kore-eda.

Apparently the story relates closely to Kore-eda´s personal experience and maybe that’s what makes it so real. At times serious, at others funny or endearing, I felt privileged to meet Ryota’s family. Does the movie provide closure? Only the kind of closure we get from life.

Not surprisingly, this movie has received several awards, including Best Director, and in my opinion should not be missed.

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Betrayed

Sometimes you are really lucky to catch in cable a movie that you haven’t seen with an actress that you simply adore. But what was a huge surprise is to see Debra Winger in a film by none other than Costa-Gavras. That was totally unexpected and as many of you can easily imagine the film has Costa-Gavras written all over even when is pure heartland American tale about farmers, about family, and about romance than suddenly turns into a dark tale of crime and white supremacy. Gosh, only Costa-Gavras could do a film so masterfully with a so American story, with American actors and in a USA production and (also very surprising) Japanese co production.

This 1988 film has a very beautiful and young Debra Winger playing an undercover FBI agent that infiltrates the family of what her boss believe is a high player within the white supremacy organization. As soon as she meets widower Gary (Tom Berenger) and his two lovely kids she dismisses what her boss is saying and she reports that there is nothing wrong with this family. But she’s forced to go back and keep investigating. She starts to fall for Gary and Gary for her. They are in love, but with love comes sharing and Catherine Weaver never expected what love will bring to her.

Don’t you think that the above sounds like a typical Hollywood romance movie? Well maybe I could think so if I didn’t paid attention to the opening credits and saw Costa-Gavras name. You have no idea of how good is this film for the story inspired by true events, the amazing Costa Gavras’s filmmaking mastery, the best Tom Berenger performance I have ever seen and one of the most impressive performances by outstanding Debra Winger. It was hard for me to believe that I have never seen this movie.

If you have the amazing opportunity to watch this movie please do not forget that is directed by Costa-Gavras and will never be your regular Hollywood fare, as has amazing actors expressions and deadpan faces that totally tell about what is going inside the characters, extraordinary cinematography that you can hardly believe it is a 1988 film, great storytelling pace (slow when needed and a little faster to increase tension for the unpleasant moments that will come), some great camera takes and the particular (and peculiar) Costa-Gavras directing style. All right, there is something that does not fit at all and I prefer to think that Gavras was forced to do; the film has an unnecessary and very Hollywood happy ending!

This was a great find for the director and for an actress that since she left Hollywood I have missed so much and I’m glad that lately she decided to perform again. A movie that I highly recommend to everyone that loves Debra Winger and Costa-Gavras; but be prepared for a “heavy” ride into white supremacist America, a ride that has a few killing scenes (2), but mostly has projections of feelings from what seems like regular folks living a regular farmers life until they don’t and what seems so not human behavior becomes normalcy within them.

Enjoy!!!

Watch clip @ Movie On Companion

Tôkyô Sonata (Tokyo Sonata)

I had no idea that Kiyoshi Kurosawa is known for his horror movies (a genre that I do not particularly like), but from following fests I knew that this film was no horror at all and once more I find a reason to be so glad to follow fest as otherwise I would have missed this great movie.

Have to start by telling you that after watching for a while I couldn’t relate to what was happening in the story. It was like if what I was watching made no sense to my western eyes. Then suddenly I realized that the problem was that the story was set in modern times, as if the story was set before and the characters were wearing traditional Japanese clothes then everything will have made sense as definitively the film is quite similar to any of Ozu’s ordinary families stories. Realizing this fact allowed me to think about what I already saw and what will follow with different “mentality” and definitively allowed me to enjoy more the story and the film. Perhaps this happened only to me, but just in case it happens to anybody else I had to share it, as this is an excellent film that for no reason should be dismissed as not extraordinary.

Kurosawa’s film tells about an ordinary family that hides things to not disturb their fragile existence. The father, Ryûhei Sasaki, lost his job and tells no one. The mother, Megumi Sasaki, feels lonely and not appreciated. The older son, Takashi Sasaki, never is home and decides to leave Japan to join the US armed forces. The younger son, Kenji Sasaki, wants to learn to play the piano and his parents do not allow him. As everyday situations happen –and unexpected things start to happen- the story slowly unravels the drama that will change this family forever to allow them to have a fresh new start. But to me this is a story that deals with the ever changing/transforming Japanese society that has to deal with their strong cultural traditions while trying to cope to adapt to modern times and as such it becomes more universal, as applies to any society with strong traditions and new generations having real problems to follow old cultural rules and accepted behaviors.

Then the story also deals with something that is very relevant nowadays, the financial depression with companies downsizing and outsourcing to other countries with cheaper labor, high executives unemployment and their inability to find a similar new job and finally ending doing below their social status jobs; families lack of communication, generational lack of willingness to understand each other, and women that start trying to fulfill their empty lives but have no idea of what to do. So I can say that the story has many layers -as well as many readings- and will be up to the viewer to see whatever they want to see or want to relate to.

