A Blue Automobile 2004 Japan
Director: Hiroshi Okuhara

More Aoi Miyazaki

The hip and contemporary soundtrack, which I liked very much, seemed at odds with the wannabe arthouse stylings of the film. There are a number of nice directorial choices made (an interaction takes place, then one of the participants is shown in extreme close up thinking or dreaming, and then we see what’s in their mind and how it informs or colors that initial interaction) but the overall vision of the film isn’t very strong. Three very good performances from Arata, Aoi Miyazaki, and Kumiko Aso, but the whole seems a whole lot less than the sum of its parts. I was not engaged by the story or moved by the exposition of the characters’ motivations. Pain, as a game changer, just didn’t swing hard enough for me.

Gonna look for more Kumiko Aso now.

Audition directed by Takashi Miike and starring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. Gory movie!

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (Joze to tora to sakana tachi) [2003] • Japan

Big surprise. Comparatively speaking, this is a plain and simple love story from Japan. One of the participants has legs that don’t work so her granny pushes her around in a baby carriage but that comes off as beside the point. She’s suffered and she’s not expecting love to be a part of her life. She’s not looking for it, but when it shows up, she gets it. She understands and appreciates it even though she knows with certainty that she will be lonely again. Chizuru Ikewaki brings a poetic depth to her role and Satoshi Tsumabuki is puppy dog cute as the boy who falls, surprisingly and so naturally, in love with her. This film could have been manipulative but it isn’t, not in the least, and that’s what is so refreshing about it. Director Isshin Inudou gets huge props for bringing out the big guns and just letting them lie there. A bittersweet gem of a film.

——-

And I took the advice of many here and watched My Neighbor Totoro. One of the best recommendations ever. The film is a delight from beginning to end. A beautiful film and a fabulous fable with animated characters more engaging than most ‘real’ people. It’s one of those movies that you just can’t wait to share with others. Thanks, guys.

Ah, Sitenoise is REALLY one of us now!
 
Sing along:
To-na-ri No To-toro To-to-ro,  To-toro To-to-ro ...

I liked Josee... up until the end. God, that was an appallingly lazy, confused, half-hearted cop-out that made very little dramatic sense and dragged the rest of the film down a few notches with it. Chizuru Ikewaki is indeed a fine young actress, but even she couldn’t get any proper sense of closure out of that. It’s no Oasis, sadly.

sitenoise - July 19, 2009, 7:59pm

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish (Joze to tora to sakana tachi) [2003] • Japan

Big surprise. Comparatively speaking, this is a plain and simple love story from Japan. One of the participants has legs that don’t work so her granny pushes her around in a baby carriage but that comes off as beside the point. She’s suffered and she’s not expecting love to be a part of her life. She’s not looking for it, but when it shows up, she gets it. She understands and appreciates it even though she knows with certainty that she will be lonely again. Chizuru Ikewaki brings a poetic depth to her role and Satoshi Tsumabuki is puppy dog cute as the boy who falls, surprisingly and so naturally, in love with her. This film could have been manipulative but it isn’t, not in the least, and that’s what is so refreshing about it. Director Isshin Inudou gets huge props for bringing out the big guns and just letting them lie there. A bittersweet gem of a film.

Unfortunately it’s a one-off, because everything else I’ve seen of his sucks.

Films I’ve watched in the past month or so:

M. Just awful from beginning to end. Even trying to think of it as just a music video, it was nauseating. Some have written here that perhaps the script could have been tightened up a bit, but at least the sets, the photography and the soundtrack are great. No, no, and no! Possibly the single most self-indulgent crap I’ve ever seen in my life. And Gagman sucked, too.
Freeze Me. Outstanding erotic thriller where every shot supports the story.
The Brutal Hopelessness of Love. Takashi Ishii’s film amazed me with his great eye for color and camera angles, and his way with the female body. The HK Panorama DVD is very, very good. I only wish more of his work was available with English subs.
Zero Woman, Red Handcuffs. Did absolutely nothing for me - silly plot, poor acting, unspectacular photography. Disposable pop culture.
My Mother, the Mermaid. A while back, I was really surprised at just how good The Railroad was, so I thought I’d check out the director’s earlier work. Typical sentimental melodrama rubbish.
Female. The best collection of Japanese short films I’ve seen since Rampo Noir.
Green Tea. The first feature film of Zhang Yuan’s I’ve watched since seeing his short film included in the Jeonju Digital Project. I actually didn’t like either the story or Christopher Doyle’s photography at the beginning, but both improved as the picture progressed, and it turned out to be very rewarding.
Beyond Our Ken. Also, my first Pang Ho-Cheung film. Two beautiful mischievious young woman, seductive pastel colored film looks like it was shot by Christopher Doyle, what’s not to like? I loved this picture.
Star of David. Jasper Sharp called this the ugliest film ever financed by a major studio. Norifumi Suzuki’s film has spectacular sets and superb scenes of bondage. He must be one of the most gifted filmmakers in roman porno. The DVD is excellent and includes commentary and an interview with the director.

