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Reviews
Homesick (2000)
Japanese Road Movie (*Minor Spoilers below*)
The film is set in Hokkaido, the most northern part of Japan. Four people, all different characters with different backgrounds, bump into each other one after the other and together set their journey to nowhere. Eventually they come to the conclusion, that home is where they'd like to be, even if that's where they were running away from.
This is practically a road movie, only with a very slow pace, almost creeping. The mood is very quiet and most of the time there is no dialogue at all. The director (who was present at the screening) explained that many elements (like the empty baby carriage, the missing tracks, the empty tank, the "tombstone" in the hotel,...) had the purpose of creating a mood of despair and above all loneliness.
The key scene is the ending, in which Nakamura, the oldest of the four,comes to his hometown, where he had been heading to all along (in fact, he was the only one who had a definite goal), and finds it desolate and abandoned, leaving him nowhere to go... and everywhere.
Altogether it's a nice movie with a couple of laughs (great scene in which Nakamura tries to stop a cop from committing suicide).
Poruno sutâ (1998)
Above average Japanese yakuza-movie (*Minor Spoilers below*)
The story is about this weird guy (I think his name is Arano) arriving in Shibuya, Tokyo, who dislikes useless elements, thus eliminating them. He never quite defines the term useless (in fact he hardly talks at all), but yakuza (Japanese Mafia) seem to fit in there pretty clearly.
Funny though how the yakuza admire him for his courage rather than hate him for his gangster-killing.
The film starts out rather well. The first scene in which the main character is introduced is great (watch it on a big screen and turn up the volume). The character is truly unique, not completely cool (he acts rather clumsy falling down again and again trying to learn how to skate), but definitely cold. The actor fits just perfectly, at least as far as the facial expression is concerned. But somehow the film slows down towards the end, not that it got boring, the first half was just somewhat better.
Still, it's a good movie. I have yet to find out what the title has to do with the story.
Baunsu ko gaurusu (1997)
A great movie ! (*Minor Spoilers*)
Bounce koGals is a movie about Japanese high school prostitution. But that does not necessarily include sex for them. In fact the girls make more money on "dates" with elderly men, with whom they dine, sing karaoke and listen to. In return they are paid in money and designer clothes. This is the first movie I've seen about Japanese high school girls from their perspective.
The film starts with two storylines which meet in the middle: On the one hand our "typical" bunch of "high gals" and on the other our less typical lead ("Lisa") who's planning on going to New York the very next day (to study there). After Lisa's money gets stolen she turns to newly found friends who help her "earn" enough for her stay in the states, which is how she (and the viewer) get introduced to their way of making money.
The film reminded me a little of Larry Clark's "Kids" (what with all the crime and juvenile life from a different view), though "Kids" seemed to be a kiddy movie with children's problems, completely seperated from the grown up world. Whereas "Leaving" is a much more mature film, in which the "heroines" (there is actually nothing heroic about them, except of course for their true friendship) have to deal not only with themselves, but also with a number of yakuzas (Jap. mafia), old geezers and scavanging saleswomen.
What really struck me was the reality of the movie, in the language (I don't think the subtitles captured even a bit of the slang-jokes), in the superb acting, and in the story. There is no black-and-white-thinking. Bad guys turn out to be human and victims become aggressors. Nearly everybody is disgusted by what they're doing, like the shop owner who first makes our lead feel bad about selling her worn panties to lecherous men and then asks her if she'd be willing to sell her uniform as well.
The camera work was fantastic as well. There were quite a number of visual effects, but none of them overused, like in some movies, in which they become more of a running gag than an act of storytelling. For example the way shots of the past were flashed in (with slightly different coloration). That happened about once, and never again. The background music is used just as well.
The ending isn't too hard to predict but short, good, and very moving.
All in all this is one of the best 5 Japanese movies I have ever seen.
Man on the Moon (1999)
Very bitter... and very sweet !
What is there left to say, that hasn't been said already by other commentators ? I liked this movie, though sometime I wasn't sure whether to cry or to giggle. What this film really did is get me interested in the person, Andy Kaufman. That's what good biographies do to me. I had only known him from the R.E.M. song, and I haven't seen a single 'Taxi'-episode in my life, but now I'm really curious. But, alas, just like with 'Forrest Gump', I will not want to see the main actor with a different haircut than in that movie ;-)
Ranma ½: Kessen Tôgenkyô! Hanayome o torimodose!! (1992)
Better than the first !
To my taste, this film was better than the first (Big Trouble in Nekonlon, China). The jokes are funnier and more silly. The animation is pretty much the same. The story is rather lame and could have been told in about 2 or 3 comic-chapters. The plot girl-guy saves girl isn't really that much different from Movie No. 1. The women's breasts are bigger and the legs are longer, and since all takes place in an exotic beach-environment, the creators have the opportunity of pointing this out to the viewer fairly often. Better than the first, but still not that great. Oh, but I must admit, I thought the main theme was kinda cute.
Ranma ½: Chûgoku Nekonron daikessen! Okite yaburi no gekitô hen (1991)
Below average Takahashi adaption
Have you noticed, how every first theatrical animation of a series has to a) have every character appear at least for a split second and b) present a story that would like to be overwhelming (but is actually very poor) and tries to adapt the complete content of the original comic character development as if there was no intent of making another one ? And then the creators loosen up in the making of the sequel which then turns out much better ? This is a perfect example. The seriousness and the somewhat heroic-like behaviour of the protagonists just don't allow the typical "Ha-ha-Ranma-no-baka" feeling, especially towards the end. Sure, there are some laughs, but hardly anything new for the devoted Ranma-lovers. You don't have to be a Ranma-Fanatic to enjoy this movie, but being one doesn't help either.
