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"We're all alone in life"
Plan 75 took a calculated approach to culling the herd so to speak. As Japan faced a shrinking younger population and growing older population, Plan 75 was implemented. Anyone 75 or older could chose to be euthanized and receive $1000 and funeral expenses. But is it really voluntary if the poor elderly are financially ostracized leaving them with few choices?Michi is 78-years-old and working as a cleaning maid with other elderly women. She has no family and her apartment is scheduled to be demolished. When she loses her job, she is left with few options. No one will hire her, no one will rent an apartment to her without a substantial deposit, and the welfare office is “closed.” Michi meets with Plan 75 agent Hiromu and signs up. Hiromu’s estranged uncle also signs up causing him to look into the program more closely.
My first thought was that this felt like a re-working of Kinoshita’s The Ballad of Narayama (1958). In TBoN when a person reached 70 in an impoverished village a family member carried them up the mountain where they were left to die of starvation and exposure. The opening sequence of Plan 75 featured a mass killing of people in an assisted living facility reminiscent of a real-life mass murder in Japan in 2016. The film killing and other hate crimes against older folks spurred the creation of Plan 75.
The first thing that hits you is that all of these people were near the poverty line if not below it. They either had no family or their families had largely abandoned them. None of the people who agreed to be euthanized as good citizens were wealthy. Shocking, I know. It’s briefly implied that businesses were profiting off the human loss of life driving the application age downward. However, there was no real discussion of the glaring pitfalls of such a program and the de-humanization of the elderly. Who has the right to decide if a life is of value and when that life should end? Were the wealthy and powerful held to such a standard? Who will be called on next to make sacrifices? Homeless people or the poor? The handicapped, the sick, the infertile? The LGBTQ+ community? People who aren’t living up to society’s expectations? And when does it stop being encouraged and start being enforced? The lack of a deep dive into the potential for corruption was disappointing.
Plan 75 showed the sad truth that many elderly live alone and on limited funds. When they die, they often die alone. In this film, Hiromu discovered that his uncle had helped build Japan’s transportation infrastructure. Michi had worked her whole life---Basho Chieko gave a quietly inspired performance in this role. Now they were considered a drain on society. Instead of cherishing them, providing for them, and recognizing the value of their lives and contributions they had become disposable. When one group of people is dehumanized, it’s not long before another one will be. Only the poor and powerless were called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. Characters came to realize that life is precious and death should be handled with dignity. Not everyone is ready to leave this mortal coil at 75, there might be one more glorious sunset to bathe in.
“In the shade of the old apple tree,
Tomorrow let’s meet once again
When the red setting sun sinks in the west.”
18 September 2025
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"I see me in them"
What happens when a high school girl tries desperately to fit in with the cool girls and everything goes awry? Second Life gives Seon Hee a second chance, but will she learn to accept herself and take responsibility for her actions?Seon Hee’s parents are either arguing or so involved in their own lives that she is merely a second thought. Shy, and lacking confidence she looks on with envy when Jeong Mi’s friends celebrate her birthday at school. Seon Hee goes to great lengths to find a way into their group. Her constant lying to fit in is obvious to the girls who decide to reject her. When Seon Hee takes revenge, tragedy strikes. She runs away and starts a second life in a rural village orphanage. Life seems to be taking a turn for the better, if only her past could stay hidden.
The beautiful scenery, cinematography, and score were all well done. The acting, however, was very hit and miss. I thought the story’s concept was interesting yet it ultimately left me unfulfilled. High school is a tough place for shy students, especially ones desperate for attention and acceptance. One lie can lead to another, until those lies are inevitably revealed. Even worse are the lies we tell ourselves. Actions born out of revenge can also have unexpected consequences. Seon Hee found that there are people who will accept you for yourself. But growing up and learning to take responsibility for your actions isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight…or maybe ever.