Eight Rooks - July 19, 2009, 10:16pm

I liked Josee... up until the end. God, that was an appallingly lazy, confused, half-hearted cop-out that made very little dramatic sense and dragged the rest of the film down a few notches with it. Chizuru Ikewaki is indeed a fine young actress, but even she couldn’t get any proper sense of closure out of that. It’s no Oasis, sadly.

Endings are the hardest part. I like to think I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to them. HARMFUL INSECT recently tested my forgiving attitude. It immediately spoiled the film for me because it seemed so inorganic. But I couldn’t stop thinking about the film and I forgave it the next morning.

I think I know what you mean about the ending for Josee. But it was broadcast from the very beginning and echoed throughout ... in the words they read from the Sagan novel. We knew it was coming. It seemed a little unfair but I thought it packed a punch.

Maybe you can tell me something about the one thing that did disappoint me about the film and that was Ikewaki’s voice. I read somewhere that she was speaking with a very distinct accent, not something I can discern. So to me sounded like she was attempting to emote the weight of the world in her voice and it just sounded bored, monotone, phony. She spoke volumes with her eyes and expressions, though.

It’s no OASIS but not many films are ... up to the ending! Not the absolute ending, which was poetic genius, but the whole part where he is incarcerated and she is unable to say anything about it. That just stretched the limits a little bit. Ebert called it “an Idiot Plot situation, in which the plot continues only because everyone acts stupidly.” I agree, but I forgive it. Completely.

[UPDATE] just to say that I think for the most part Ebert has no idea about East Asian cinema, but ....

Jon Pais - July 19, 2009, 10:58pm

Unfortunately it’s a one-off, because everything else I’ve seen of his sucks.

Films I’ve watched in the past month or so:

M. Just awful from beginning to end. Even trying to think of it as just a music video, it was nauseating. Some have written here that perhaps the script could have been tightened up a bit, but at least the sets, the photography and the soundtrack are great. No, no, and no! Possibly the single most self-indulgent crap I’ve ever seen in my life. And Gagman sucked, too.
Freeze Me. Outstanding erotic thriller where every shot supports the story.
The Brutal Hopelessness of Love. Takashi Ishii’s film amazed me with his great eye for color and camera angles, and his way with the female body. The HK Panorama DVD is very, very good. I only wish more of his work was available with English subs.
Zero Woman, Red Handcuffs. Did absolutely nothing for me - silly plot, poor acting, unspectacular photography. Disposable pop culture.
My Mother, the Mermaid. A while back, I was really surprised at just how good The Railroad was, so I thought I’d check out the director’s earlier work. Typical sentimental melodrama rubbish.
Female. The best collection of Japanese short films I’ve seen since Rampo Noir.
Green Tea. The first feature film of Zhang Yuan’s I’ve watched since seeing his short film included in the Jeonju Digital Project. I actually didn’t like either the story or Christopher Doyle’s photography at the beginning, but both improved as the picture progressed, and it turned out to be very rewarding.
Beyond Our Ken. Also, my first Pang Ho-Cheung film. Two beautiful mischievious young woman, seductive pastel colored film looks like it was shot by Christopher Doyle, what’s not to like? I loved this picture.
Star of David. Jasper Sharp called this the ugliest film ever financed by a major studio. Norifumi Suzuki’s film has spectacular sets, superb scenes of bondage. Norifumi Suzuki must be one of the most gifted filmmakers in roman porno. The DVD is excellent and includes commentary and an interview with the director.

Out of the ones I’ve seen, “M”, “My Mother”, and “Beyond Our Ken”, all I can say is Ouch, Ouch, and Huh? Seemed like an idol’s after-school special. I wanted to like it but it seemed very juvenile to me.

But “Green Tea” ... yes, very rewarding.

I have been eyeing “Female”, but now, I just don’t know. 

Ard, Is there a Miyazaki film you’d recommend as a follow up? I’ve only seen “Spirited Away.”

Nope, I don’t agree at all about Josee broadcasting the ending. That would be my main problem with it. I didn’t think Oasis was much of an idiot plot device, either - I take your point, but given how everyone treats her I didn’t find it that hard to believe they wouldn’t pay her any attention. That, by contrast, was clearly telegraphed… I mean, I can’t think of another film I’ve watched that made me so angry with most of its supporting characters. In a good way.

Loved Green Tea from start to finish, though I agree it is very odd and could take a bit of effort to get into. And I’m a fairly big Pang Ho-Cheung fan, bar Exodus (and even that’s still worth watching to me).

