“A highly original yakuza narrative that beautifully touches upon the importance that the (idealized) figure of the father can have for a subject’s lifepath.”
Category: Violence
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.”
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.”
Yellow Dragon’s Village (2021) review
“A fabulous film and a true B-film sensation.”
The Fable: The Killer who Doesn’t Kill (2021) review [Camera Japan Festival]
“A satisfying sequel that fans of Fable’s first outing should not pass this up.”
Jigoku-no-hanazono ～Office Royale～ (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“An absurd and crazy cocktail full of violence and funny twists and unexpected turns.”
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.
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