11 September 2025
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"We're all waiting for that someone to forgive us"
Heiward Mak directed Fagara, a story about three half-sisters who meet at their father’s funeral. The three women have different mothers from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. Having dealt with a largely absentee father, the three have wounds to heal as they get to know each other.In Hong Kong, Acacia receives a call saying that her estranged father is in the hospital. He dies before she arrives. When she charges his phone, she discovers a secret, actually two, she has a sister in Taiwan and one in China. She invites both of them to the funeral where they awkwardly meet. Branch is a professional pool player while Cherry is a wannabe influencer in China. Acacia has to decide what to do with her father’s hot pot restaurant as there is another year on the lease. She discovers that her father did most of the work and is exhausted attempting to keep it open. The staff call in her sisters to help. The three grow closer as they search for the hot pot broth’s secret recipe, which might turn out to be a bit of a family scrapbook.
I enjoyed the sisters learning about each other and supporting each other. They all shared unfulfilling relationships with their parents, especially their dad. Through taking over the hot pot restaurant they worked through their feelings about him and others in their lives. I liked that none of the three relied on men to tell them what to do or to support them. They were independent, making choices that best served them in their lives. And they made a loving sisterly family where none had existed before. All three actresses created three very different characters that felt real---Sammi Cheng as the sullen, hurt Hong Kong daughter, Megan Lai as the pool player with a secret love life, and Li Xiao Feng as the effervescent influencer who adored her grandmother. It was fun to see Wu Yan Shu (Meet Yourself) play Cherry’s feisty grandmother. Liu Shui Chi looked like she could have been Branch’s mother in real life. The women's stories and relationships were heartfelt without plunging headfirst into melodrama.
What didn’t work for me---The dad was portrayed as a great guy, misunderstood, but always willing to give people a chance and helpful advice. He was still a man who created three children with three different women and wasn’t a real father to any of them. He withheld the words and time his daughters needed. Acacia and Branch felt rejected and tended to emotionally isolate themselves. Cherry quipped she had never been anyone’s choice. Her mother had moved with her to Canada, calling her a niece and not a daughter. Eventually, she ended up with her grandmother in China. All three dealt with resentments and feelings of rejection that were too often smoothed over or seen as overreaction. The film kept circling around trying to make the dad out to not have been a deadbeat and worthy of great respect, but I never made it to that point. That all three needed to come to terms with him and make peace with a flawed parent was understandable. Painting him to be better than he was caused me to drop my score. While I’m ranting, Andy Lau’s character mansplaining men to Acacia was grating. No Andy, “want to be with you” and “can be with you” don’t mean the same thing. Get a dictionary and a clue.
Aside from the writers trying to make the father out to be better than he was and expecting the women to accept the crumbs he gave them as better than they were, I really enjoyed this film about sisters coming together and healing through love and food. And I loved that Acacia not only learned how to drive, but learned when to drive away and when to drive toward something she wanted.
9 September 2025
I used the names given in the movie version I watched: Acacia Ha=Hsia Ru Shu; Branch/Blanche Ha=Hsia Ru Zhi; Cherry Ha=Hsia Ru Guo
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"Dignity is important, but winning is way more important"
If you are squeamish around a lot of bare skin, best to skip Sanctuary. This sumo drama abounded in nearly nekkid men as the sport requires. Big, bountiful butt cheeks and bellies everywhere. I knew very little about the sport so was interested in peering into their world. My review will show I still know next to nothing but it is up a step up from nothing.Oze Kiyoshi had a troubled family life after his father lost their sushi restaurant. His mother ran off with other men and racked up enormous debt. His father who had physical limitations (maybe from a stroke?) was relegated to working on a road crew as the flag man. The Ensho stable master, Ensho Oyakata, recruits Oze after he quits judo telling Oze he can make a lot of money in sumo. Oze refuses to learn the sumo way, preferring his own bag of mostly useless tricks, he is pounded repeatedly in every practice. His unconventional approach to sumo will be sorely tested when he goes head-to-head with Shizuuchi, a mountain of a man with a more painful background than his own. In a similar vein, reporter Kunishima Asuka has been demoted from the news desk and reassigned to covering sumo. Sullen and sulky, disrespectful of sumo, she is a petulant thorn in her boss’ side. Can the two people on either side of the ring come to appreciate and respect the ancient sport?