Eight Rooks - July 20, 2009, 8:06am

Nope, I don’t agree at all about Josee broadcasting the ending. That would be my main problem with it. I didn’t think Oasis was much of an idiot plot device, either - I take your point, but given how everyone treats her I didn’t find it that hard to believe they wouldn’t pay her any attention. That, by contrast, was clearly telegraphed… I mean, I can’t think of another film I’ve watched that made me so angry with most of its supporting characters. In a good way.

Loved Green Tea from start to finish, though I agree it is very odd and could take a bit of effort to get into. And I’m a fairly big Pang Ho-Cheung fan, bar Exodus (and even that’s still worth watching to me).

I remember we had this conversation a long time back… No question in my mind which is the better film (Oasis, of course), and having seen a few others of Isshin Inudo’s movies, I’m inclined to think that Josee was something of a lucky hit for him. 

After watching Green Tea, I went ahead and ordered three more by Pang Ho-Cheung: AV, Men Suddenly in Black and You Shoot, I Shoot. They were all ridiculously inexpensive over at HMV HK. I didn’t pick up Exodus because of Todd’s review, and I’ve held off purchasing Isabella, though I must say the Blu ray looks tempting… Have you seen it?

Oh, any word on the 2-Disc City of Life and Death? Does the making-of have English subs?

Jon Pais - July 20, 2009, 8:24am

... having seen a few others of Isshin Inudo’s movies, I’m inclined to think that Josee was something of a lucky hit for him.

I watch a film like Green Tea or Oasis (and M, don’t hate me ) and immediately think “Whoa! What else has this guy done?” As much as I liked Josee, I didn’t think that.

I was about to PM you, Jon, but I guess I’ll just confirm it here - unfortunately the 2-disc of City of Life and Death does not have English subs for any of the extras (2hr 10min making of, teaser, full trailer, slideshow, 3 minutes of deleted scenes with no audio or subtitles). Almost as frustrating as the Korean UE of Hero... was Change (the doc) ever released with English subs?

EDIT to clarify: Frustratingly the DVD menu for City does actually indicate that there’s an English subtitle track! It just… doesn’t seem to have anything on it.

Pang Ho-Cheung… I’ve not seen You Shoot, I Shoot, but I’d recommend all his other earlier films if you liked Beyond Our Ken. (I liked bits of Trivial Matters, but it was very patchy, and I thought Exodus was a little too odd to be really any good but was still worth watching.) Plus I can’t speak for the BluRay but that does include Isabella. One of the weirdest, sweetest, most disturbing love stories I’ve ever seen - doesn’t get near Let The Right One In in that respect but it has a damn good try.

Eight Rooks - July 20, 2009, 11:51am

I was about to PM you, Jon, but I guess I’ll just confirm it here - unfortunately the 2-disc of City of Life and Death does not have English subs for any of the extras (2hr 10min making of, teaser, full trailer, slideshow, 3 minutes of deleted scenes with no audio or subtitles). Almost as frustrating as the Korean UE of Hero... was Change (the doc) ever released with English subs?

EDIT to clarify: Frustratingly the DVD menu for City does actually indicate that there’s an English subtitle track! It just… doesn’t seem to have anything on it.

Pang Ho-Cheung… I’ve not seen You Shoot, I Shoot, but I’d recommend all his other earlier films if you liked Beyond Our Ken. (I liked bits of Trivial Matters, but it was very patchy, and I thought Exodus was a little too odd to be really any good but was still worth watching.) Plus I can’t speak for the BluRay but that does include Isabella. One of the weirdest, sweetest, most disturbing love stories I’ve ever seen - doesn’t get near Let The Right One In in that respect but it has a damn good try.

Thanks, at least now I don’t have to triple-dip for City of Life and Death! I’m not familiar with Change—when was it released?

Precisely when I have no idea. It appears on the Korean UE, and it got a separate release on VCD as far as I remember. Anything beyond that, no clue. The Korean DVD doesn’t have subtitles (I can confirm that since it’s the only version of Hero I own and none of the extras are subtitled), but I don’t know about any other edition.

EDIT: It would help if I got the name right! It’s actually called Cause.

DOUBLE EDIT: Plus I just checked, and it’s a mammoth three hours long (!).

The thing about the City doc is it seems to be largely composed of someone following the crew around with a camera while they get down to filming. I skipped through it trying to see if I could find any English subtitles and didn’t see one instance of anyone talking to camera. Cause is interesting, but it has a lot of ‘dear video diary’ footage that rapidly gets frustrating if you can’t understand what’s being said. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend triple-dipping or anything else for City based on the doc, but it’s a bit more rewarding than these things sometimes are.