Perfect Blue

broderic on November 30, 2015

Perfect Blue has been out of print on DVD/BluRay for the longest time, so imagine my surprise to see that The Charles had it playing during their Anime Night programming. It’s the only film of Satoshi Kon’s that I had not seen, and I planned to catch it no matter what.

Being his first film, it is rough around the edges. It has a very 90s anime feel to it, and it didn’t help that the Charles had what seemed to be a bootleg — it looked like the aspect ratio was wrong as the faces were somewhat distorted. I’ve seen other images on the web from this movie. They looked better. Also, the sound was slightly too loud. I’m not sure that the Charles did a good presentation of the film, but I was glad to catch it. At least, they fixed the crack in the screen wall of the theatre such as not to distract from the film.

Perfect Blue is about a Japanese idol who decides to graduate from her group and become an actress. She wants to move past her idol persona and became her own person as an actress. Her fans may not approve. Lots of the film bounces between those two worlds — the idol and the actress. You see her shed that innocent idol image by taking up adult roles and doing sexy gravure shots. Her fans may not approve.

Kon displays his trademark switching between scenes. They focused on Mima’s life as an idol or as an actress. They switched back and forth morphing reality with scenes she plays in a movie or scenes of the movie. She tries to find her real self — the idol or the actress. She gets involved in murders because her fans may not approve of her choice. In the end, it became a mystery to solve for her.

Imagine all the idol watching I’ve done in the last 6 months. Now imagine all of that – about the fans approval – coming around in this movie. Do we, idol fans, like them for who they are or who we think they are? Are we complicit in their act? Are we complicit in the happiness, or unhappiness, of their lives? I am not too sure; I’ve wrestled with it for the last 6 months myself. Idols are idols and they are who they are. I’m just here to support them in their line of business.

4 of 5 stars.

Hidden Beach

broderic on November 27, 2015

Sunset @ HIdden beach, Ko'Alina

Dateline, Hawaii. Not today, but early this year. A sunset to remember. Thank you.

Millennium Actress [RIP Hara Setsuko-san]

broderic on November 25, 2015

The world just found out that Setsuko Hara has died. Ozu’s muse, she was prominently linked with the great director in the ‘Noriko trilogy’: Late Spring, Tokyo Story, and Early Summer — some of the greatest of Ozu’s films. She was that elegant, demure Japanese woman on screen. Later on in life she was a recluse and very private. So it doesn’t come as a shock to find out she died back in September. It is only being reported now. Sad.

Our Brand Is Crisis

broderic on November 21, 2015

Since it has been several weeks that I have reviewed any movies, it may seem like I didn’t watch anything in the theaters. Yeah, I know that I was too busy with “Nogizakatte doko?”, “Nogibingo!”, and any and all Nogizaka related things, but I did catch a few first run movies.

Our Brand Is Crisis I saw last month. Now I just have to put a few thoughts together…

Yeah, I don’t remember this one too much.

It was based on a documentary, Our Brand Is Crisis, which followed American political campaigners in Latin America. So, the fictional story is based on real events.

Sandra Bullock plays Jane Bodine a once hotshot political adviser. She’s been out of the game for years, because she kept losing to a James Caravelle type rival played by a bald Billy Bob Thornton. She’s pulled back into the game by operatives trying to fix a Bolivian presidential campaign. They get her off her rump by giving her a chance to take down Billy Bob. She bites. But at first she doesn’t like to. Then she finally does give in and turns on the heat to get her guy elected by running a negative campaign.

It turned out to be a Sandra Bullock movie. She starts off sad. She then becomes morose. But pulls it together to be happy in the end.

Billy Bob Thornton phones it in, but does provide a nice counterpoint to the Bullock movie.

Anything Anthony Mackie has been in has been fine. He’s the best part of the movie.

Overall, I would not have seen this on my own, but since I was sort of dragged to it, it was a forgettable, but enjoyable 2 hours. I liked the popcorn.

3 of 5 stars.

Under

broderic on November 20, 2015

For today, even though it’s half over, we’ll go with the Under Girls song from Nogizaka46’s latest single. The Under Girls are the lower half of the group that did not break into the main single group. They are just as important as the primary group of girls. Also, this song I like better than the primary song on the single. Under Girls rule as well. Let’s all support them!

When I Realized That It Was Unrequited Love

broderic on November 19, 2015

It has been awhile.

So let’s get begin again with Nogizaka46’s 8th single, 気づいたら片想い [Kizuitara Kataomoi]. It’s the one which the center girl (Nishino) jumped from Macau Tower to promote this song. And it’s creeping into my number one spot for Nogi singles. I’m especially fond of the dance moves and that ending. I hope you like it.

Crimson Peak

broderic on October 31, 2015

The cliche I love when reading a ghost story is how at the start the narrator mentions how at first he didn’t believe in the supernatural. As the ghost story unfolds, it becomes apparent that supernatural things are afoot. So that by the end, the narrator readily believes the unbelievable.

Crimson Peak opens with the heroine of the film saying just that. But it is the end of the ghost story. So Crimson Peak unfolds to tell you about the ghosts. But it ends up, she’s known ghosts all her life.

This film is really predictable. You know where it is going once the characters show up. The brother, the sister. Yes, that will happen. The dead mother. The long lost wives. The many places visited. You know they all feed into the story. The only thing is that love does bloom which is hard to believe.

It’s not a bad movie. It was just marketed wrong. It is as the narrator had said a story with ghosts. It is not a horror flick, but a gothic tale with ghosts in it. Victorian but with ghosts in it. Del Toro should never have shown the creepy crawly ghost and left it all to our imagination.

3 of 5 stars.

Bridge of Spies

broderic on October 31, 2015

Bridge of Spies is a decent offering from Steven Spielberg. It is very much one of his more serious offerings in the vein of Munich. Yet, it wasn’t as serious because the Coen brothers contributing some very subtle witty dialogue. Tom Hanks is an elderly version of himself. He sort of reminded me of Joe from Joe Versus the Volcano, a somewhat down beat character who finds the heroic side in him from being brave.

Here Hanks is James Donovan, a lawyer who stumbles into the ungrateful task of defending a Soviet spy. Donovan gives the spy as good a defense as deserved. He also makes the case that by giving the spy a decent defense he is following the spirit of America. Or even Jesus. America is about dignity and grace. Contrasted to the Soviets, America is upholding human rights. It isn’t about ramming people into jail. It isn’t about torture. It is about taking the high road. If only we remember this. America is better than what the GOP let’s you believe.

Anywho, Bridge of Spies is worth watching as a Spielberg movie. It’s not a classic, but it is rather solid, and it would be a pleasant film to catch on a lazy Sunday as it plays on USA network.

3 of 5 stars.

The Intern

broderic on October 11, 2015

Everyone cries in a Nancy Myers film including the leads in The Intern.

It was better than expected. And I liked how the ending left much to your imagination.

3 of 5 stars.