The most difficult aspect of this drama for me was Oze. He was thoroughly unlikable. Rude, cocky, and violent, disrespectful to everyone, and on top of that, he often behaved stupidly. It helps to pick an unlikable trait-unrelentingly rude or stupid, Oze managed to be both. I was not rooting for him, in fact, was hoping someone would knock his block off. Boy, did I get my wish. Oze was not alone--devious stable heads, other wrestlers, parents (dear goodness his mother was cartoonishly awful)—all behaved badly. The hazing could be violent and there was also college frat boy childish hazing behavior that I didn’t find funny. Kunishima’s growth could at least be seen episode by episode, Oze became embarrassingly worse with each episode until his world view was shattered and he was forced to make a life decision the audience had been waiting six-and-a-half episodes for.
Sanctuary did give insights into the secretive sport with brutal hazing and masculine spaces that had invisible yet strongly enforced “no girls allowed” signs. Any criticisms were quickly swept under the rug, even Kunishima abandoned them as she became enamored with the sport and Enno. Side stories and characters were unceremoniously shoved under the same rug. The last couple of episodes were more entertaining and what I wouldn’t pay to see a gaggle of nearly nekkid sumos running through the streets Rocky style. However, the journey to redemption was just so slow and awful, perhaps more realistic, but not much fun to watch. The ending was also a bitter letdown after a huge emotional buildup. While I enjoyed learning more about the ancient sport with its intricate traditions, Oze/Enno was an irritating guide for much of the drama. I’m still glad I watched it for sumo educational purposes, but the drama itself was a challenge to wade through.
30 August 2025 7.25 could go either way on a coin flip, 7.0 or 7.5
Trigger warnings: bare derrieres, sexual content, lots of boob grabbing, numerous vomiting scenes, a suicide, and a very violent bloody scene.
SPOILER TRIGGER: Ended on a Cliffhanger with lots of dangling stories.
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"When you're stuck, try another thing"
Everyday Hero was based on the efforts of Guo Jian Nan aka Brother Nan, an engineer who worked for the Poverty Alleviation committee. All but deified in the film, Brother Nan travels to the village of Li Tan that has been damaged by a typhoon. He dedicates his life to lifting the villagers out of poverty.When Guo Jian Nan is called into his boss’ office and offered the job of surveying Li Tan for a factory, he jumps at the chance. A factory would offer 500 jobs to the local villages and help raise the people out of poverty. He and his sidekick Da Zhi discover there is no place for the factory but instead of giving up they remain and work to find other projects that will benefit the people.
The film was an idealized vision of people and offered little conflict. The villagers largely accepted Guo with open arms and were willing to do whatever he asked of them. Liu Bao, the local who benefited from the Pioneer of Prosperity hadn’t shared his wealth from oyster farming. Yet with the arrival of Guo his behavior became overtly generous. The primary beneficiary of Guo’s plans was Aunt Ya/Aunt Mute and her geese. There were few obstacles that Guo could not find a solution for. Though the heartbreaking dilemma of parents having to leave children behind so that they could work in the city was highlighted through the child Papaya and students at the small school. At one point Guo was reprimanded for telling the truth regarding the issues of building a factory to his bosses but that seemed ludicrous. One way or another they would discover why it would be impossible. Another criticism from on high blew over quickly as well. Family troubles were forgiven and support was shored up for him. Everyone understood he had a higher calling of establishing new sources of income for the village and eliminating privation.
The editing could be choppy and situations weren’t always explained well. Maybe they were but were lost in translation. While the characters and events could have been developed better, overall, I enjoyed this film. Watching people work together harmoniously for the most part is a nice break from the real world. The PRC has dedicated significant resources to reducing poverty with Brother Nan and Li Tan being one of the success stories. Everyday Hero (Everybody’s Dream) was an homage to Guo Jian Nan who gave everything he had to improve the lives of one village. The film stated that poverty is a worldwide problem, which is absolutely correct, a problem that would benefit from more enlightened solutions, cooperation, and resolve from the global village.
27 August 2025
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"There's a century worth of stories here and rubbish which makes it the filthiest river"
Suzhou River was a breakout role for Zhou Xun. She won the Paris Film Fest and Chinese Film Media awards for Best Actress. For her co-star Jia Hong Sheng it was a comeback film after a long battle with drug addiction and mental illness. I had mixed reactions to the blurring of reality and fantasy in this story set along the Suzhou River.A narrator voices his story of struggling to find work as a videographer in the rundown area around the Suzhou River. One night in a seamy bar he’s asked to video the mermaid swimming on display. The mermaid, Mei Mei, and the narrator begin a relationship marred by her moments of sadness and random disappearances. She mentions the tragic love story of Mardar and Mu Dan and would he search for her forever as Mardar did for the missing Mu Dan. Thus begins the story of the doomed lovers.
