Kinoshita offers an incredibly engaging psychological exploration of Iemon’s faltering ego and the dramatic shift this faltering causes in his relationship to Oiwa.
Category: Romance
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.
Tsuyukusa (2022) review
A narrative of subtle affection carried by the layered performances of the cast.
Revenge (1964) review
A classic – a jidai-geki that every cinephile should see.
You’re Not Normal, Either! (2021) review
“A pleasant film, but nothing more than that.”
The Legend and The Butterfly (2023) [Japan Cuts 2023]
The combination of historical anchor points, a phantasmatic romance to link those points together, and satisfying burst of action will surely be able to satisfy those who thirst for a modern take on the period drama.
Hand (2022) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Matsui avoids delivering an exploitative erotic piece to be merely enjoyed by male audiences.
Plastic (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Miyazaki creates a moody narrative that highlights the equivocal functionality of music for the subject as well as the destructive impact of not being able to create an inter-subjective between two ego’s in love.