Kore-eda succeeds in delivering an utterly engaging narrative about the fundamental misunderstanding that underpins our fabrication of our truth.
Category: Romance
Man Who Causes A Storm (1957)
Inoue’s rags-to-riches narrative might not escape the territory of predictability, but he puts enough thematical meat on the table so that the spectator, in full knowlegde of how the narrative will unfold, still comes away fully satisfied.
The Master Plan / The End of The Tiny World (2021) review
“Pleasant, but ultimately fails to deliver the emotional catharsis it so clearly promises.”
Funky Forest: the first Contact (2005) review
“Strange, mundane, surprising, deadpan funny, funky, and ethereal all rolled into one.”
Village (2023) review
An incredibly powerful drama narrative that illustrates how toxic and destructive a societal environment can be for the subject – the persecutory dimension of the Other – and how reparative ‘inter-subjective’ signifiers can be.
Halloween movie special: Summer Of Demon (1981) review
Despite some nice visual compositions and some great performances, Ninagawa’s composition ultimately deflates the drama, leaving this adaptation unable to touch the spectator.
Halloween Special Review: Shinshaku Yotsuya Kaidan part 1 & part 2 (1949) review
Kinoshita offers an incredibly engaging psychological exploration of Iemon’s faltering ego and the dramatic shift this faltering causes in his relationship to Oiwa.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) review
Nakagawa succeeds in delivering an unforgettable finale that, due to its hallucinatory feel, mesmerises the spectator with its haunting imagery.
Halloween Special Review: The Ghosts of Yotsuya (1956) review
An incredible horror film that retains its power to engage and thrill the spectator due to Tomisabura Wakayama’s outstanding performance.
Okiku and the World (2023) review [Japannual 2023]
Introduction Junji Sakamoto (Another World (2019), I Never Shot Anyone (2020), My Brother, The Android and Me (2022)) might not be as well-known by international audiences as other directors, but he has proved himself to be an incredible talent in Japan that deserves recognition for his often unique but always well-crafted narratives. Luckily, in recent…
The Cinderella Addiction (2021) review
“A highly enjoyable narrative that explores the opposition between indulging into fantasies and the developing of inter-subjective bonds.”
Ice Cream Fever (2023) review [Japannual 2023]
A gorgeous stylish exploration of the subjective struggles and the solutions subjects invent within the field of love and desire.
Life of Mariko in Kabukicho (2023) review [Camera Japan Festival]
Katayama and Uchida does not merely offer a glance at the relational drama that hides behind the neon-lit night-life and pleasure district, but also delivers a narrative that hits all the right emotional notes.
Ninja Vs Shark (2023) review [Camera Japan 2023]
A pleasant B-film action experience.
Love Will Tear Us Apart (2023) review [Camera Japan Festival]
A narrative that blows a refreshing wind in both the slasher and the romance genre.
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