I enjoyed the first half of the film more than the second half. In the first half it was distracting that the narrator continually inserted into the story comments that it was only a story and he was making it up as he went along. It was very hard for me to connect with characters when I was narratively jostled about. But at least the lovers’ story held some interest as two disaffected people finding a connection. The second half when the narrator became so enamored with his creations that he inserted himself into the story dragged it down for me, especially the enigmatic ending. By that point I didn’t care about any of them and their heartbreak and sense of loss became meaningless.
Zhou Xun did a splendid job playing two different characters. My biggest problem was that Mu Dan was supposed to be a teenager which made her relationship with Mardar on the icky side as Jia had a hardened adult face and Mardar had an adult criminal job. The narrator knew nothing about his girlfriend, Mei Mei, which meant the audience didn’t either. We never see the narrator. He and his camera are the observers. Scenes through the camera’s POV were very shaky, a style that makes me rather nauseated.
Aside from the shaky camera issues, the color scheme was often gray and even blurred as if watching through too much smog. Or like an old scratchy film never lovingly restored. The music at least effectively matched the scenes and emotions.
As I watched this film repeatedly being pulled out of the characters’ world by the narrator, I couldn’t help but wonder if the story would have felt more cohesive and compelling if the director had told the story straight instead of bouncing around in time and between reality and fantasy. It was hard to care about people who were constantly described through the lens of urban legend and then blended with a lonely storyteller’s life.
20 July 2025
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"Penetrate the paper with your gaze"
I was perusing Netflix’s offerings and saw an image of Yakusho Koji for Vivant’s advertisement. That was honestly enough for me to jump into the drama without knowing what it was about. Full disclosure for his other 12 fans, Koji doesn’t really show up until episode 8. Until then I had to rely on Abe Hiroshi and Mongolian actor, Barslkhagva Batbold, to keep me entertained. Sakai Masato’s performance as Nogi Yusuke was hit and miss with me.Nogi Yusuke is in deep doggy doo doo at his company when $100,000,000 is “accidentally” transferred to a business in Balka instead of the agreed upon payment of $10,000,000. Nogi heads to Balka in an attempt to retrieve the 90 million. From there he becomes entangled with a Japanese policeman, a Japanese doctor, a mute Balkan child with a heart condition, a mute Balkan agent, a relentless Balkan policeman, a whole heap of spy trouble, a terrorist organization, and a personified inner critic he talks aloud with. Throw in a few daddy issues and that about rounded the drama out.
Sakai Masato initially played Nogi for laughs as the businessman stumbled cluelessly about. This kind of wide-eyed childish character is the type I rarely connect with. Ham-fisted clues were not hard to pick up on as the innocent Nogi bumbled through Balka. Nikaido Fumi had the thankless role of the often annoying and selfless doctor, Kaoru. As her character calmed down and was thrust into the love interest role, she became less important to the story. I could detect no romantic chemistry and the 20-year age gap seemed wider in this drama. Despite his naïve persona, Sakai looked every bit of 50 or older which proved problematic with another age gap he was involved in. Abe Hiroshi swaggered his way through as the extremely confident policemen/agent with a 100 watt smile. I enjoyed Matsuzaka Tori’s turn as Nogi’s work buddy Kurosu. As I mentioned, Yakusho Koji is one of my favorite actors. He did what he could with his pivotal role even when his character was reduced to monologuing or giving ridiculous reasons for his actions. Was there a problem with two of the actors’ speaking abilities which caused the producers to make them both mute?
The Mongolian scenery, especially the desert, was stunning and often a backdrop for characters behaving inexplicably. The music was mostly pleasing relying heavily on classical tunes and a version of The Incredibles theme song. When you hear Wagner, you know they are going with the overly dramatic music. I may not have bought the romance but I really liked one of the enemies to friends relationships. The twists and cliffhangers were somehow predictable and at the same time fun.