Also this is a movie where the finale is the climax that closes the movie in a grandiose way and makes sense to everything that you have watched, including the bizarre plot twist that allows the presence for a few minutes of great Kôji Yakusho that plays Dorobô, a character that propels Megumi liberation.

But the film develops quite flawlessly and very easy to watch what happens in the screen. Is when you try to tell others what is all about that becomes quite complex, as you all have realized by now with my long writing about the story.

Nevertheless the film as a film is quite spectacular with a grainy grayish cinematography that totally contributes to the Sasaki family spiral down to breakdown and absolutely allows the finale to become more grandiose. Performances are truly outstanding with Teruyuki Kagawa impressive performance as severe Ryûhei trying to “save face” in front of his family members (he was also in the third story in Tokyo!); and both Kyôko Koizumi as Megumi and Inowaki Kai as Kenji delivering remarkable intense characters.

The film was premiered at 2008 Cannes at the Un Certain Regard section where won the Jury Prize and did the fest circuit to many accolades and honors, including Kurosawa winning Best Director at the 2008 Mar del Plata fest, Best Film and Best Screenwriter at the 2009 Asian Film Awards and Best Film at India’s 2008 Osian’s Cinefan fest.

Definitively a film that I highly recommend especially to those that truly enjoy Japanese cinema and one that I strongly suggest to watch until the very end as the movie climax and finale is truly extraordinary, outstanding to watch and to listen, and closes the bittersweet story in somehow an unexpected way.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Tokyo!

A fascinating triptych with three stories set in Tokyo with the vision of three foreign directors, French Michel Gondry, French Leos Carax and Korean Bong Joon-ho. The best for me was Gondry’s Interior Design, the second best Bong’s Shaking Tokyo and the last was really hard to watch Merde by Carax.

Interior Design tells about a girl that needs to feel useful and the in the most unexpected and fantastic way she finally finds how to be and feel useful. But to me the short is also about how big cities make you feel like objects and how you tend to “accept” it as the price to live there. The short has excellent and amazing visual effects and good performances.

Shanking Tokyo is about a hikikomori (or shut-in) man that hasn’t left his house for the last 10 years and lives in perfect order and harmony. To eat he orders delivery and never looks at the eyes of the delivery person. But one day he does only to find a beautiful young woman and in that moment there is an earthquake! Many things happen until he decides to go out to the street and look for the girl with great and unexpected consequences. To me this short is about how big cities can easily drive people to live only inside their homes, the only place left where you can be yourself, have order and perfect harmony; but what seems unique (shut-in yourself) sooner than later becomes the norm. Then there is nothing left but destruction. You really have to see this short to understand what I mean. The short has excellent performance by Teruyuki Kagawa.

Merde is hard to watch, very hard. Tells about the monster/creature of the sewers that appears to scare people, until becomes violent, very violent killing hundreds of Tokyo dwellers. He is not Japanese he is a westerner. Police finally gets him, locks him but no one speaks his language. A Frenchman claims he does and finds that his name is Mr. Merde. Besides being a parody to the multiple Godzilla stories, to me the film deals with big city dwellers xenophobia and terrorist fear. Good performance by Denis Lavant that makes the creature believable and highly disgusting, revolting and very unpleasant to watch.

So this triptych is not a love letter to Tokyo, is more a critical exposition about people that live in big cities and in my opinion the stories are not particularly related only to Tokyo as I can see them happening in any other big, crowded, and inhumane big city of the world.

This is quite an interesting cinematic experience that is presented in the right order, like a meal. First you have a very light and wow! entrée; second the main dish that is too rich and hard to digest, but dessert follows and is fluffy, light and sweet. Everything is just perfect to leave you at the end feeling good and acknowledging the great experience.

Cinematography is excellent with three quite different styles integrated flawlessly into one flowing cinematic experience. The film premiered at 2008 Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section and did the festival circuit to audiences delight.

This was a great cinematic experience for me and I highly recommend it to everyone that has lived or lives in a big city. But definitively is not for all audiences as the shorts tend to be of the art cinema style. Still, I highly suggest to many that read the blog to give it a try and remember to be prepared for Merde as is hard to watch, but some viewers comments claim that is the funniest of all, so go figure.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Okuribito (Departures)

The 2009 Oscar winner in the Foreign Language Film of the Year category is a beautiful to watch film with a very compelling serene story about the rituals of death and the rituals of life –the last at least for one character that founds what he’s really good at and closes one life circle only to open the next. Really Beautiful film and story!