Urusei Yatsura 6: Itsudatte, mai dârin (1991)
An Average UY-film
This film does not continue or conclude part no. 5. It doesn't even fit into the sixth place continuity-speaking. Don't get irritated, just cram it into that space between 4 and 5, not that it's really that important. The film is funny, as UY-films go and less serious and more silly than the fifth film, but no match to it (maybe a little better than parts 3 and 4). The animation is okay, the music is okay, what more is there to say ? Don't expect a grand finale a la Last Chapter.
Urusei Yatsura 5: Kanketsuhen (1988)
My favourite UY movie !!
This is certainly my favourite Urusei Yatsura movie. Summarizing the last chapters of the comic it concludes the story of Lum's and Ataru's fight for love and each other more or less (or so I believe; I haven't actually read the comic that far). The story is complex (for UY), the jokes are witty (still no sign of meta-humour, though) and it's altogether more fast-paced and action packed than any preceeding UY-film. As usual this adaption of the comic series puts more emphasis on romance and relationship than the original, making the characters seem rather stern. Especially Ataru's behaviour has changed drastically for the... less weird. This was meant to be the last UY movie, but a sixth one was done as an anniversary-special or so. If you liked the first 4, you'll love this one. If you were dissappointed by said films, this one just might make it up to you.
Urusei Yatsura 1: Onri yû (1983)
Nice, but not the best Lum-film...
A nice theatrical adaption of the comic series, though definetly not the best of all six. A little slow-paced sometimes and the romantic songs in between don't quite fit into the slapsticky atmosphere. The Japanese voices are great; especially Ataru's, switching from deep macho-like murmur to manical screeching any time. The animation is what is to be expected from the early eighties, and the character design is more like the original drawings than the designs of the succeeding films are. If this film is your first "Lum-experience", you just might be a little confused, but not necessarily for the worse. Readers of the comic and fans of the TV-series should not expect the silly meta-humor or the quick action they're used to, but a story that concentrates more on the semi-romantical relationship of the two main characters.
Mulan (1998)
I enjoyed it !
I liked Mulan, especially since this is the first time Disney went for an Asian setting. I must admit I did not notice most historical screw-ups I read about afterwards. It was about as good as Pocahontas, better than Aladdin and Hercules, but not quite as good as The Hunchback, to my opinion. The score was very very poor and not in the least memorable, with the exception of one title, maybe. I really adored the character design (much better than in Hercules), but had the feeling there wasn't very much effort put into creating detailed backgrounds, especially compared to recent non-Disney animated movies like Anastasia. It seems that Disney didn't really think of this film as a grand masterpiece to be remembered for the next few years, but more as a "Let's do this film, until we can think of something we can REALLY put money into". I was glad there wasn't that much Americanisation in the film like in Hercules, until I saw the ghosts dancing to disco rhythms... well, you can't have everything, I guess. Still, a must for all Disney-fans.
Anastasia (1997)
It was okay.
I went to see this movie telling myself, I will NOT be disappointed, as I'm keeping my expectations as low as possible... I was disappointed. To the film's defense I must say that I saw it in German unlike most other animated movies I watch (I'm really sad I missed Meg Ryan and Hank Azaria). The character design was BEAUTIFUL, but there was this line between nose and the corner of the mouth just a little too often, making the heroes look older sometimes. The background painting was most colouful und very detailed, letting Disney's Mulan (which appeared about the same time) look a little trist sometimes. The character animation was nice, but definitely NOT Disney-like, as it was based more on real-life-movement than on animated gracefulness. The computer animation (like of the boat or the train), were a little bumpy if you paid close attention to it. But what spoiled a lot of the film was that big parts of the story were just completely illogical. Most children won't mind, but grown-ups are bound to notice. Moreover, Rasputin was just the most unnecessary bad guy I have ever seen in film history. Just keep your expectations low !
Kôkaku kidôtai (1995)
A good film, but very hyped by merchandise
Don't see this movie expecting the exact animation of the original comic. For example it lacks the Fujikoma, the cute robot-like vehicles. Most story-lines of the graphic novel where left out as well, but not necessarily for the worse. The whole mood is much darker and not as colourful. The film has a much more pessimistic view of the future than the rather optimistic comic. Hentai-lovers are warned: The infamous cybersex-scene was stricken from the movie as well. No matter, what anime-defenders may claim, animation-wise, it cannot compete even with the oldest Disney movie, and even the much older Akira was more stunning, I thought. Still the story is worth watching this film and the score is just fantastic, though not everyone's taste. If you loved Patlabor 2, you'll like this one as well.
Kaze no tani no Naushika (1984)
I preferred the comic
Though seen as a classic by many anime-lovers, it doesn't even come close to the original comic. It seems that the director (the artist and writer of the graphic novel) gave up the idea of making a perfect adaption of his non-animated work after the first ten minutes of the film. Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie, but about as disappointing as the animated version of the Lord of the Rings, stopping right in the middle of the story as well. Viewers of the German translation beware: Many scenes were cut (and dialogue rewritten) in this version, as the translaters didn't like the idea of this film actually critisizing industrial pollution ! Not necessarily a must see. You be the judge.