The episodes were long and the first ep dragged almost causing me to drop it. I’m glad I stuck with the drama because even with ridiculous plot armor, unbelievable spy and political intrigue, family drama, and fantastical chase scenes I enjoyed Vivant right up until the last episode when they zapped all the pleasure out of it with long moralizing and nationalistic speeches. I feel like this review is too negative because I actually binged the heck out of Vivant. Cheese and small doses of implausibility don't bother me, and if not for the eye-rolling final episode I would have rated it an 8.0. If you are looking for a realistic spy drama or a self-acknowledged spoof of one, this isn't it. Vivant did try to step out of the usual comfort zone of office and home which I was quite pleased with.
24 June 2025
A few spoilery thoughts below:
****Spoiler talk****
Nogi’s mental illness was never properly addressed and was left untreated. He quite obviously talked to and argued with himself even in public spaces which made me wonder how he became a spy in the first place. Also, a petty observation, Nogi was supposed to be gifted with languages and I understood maybe a third of his English. Yusuke looked more like a brother to Beki than a son which did jostle my immersion into the story fairly often. I was thrilled when it was finally revealed that he was Vivant so that Nogi could back off of the clumsy routine. But that ending with Beki made no sense to me whatsoever.
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"I've lived my entire life looking up"
The Starting Point is a Korean snowy crime drama directed by Lee Man Hee. Crime, murder, prostitution, and dancing by a campfire, this film covered all the noir bases. Lol. If you watch any Korean dramas or films you know better than to be suckered into those happy moments for too long.Seok Gu (though never actually called by name in the film) breaks into a building to steal files from a safe. Hunted by a determined security man, the two fight to the death with Seok losing the briefcase of files. Boss Choi is none too happy and feels that somehow Seok is a threat to the gang’s Seven Year Secret. Choi sends Seok off to Mt Sorak with a prostitute named Seon (whose name is never mentioned in the film) to act as newlyweds. The newlyweds are in a group with other singles and couples, one of whom is a shady gynecologist who treats prostitutes and recognizes Seon.
We never know why Seok thinks he’s been sent to the mountain. Seon was supposed to be sexually available to Seok, but was their a more sinister order at play? We also never learn what the Seven Year Secret plan is. An assassin was sent to the mountain to partake in the fireside festivities as well. And later more bad guys showed up. It seemed like there could have been a much simpler, less convoluted plan to kill Seok. Watching the characters climb, scramble, and fall off the mountain did make use of the gorgeous scenery even if it was shot in black and white. The middle section of the film gave the two main characters a chance to fall in love as they participated in the lodge activities and for some humor to be injected, but as a whole it left that section flabby compared to the thrilling opening and ending segments.
The opening espionage scene was exciting and disconcertingly quiet. Ten minutes passed before a brief word was spoken. The final act with chases up and down the snowy mountain had to have been rigorous and exhausting for the actors. Shin Sung Il and Moon Hee had strong chemistry as two withdrawn people who trusted no one and with good reason. They were also stunningly beautiful to gaze upon. Seon talked Seok into making the difficult climb to the mountaintop. Her whole life she had been looked down upon, just once she wanted to be able to look down instead of up.
Despite concerns I had with the script, The Starting Point was entertaining and only a couple of steps from being very good. If nothing else it was quite aesthetically pleasing and benefited from being restored in 2023. Seon wanted someone to see her and get to know her, “He didn’t hate me,” was as close as she got to true love. In a life filled with pain and shame, maybe it was enough.
7 June 2025
Note: YouTube issues all sorts of warnings about age appropriateness and not for all audiences. There was no nudity. No sexual scenes. No gratuitous violence or gore. There was a notice about the birth control pill being available. People did seem to be concerned about a population boom, but other than that, I’m not sure what the warning was for. The women all clutched their pearls upon finding out Seon was a prostitute, so maybe whoever posted the film was concerned about a prostitute being a main character. I honestly I have no idea what the problem was.
