“An absurd and crazy cocktail full of violence and funny twists and unexpected turns.”
Category: Violence
Tokyo Revengers (2021) Review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“An exciting blend of satisfying violence, tensive moments, surges of pleasing lightheartedness, and touching emotional moments.”
The Promised Land (2019) review [Nippon Connection 2021]
A beautifully composed and highly relevant narrative about destructive kinds of social violence, a social violence against the Otherness present in the community and an ostracizing violence to turn the once-trusted other into an unwanted Otherness.
My Blood and Bones in a Flowing Galaxy (2021) review [Nippon Connection 2021]
“A great narrative, due to its emotionally gripping finale and the crystal-clear manner by which Sabu explores and uncovers the impact of a vicious environment on the way the subject inscribes itself into the social fabric.”
New Neighbour (2013) review
“A pleasant narrative that underlines, in more ways than one, the fact that sexuality can be very problematic for a (female) subject.”
Under The Open Sky (2020) review [Nippon Connection 2021]
“A (damning) look at the vicious and unforgiven nature of the judgmental Other as well as heartwarming emotionally rich exploration of the importance of supportive inter-subjective social bonds for the subject.”
Ride Or Die (2021) review
“A highly enjoyable romance narrative that thrives on a rich current of heartfelt romantic and raw natural emotions. “
One Night (2019) review [Nippon Connection 2021]
A great narrative, offering a nuanced and rich exploration of interpersonal dynamics, that ultimately fails in giving this rich tapestry of interpersonal conflict a fitting finale.
Wife of A Spy (2020) review
A tremendous achievement [that succeeds in calling] forth orth certain (indigestible) truths concerning the Japanese imperialistic Other.
Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture (1973) review
Teruo Ishii is unable to deliver what made the first film so enjoyable: the visual celebration of Ocho Inoshika’s phallic fury.
Sweet Bitter Candy (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“An amazing exploration of the clash between a sweet youthful romantic desire and the bitter urge of a wounded subject to defend his subjective wounds.”
A New Wind Blows (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
A great film that shows that the madness of the male subject is often function of a woman, of a woman that unknowingly puts the by a man assumed phallic position of being desired radically into question.
The Asian Angel (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“Ishii’s latest succeeds in showing, in a powerful and touching manner, the possibility of intercultural friendship and romance.”
The Gun (2018) review
A great narrative from a thematical perspective – exploring, with clarity, the impact of a phallic object on male subjective functioning, that is stylistically unable to turn Take’s thematical exploration into a truly powerful experience.
Closed Ward/Family of Strangers (2019) review
While ‘Family of Strangers’ runs the risk of corroborating prejudices, Hirayama’s narrative also has the potential to make spectators think about the socially embedded nature of mental suffering,
