“An extraordinary film that offers a painful investigation of the ungraspable female element that forms a riddle for both man and woman alike.”
Category: Romance
Resident of Alice (2021) review
“Sawa pleases the spectator with his elegant and, at times, poetic compositions, but also delivers a narrative with a satisfying psychological depth and a rich emotional texture.”
Drive My Car (2021) review
“A meditative and intimate masterpiece with a rich but challenging intertextuality.”
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) review
“Ohtome succeeds in giving Himura’s bloody and tragic coming-into-being its rich and engaging emotional texture.”
Underdog (2021) review
“Take’s film powerfully shows that the heroism of the art of boxing lies in the very subjective meaning that power the jabs, the hooks, and the uppercuts.”
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021) review
“Ohtomo’s does not only preserve the essence of Watsuki’s narrative but delivers this essence with necessary emotionality and adorns it with many breathtaking sword-fighting moments that neither a manga nor an anime can deliver.”
Parasites In Love (2021) review
“One of the most original romance narratives of the year.”
We Couldn’t Become Adults (2021) review
“An elegant and moving exploration of a how certain subjects unwillingly compose their own romantic failures.”
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021) review
“An essential viewing for all who holds the art of cinema dear.”
The Sun Does Not Move (2021) review
“A highly pleasant action spy thriller that will satisfy both those hungry for exciting action and those who love a dense narrative with twist and turns.”
The Invisible Man Appears (1949) review
“Adachi’s mystery sci-fi film remains, after all these years, a highly entertaining narrative.”
Frantic (2021) review
“Fuji delivers his best movie yet and, quite possibly, the cult-film of the year.”
Irezumi (1966) review
“Masamura delivers a phenomenal narrative, a true post-war classic.”
Spaghetti Code Love (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Maruyama’s narrative speaks powerfully to the spectator’s subjectivity – his fears and hopes – and enables his evocation of a glimmer of hope that remains present in this dark depressive modern relational mess to positively impact his audience.”
461 Days of Bento: A Promise Between Father and Son (2020) review [Camera Japan Festival]
“A heartwarming narrative that does not only affirm that food is what brings people together, but also that the very act of preparing food, in many cases, functions as an expression of love.”
psycho-cinematography 