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"Fish get depressed if you put them in square tanks"
Miao Miao is a 2008 Taiwanese coming of age film about two school girls who experienced both the rush of joy and the pain of first love. Not nearly as deep or devastating as it could have been Miao Miao splashed along the surface of life and relationships.Ai ignores her father and the breakfast he cooked for her like she does every morning. Once again late for school, she brings a cake she made to share with her friends. Her love for baking hasn’t transformed her very limited skills and her friends don’t exactly dig into her creation. A new foreign exchange student catches Ai’s eye. Miao Miao is studying in Taiwan for the year before returning to Japan. The two hit it off, their bond deepened by Miao Miao’s advanced baking techniques. The two girls visit the site of the bakery where Miao Miao’s grandmother met her first love, only now it’s a used CD store owned by a moody musician. Chen Fei religiously wears headphones and ignores people as much as he can. Miao Miao falls head over heels for the reclusive musician who scarcely acknowledges her existence. He is nursing his grief and broken heart over the loss of his love. Ai is discovering her own burgeoning feelings for Miao Miao. The three young people attempt to navigate the precarious path to and from love.
This film had potential as the girls’ friendship developed and then had the obstacle of Miao Miao’s crush. Not all people know how to maintain and nurture a friendship when one person’s attention becomes focused on a love interest. The stress on the friendship was increased as Ai wasn’t just jealous of the time Miao Miao spent attempting to catch Chen Fei’s attention but jealous that her friend was romantically interested in the brooding store owner. Sandrine Penna and Ko Chia Yen gave their best given the limitations of the script. The source of Chen Fei’s angst was shown in flashback with a strong performance by Chris Wu Kang Ren as the lover. Fan Chih Wei’s performance was not nearly as inspired.
The course of first love is rarely smooth or a straight line. Sometimes even admitting to feelings that might be rejected not only by another but also society can make the journey downright rocky. Though dealing with heartache and unrequited love, Miao Miao didn’t stumble by becoming melodramatic. It would have been nice if it had taken a more scenic route off of the well-trod path it insisted on keeping to. Neither groundbreaking nor overly deep, Miao Miao showed that the best remedy for a broken heart was friendship, even when that relationship caused the pain in the first place.
24 May 2025
Trigger warning: If real life scumbags are a deterrent for you, I discovered after watching this film that Fan Chih Wei has not been good to women, including assault.
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"Socialism is not about you making money while you sleep"
The Hedonists is a short film by Jia Zhang Ke following a group of three miners after their mine is closed. The little guys once again take it on the chin when forces bigger than themselves are at work.San Ming, Liang Zi, and Wen Qian begin their day like any other at the mine. Unfortunately, for them and everyone else at the mine they are told it is their last day. It’s become cheaper to import coal than to produce it at home. Their boss tells them there are lot of opportunities out there, “Go fight for yourself!” Problem is, the same economic forces causing the mine to close are also depressing the job markets elsewhere. The three middle-aged men with limited education and skills begin their job search. No job is off the table for these three, including bodyguard work for a big boss or acting at a new Shangxi Folkland as a royal court.
While the subject matter was dreary, Jia kept the mood light. Unemployment in mid-life is never something to look forward to, especially when the people involved are barely making it as it is. These three were willing to try anything except farming. Wen Qian’s “mental boxing” skills and a wrestling tryout set to the Blue Danube waltz were funny. Liang Zi’s smiling Qing emperor and San Ming’s smoking Ming guard showed the men may not have taken their jobs and lives too seriously.
Jia had been known to run afoul of the censors with his critiques, he even mentioned a historian who’d had his own run ins. This film managed to be critical and hopeful at the same time. The tone of the film suggested that these three lovely losers all stacked on the same motorcycle would find a way to survive and have a good time while they were at it.
23 May 2025
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"Go the other way"
Samurai Wolf was directed by Gosha Hideo and starred Natsuyagi Isao in his first major film role as the titular character. Reminiscent of Kurosawa’s Yojimbo, a down on his luck ronin stumbles into a town populated by people willing to do anything to reach their nefarious goals.While paying off his dinner by doing manual labor for the owner, from a distance Kiba the Furious Wolf sees two escorts killed by three bandits. He brings the bodies to a small dusty village looking for the law and finding none. The employees at the relay post immediately recognize their deceased co-workers. Nizaemon, the official messenger for the shogunate is a corrupt official who wants to force Chise, the blind owner of the relay post, to have to close down so that he can take over. Kiba takes an immediate liking to Chise and agrees to help her men transport the next big shipment. Nizaemon sends his men to kill Kiba, but the inconspicuous ronin proves to be “the devil.” The evil messenger calls in a ringer by the name of Sanai Akizuki, the only man who can kill Kiba. Other than the deadly Sanai, Kiba had his hands full with the deceptive and greedy residents as they double and triple crossed each other to steal a shipment of gold.
Gosha used a similar Spaghetti Western setup and music, the town even had a tower much like in Yojimbo. He also judiciously used sound. Several fight scenes began silently to increase the suspense and then implemented sound and music to drive the action on.
Gosha kept the action coming in this tight film clocking in around 75 minutes. Kiba was a poor, but clever ronin who was highly skilled with a sword and a pair of scissors. Much like Yojimbo he knew how to play people off of each other and had a good heart. Despite the short run time, most of the main characters were fairly well fleshed out. Nearly everyone in town wanted Kiba or Sanai dead or both, making it difficult for the accomplished swordsmen to have their epic battle. Unusually for a film from this era there was a fair amount of spurting and spraying blood.
I found Natsuyagi Isao utterly charming as the down on his luck, but never down on himself ronin. It’s hard to believe this was his first role. Handsome, flirty, and fierce, he made this film entertaining, even when the story hit a few rough spots near the end. The body count was high yet the film didn’t take itself too seriously and injected moments of levity. If you like old samurai films, Samurai Wolf is one to try.
16 May 2025
Trigger warning: Spurting blood. There was also a monkey that hopefully was not injured or killed during the making of this film.
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"Break away from the norm and carve your own path"
Private Banker was a cute drama about a super hero banker who always had an umbrella on hand, not in a Kingsman way, but he was effective enough without drawing blood. Anno was less concerned with the law than he was in creating leverage and connections as he protected his clients' assets.Tenguuji Takehiro who is president of his family company that sells hamburgs, hires private banker Anno Koichi to help him protect his assets. Anno’s motto is, “I’ll take care of everything.” First on his list is helping Lida Kumiko, owner of a dango shop, who unwisely borrowed money to invest and is now in deep debt. She will come to apprentice with Anno alongside Anno’s right-hand man, Mikoshiba. The Tenguuji family is a hotbed of rivalry, pride, entitlement, and very few positive attributes. Estranged wife Mikoto runs the company with a ruthless hand while Takehiro recuperates from an unspecified illness and old age. Anno, Lida, and Mikoshiba will have to deal with hostile takeovers, coups, loan defaults, and a host of other problems while trying to save the family from the worst of its impulses.
Anno was a male version of Mary Poppins who worked with adults instead of children. He didn’t have a magic bag, but he did have a rolodex of wealthy and connected individuals to assist him when necessary. Mikoshiba helped research the clients and their adversaries as well as do undercover work. Lida was impulsive, made bad decisions, often didn’t listen to the advice of people who knew more than her, and was relentlessly clumsy. One of the dumbest decisions made, but certainly not THE dumbest, was when she was sent undercover into an art gallery. This type of character is one of my least favorite, the enthusiastic, bumbling female with a heart of gold, whose ineptitude is overlooked in favor of her personality.
The Tenguuji family was a bundle of dysfunction. It was fun watching how high mama Tenguuji could tease and spray her hair. Haven’t seen big hair like that since the 1980s. Anno had his own distinctive do and was not afraid of opening his umbrella indoors, considered bad luck in my neck of the woods.
Though Anno handled everything that came his way with aplomb, it was disappointing that the moral was saving his clients’ assets and not justice. Attempted murder, embezzlement, tax fraud and evasion, forged documents, illegal business practices, scams perpetrated by banks and businesses, nothing was ever brought to the attention of the law. Watching Anno do his money magic for a rich, entitled family began to wear thin. I was ready for handcuff accessories. While there were consequences for some characters, others walked away unscathed.
Private Banker had an entertaining surface level appeal and gave an insight into Japanese inheritance laws, adoption customs for the wealthy, as well as banking and investing practices. There were legal schemes and those that came with the disclaimer of “don’t try this at home” or maybe Anno was just talking about opening an umbrella in the house.
6 May 2025
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"People can change"
As a fan of 2013’s Neko Zamurai (Samurai Cat), I was curious as to what the ninjas had to offer in the way of feline entertainment. Madarame and his beautiful white kitty had nothing to fear from this movie. If I had rated it as a Saturday morning kids’ television program, it would be around a 7/10.Kagerota’s fearsome ninja father left him in a puff of smoke when the boy was only 10 years old. The child was convinced his father had turned into a ginger colored cat with a red nose just like his dad’s. Fifteen years later, Kagerota comes across what he believes is the same cat, and this time will not be parted from his father. The clan doesn’t allow cats so he leaves which is a ninja no-no. An inept group of ninja hunters led by Blue Eyes stays hot on his tail. At a small guesthouse, Momiji, one of the women who works there, ingratiates herself to Kagerota. What Kagerota may or may not know is that Momiji works for the ninja clans.
Ohno Takuro was easy on the eyes as the ninja on the loose with a ginger tabby under his arm. If you are a feline fan there were two beautiful cats, the aforementioned and a playful calico. Much like a Saturday morning show or an After School Special, there was plenty of cheesy humor and the requisite moral lessons to be learned. Loyalty, friendship, and the right to be who you choose to be messages were all wrapped up in a cuddly, furry package. Also, some fathers are better fathers as a cat.
“Cats pick who they like and live as they like.” True.
2 May 2025
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"Hate only brings people pain and disaster"
A Warrior’s Tragedy aka The Invincible Power of Kindness starring Ti Lung and Frankie Chan was a remake of Shaw Brothers’ Pursuit of Vengeance (also starring Ti) and was based on a novel by Gu Long. Frankie wrote, directed, produced and starred in this film. Originally, it was supposed to be two films at a total of 170ish minutes and then was edited into one. There are a variety of lengths out there. This review is based on the 110 minutes format.Several swordsmen are invited to Ma Hung Kwan’s Pegasus fortress. Among those invited are Fa Hung Suet and Yip Hoi. Fa walks with a pronounced limp and is a revenge fueled swordsman, trained by his mother to take down the people who killed their family. Yip is happy go lucky, more of a kung fu artist than swordsman. The glass half empty and glass half full men will find themselves in a “where the heck did the glass go?” confrontation.
This film had numerous characters with some popping up out of nowhere and others who disappeared without a simple good-bye. A few of the character connections were never explained. Editing two films down into one played havoc with the narrative. I have no idea why certain characters did what they did. Everyone seemed to have it in for either Ma or Fu. Or were hiring Hoi to kill either Ma or Fu. Ti and Frankie's characters were supposed to be the same age, but Ti was nearly 10 years Frankie’s senior. The two characters were also supposed to be in their mid to late 20’s. Ti was pushing 50 when this film was made! Frankie seemed to be having a good time playing the frisky and positive Hoi. Ti honestly looked tired or maybe he was just confused by the convoluted story.
Fung Hak On was the martial arts director and also played the legless character armed with a deadly whip. The wire work and synchronized moves he designed were wild. There was no shortage of wacky kung fu weapons---expanding and exploding dresses, golden hands, an invisibility cloak, hand held explosive launchers, and pink chariots! The movie was filmed somewhere in northern China which meant new scenery for the fights to take place in instead of the old reliable Hong Kong and Taiwanese sites.
For the main part, Fu and Hoi’s stories were simple, the extraneous characters who sliced their way in and then tumbled silently down story holes made the film confusing. The emphasis on letting go of vengeance because it begets another cycle vengeance was a pleasant surprise. Only for fans of the genre and probably more specifically fans of the actors involved with it. Rated on a curve as always for old kung fu flicks.
“Hate only brings people pain and disaster. Only love is everlasting…Learning to love is more important than learning how to kill.” Well said Hoi, well said.
25 April 2025
Trigger warnings: Multiple dismemberments
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Life is but a dream sweetheart
In Space was a short film written and directed by Visra Vichit-Vadakan. Pai lives with his grandparents. His grandmother wants him to become a Buddhist monk, but Pai isn’t sure what he wants to do with his life. When tragedy strikes, Pai takes up the cloth and beads at least for a time while he tries to meet up with his loved one in space, the in-between space between dreams and reality, a meditation of connection.This was a beautiful love letter to grandparents who cherish and raise their grandchildren when called upon. And also the connection between loving spouses. I’m hoping I interpreted the film in the way Visra intended, otherwise, the ending would have been a bit disturbing.
8 April 2025
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