The film totally “plays” with your emotions as you will be able to laugh a little, shred a little tear or two in many scenes (maybe cry a lot at the end) and truly enjoy the not so dramatic drama done with the great Japanese cinema style that in my opinion respects the viewer and most of all respects the story that is telling, no matter the theme.

As many of us know the film tells the story of Kobayashi that leaves Tokyo after the orchestra where he played the cello was disbanded. Not only gives up professionally playing the cello but leaves Tokyo to his childhood town where his mother left him a house. As Kobayashi and his young wife arrive to the very picturesque village, he takes the task of finding a job and without knowing what he’s getting into, he finds the job that will fulfill his life forever. He found his destiny. I know I’m telling a lot about the story, but this is the kind of film that you have to watch for the journey, more than for the destination.

This Yôjirô Takita film has excellent production values; most remarkable is the spectacular outdoor cinematography. But is with the indoor scenes where cinematography is the greatest not only for production values, but especially for the incredibly beautiful rituals of death that are portrayed. I know that to our western culture mind and eyes, death and beautiful are not two words that we can imagine -and much less use- together. But you have no idea how the two words fit together in this film, just as the Ying fits the Yang. Truly Beautiful!

Performances by all actors are outstanding with Masahiro Motoki really shining with a truly heart felt performance of his character Kobayashi; but is Tsutomu Yamazaki who steals the scenes with a remarkable performance as the eccentric and deadpan boss.

The film has been collecting major honors in awards and festivals around the world, including the mentioned Oscar and overwhelming winning ten awards at the 2009 Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor to Motoki and Best Supporting Actor to Yamazaki.

Before watching this film, my favorite from the five nominated for the Academy Award was Waltz With Bashir; but now I totally understand why this film got the award and in my opinion is absolutely well deserved as it is an incredibly good cinematic experience that none of the other five nominees had. This tells me that the new voting system the Academy put in place works a lot better than the 2008 fiasco, so I hope they keep it in the future.

I love the movie and is one that I know I’ll watch more than once, as is a movie that touches life so amazingly well and so peacefully, even when what you see in the screen is more related to death; thus making the film an extraordinary ying-yang (complementary opposites) experience for the western viewer.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

Akiresu to Kame (Achilles and the Tortoise)

I know that Takeshi Kitano is not for everyone and his fans are really “fanatic” about him. I’m not his “fanatic” fan, but I believe that some Kitano’s films are really extraordinary and this is one of them. I simply LOVE this film, as not only is an incredibly good cinematic experience but also deals with something that is my passion: Art and painters. Besides, lately I have had trouble finding films that make me laugh hard and gee, did I laugh hard with this film! A great relaxing experience for me, as there is nothing to relax you better than true laughing.

As mentioned, the story is about art and painters, but you have no idea how Kitano “plays” with almost every possible side of art and does it the most sarcastic, dark and unbelievably good way I could ever imagined. No matter if you believe that what you see is fiction, reality, extreme, simple, complex, etc, he found an amazing way to express himself as an artist (he paints and all the paints in the film are his) and to touch us viewers with great food for thought about art, but also about anything that you want to do “no matter what”… Fantastic!

The story follows a character, Machisu Kuramochi, from childhood to old age; you can say that has three stages, the first when Kuramochi is a little boy and discovers that he likes painting; the second, when he's a young man and is struggling with earning money and selling his paintings; the last, when Kuramochi (played by none other than Kitano himself) is older and still struggling to live out of his painting.

As a movie, the first part is magnificent as is filmed in the classic Japanese cinema style and is set around pre-WWII (or so); the second part is glorious and you start to laugh like crazy, I believe is set around the’60s (or so); but the last part with Kitano acting just becomes extraordinary for the story and the crazy things that happen. In the movie time is irrelevant, but I wanted to give you readers an idea of the three different acts in the movie. Fabulous!

Please do not get the idea that this is a comedy as it is not. It is a quite serious drama with –for example- many people dying around Kuramochi’s long life, with very interesting and complex life decisions/issues exploration, and then most scenes where you will laugh are really dark and done in a style that for me completely recalls silent cinema and the likes of Chaplin and Keaton. I also believe that knowing about great painters will allow you to more easily understand the acidity and sarcasm expressed in this movie, which will only make you laugh harder! Absolutely Great!!!

There is too much to be said about this movie that premièred at 2008 Venice fest where won the Audience Award and was competing for the Golden Lion but I will stop here to make it shorter and different, as this movie is one that some of my known readers have to see to have a great cinematic experience that includes something that not often happens with great films, you will laugh a lot and hard!

Definitively not for all audiences as most critics’ and some viewers complain that is too long (me, I wanted more!), that’s too slow and repetitive (not me at all and could think of one or two art related issues that I could have added) and too strange (there is nothing strange in here!).

I really LOVE this film!!! Obviously I highly recommend it to those that want to have a quite unique cinematic experience.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion