The Butterfly

"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. Unusual 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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"Be happy"

The Last Ronin was inspired by the story of the 47 Ronin, featuring the 47th ronin, Terasaka Kiechimon and the loyal retainer Seno Magozaemon. The story picked up 16 years after the 47 ronin avenged their lord and subsequently committed seppuku. Both men had carried out orders from the 47’s leader, Oishi, which caused many to think of them as deserters and cowards. This samurai film had almost no fights, but rather delved into the emotional makeup of what it meant to be one of the surviving ronin and their ideals of duty and honor.

Terasaka visits an old woman, the last on his list of Asano retainers, to tell her the story of the 47 and to give her monetary assistance. As a messenger, Terasaka had seen most of the battle and had been tasked with sharing the story and rendering any help he could give to the now scattered Asano clan. As the 17th year ceremony commemorating the loyal samurai approaches, Terasaka heads to Kyoto to wait. Along the way he catches a glimpse of his dearest friend, Magoza, who was thought to be a deserter. What Terasaka and the rest of the world don’t know is that Magozaemon changed his name and appearance and has been raising Oishi’s surviving child, Kane. The 16-year-old girl has caught the attention of a wealthy merchant’s son meaning her days as Magoza’s ward may soon be coming to an end.

This film was on the long side for a slice of life samurai film. Thanks to Yakusho Koji’s stellar performance as Magozaemon, it didn’t feel too long. The story was a feel good ending for the survivors and retainers of the doomed house. But keep in mind, a samurai happy ending may not be the same as a viewer’s happy ending.

While the story was solid, if predictable, the primary reward for sitting through this film was watching Yakusho at his best. He put on a master class of how to convey a wealth of human emotions without overacting and without words. There were times his facial expressions broke me. I rarely cry watching movies, but tears welled up halfway through this film and continued for twenty minutes afterwards. Yakusho reached into my heart and expertly persuaded me to care about Magoza. Miyauchi Hitomi’s gentle manner conveyed how attached Kane was to the old servant. “Will I love anything as much again?” The rest of the actors were all top tier as well, though poor Sato Koichi was stuck with a truly awful and distracting wig.

If you are looking for a samurai film filled with sword fights, this isn’t it. Most of the film revolved around Magoza and the girl he’d tenderly raised for 16 years. Letting go is never easy, for the “parent” or the child. His mission had been to see that Kane was happy and well taken care of and in that, he completed the assignment beyond what any parent could have hoped. I can’t say that I agree with or fully understand the unwavering loyalty to a lord, even beyond death, but if there ever was an excellent example of the samurai spirit, Seno Magozaemon was it.

“Footsteps that vanish one by one
A dream within a dream, alas”

16 April 2025

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"I'm not sci-fi, I'm non-fiction!"

Who knew the base of Mount Fuji was a Hot Spot for alien and paranormal activity? In a seemingly quiet town, four middle-aged school friends had their boring lives given a tiny shot of excitement when they made the acquaintance of an unassuming alien working at the local hotel.

Kiyomi works at the Lake Hotel and one night discovers there’s more to her co-worker than meets the eye. Unable to keep a secret she fills her friends in on Takahashi’s alter ego. Before long the 54-year-old alien is being asked to do trivial and even illegal tasks for the women. Somehow, he always manages to thwart crimes and do good regardless of the random requests. When the hotel and the town itself are in danger, it will take not only Takahashi, but nearly a village of women to right the wrongs being committed.

I enjoyed the laid-back alien tale with some of the other interesting reveals. Takahashi showed that aliens could be heroic and kind, stubborn, grumpy, and prideful---just like humans. While I liked the small town vibes and inane excitement related to specimen cups and volleyballs, there were times the women’s behavior troubled me. Kiyomi catered to an older guest at the hotel hoping to be put into his will. She also promised to keep Takahashi’s secret but took every opportunity to share it. She was unwilling to switch shifts with him so that he could rejuvenate after doing a good deed because it would have mildly inconvenienced her. The women could be terribly self-absorbed when Takahashi shared his hidden pain or when he risked being exposed or arrested for them. On the positive side, the women eased the alien’s loneliness even if he had to call them on their rude behavior at times.

The drama had an episodic feel to it as each episode had a problem to be solved with the overarching theme of the importance of the hotel and friendship regardless of family heredity. The humor was gentle and subtle. As they grew more accustomed to each other, the women became less oblivious and more in tuned to not only Takahashi but the world around them. They also discovered that their small town might be home to more than one unusual resident.

9 April 2025

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Honey, these guys don't use doors!

The Deadly Duo featured the successful trifecta of director Chang Cheh and actors Ti Lung and David Chiang. This time around the deadly duo’s mission was to rescue the hostage Song Prince. The cast of characters was bulging at the seams. The Shaw Brothers tower and bridge even had supporting roles!

Song rebels discover a dilapidated bridge leading to the tower where their prince is being held hostage by the Jin conquerors. Vastly outnumbered the rebels are finally able to find a fighter who has the best chance of leading them across it. The duo may be deadly but their opponents are as well. It will take sacrifice and fast swords for them to succeed.

This was around the 8th film that Ti Lung and David Chiang made together. Ti was the loyal rebel who recruited the featherweight fighter David Chiang to join his dwindling band. While I’m not a huge fan of Chiang, Ti spent the last third of the film shirtless, making up for my disappointment. Tang Chia has never been my favorite martial arts director but this time he was joined by Lau Kar Leung, a choreographer whose work I do enjoy. Most of the fights involved swords and the usual bizarre weaponry like a sword with projectile exploding balls or lethal giant golden cymbals. Villains hid underground and in trees. Bolo as the River Dragon, had a crew that could hold their breath for a very long time and leap out of the water. He was nearly always a baddie but I like the big guy. Chen Sing played the invading emperor with no kung fu skills which was a bit of a shock. Ku Feng was a dastardly leader who enjoyed the execution field and sported comically villainous eyebrows. With Chang Cheh at the helm there would be no women in the cast, most certainly buckets of blood, and bodies stacked high.

The plot supposedly based on a real life rescue was as simple as they come yet the movie held my attention. Because it was a Shaw Brothers film there was the money for fake forests and to burn sets. Most of the characters didn’t use doors, instead crashing through them or the walls. Although they still saved money with bit actor Tung Choi Bo who played an assassin who was killed and five minutes later the head of the guard with a whole new wig and wardrobe! There was nearly constant action which meant you didn’t have a chance to become acquainted with many of the characters as the body count was high. Ti and Chiang would go on to make over 20 movies together, so far, they’ve all been watchable but I have a long way to go. As always, I grade on a curve for these niche movies, and could only recommend for fans of the genre.

17 March 2025

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"Power is terrifying"

Tony Jaa directed the production plagued Ong Bak 2 as well as starred in and choreographed the fights. The plot was the standard Hong Kong kung fu plot only with more knees, elbows…and elephants. Ong Bak 2 & 3 were not related to Ong Bak the original except as loose prequels set in the 15th century.

Tien’s noble family and retainers are all murdered by the treacherous Lord Rajasena. Though he is saved by a loyal bodyguard, he ends up in the hands of slave dealers. Luck cast a glance his way and he was saved by Chernang, the Outlaw King of Garuda Wing Cliff. Tien learns different styles of fighting and uses of weaponry as he grows up, eventually becoming the second most powerful man in the clan. When he decides he is ready to avenge his family, before he could say “My name is Tien, you killed my father, prepare to die,” Tien hit the road to eliminate Rajasena.

This is one of my favorite Tony Jaa films. The revenge story was a standard which actually served the film well. It was a tried-and-true structure to showcase numerous fights and the requisite training montage. Those fights were insanely well-choreographed with Tony showing off different styles, high flying gymnastics, and a proficiency with weapons. With most strikes going after knees, elbows, and necks, his opponents did not last long. Until he was vastly outnumbered that is.

Tony used Thailand’s stunning scenery as a backdrop for human beings’ ugliness and cruelty. The acting was better than in most of his movies which might be one of the reasons I liked this film more. The biggest complaint I have was the overuse of long flashbacks which tended to halt the pacing.

Tony Jaa in action is a pleasure to watch. What his body can do is astonishing. I always feel like I gush too much over his martial arts and stunts abilities, but they were amazing. And in this film the story didn’t get in the way of his high flying. The ending was abrupt and a cliffhanger, here’s hoping Ong Bak 3 capitalizes on this film.

13 March 2025

Spoiler: 3 failed miserably unfortunately

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"Being warriors...what a misfortune"

Vendetta of a Samurai was written by Kurosawa Akira and directed by Mori Kazuo. It starred many of Kurosawa’s usuals-Mifune Toshiro, Shimura Takashi, and Kato Daisuke. Kurosawa wrote his take on the Igagoe vendetta of 1634. Far from glamorizing violence and the samurai code, it called into question the necessity of the vendetta.

The film opens with the usual legend of the vendetta with Araki Mataemon cutting down 36 samurai at the famous clash. The narrator then informs the audience that the number of killed was certainly inflated and gives a tour of the then present day in Ueno. The story restarts a few hours before the battle with numerous flashbacks from the characters waiting for their target to arrive. Young Watanabe Kazuma is duty bound to kill the samurai who murdered his brother. Matagoro has fled and is being protected by a powerful vassal. Kazuma’s brother-in-law, a famous swordsman joins the vendetta to help him out. Araki Mataemon understands the ways of the samurai and knows all too well he will have to fight his best friend who is charged with protecting the murderer. Kazuma, Araki, and two retainers wait in a teahouse having to confront their own fears and mortality before facing their sworn enemy.

“They haven’t killed you, but you look dead already.”
Kurosawa was no stranger to criticizing the samurai system. In Vendetta, I could almost hear the characters saying, “Is all this really necessary?” Mifune and Shimura were brilliant as the two friends who due to loyalties and tradition realized they would have to draw swords against each other. A scene as they politely talked and shared a cup of sake was heartbreaking. “This may be the last time we enjoy sake together.” As Araki and his crew waited in the tea house to ambush Jinza and Matagoro, panic nearly drove three of the men to their knees. When the opposing side rode into town and were confronted by them, terror filled their eyes, too. Most of these men had never drawn swords in battle before and being faced by people they had no real argument with for the most part nearly paralyzed them. The final battle was not fiercely and eloquently fought, it was purposefully awkward as the combatants processed the high stakes involved.

“Waiting is hard, isn’t it?”
The first half of the film was slow. During flashbacks, characters rattled off names and places not necessary for the crux of the story. An elderly man’s song in a flashback seemed interminable. Much of the story was told as characters reminisced while waiting. What the movie got right were the scenes between Mifune and Shimura. Also, once the opposing sides closed in on each other, the tension was excruciating. Araki’s men fought their own fear, shaking and sweating. Araki dealt with his feelings for his friend that he would have to kill in order to fulfill his duty. Mifune and Shimura were excellent, the story and side characters were good, but not great. As long as you don’t expect an action-packed samurai flick, and are willing to be patient with the back-and-forth nature of the storytelling, Vendetta of a Samurai had moments to be enjoyed.

5 March 2025

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"I am damn satisfied to be killed this way!"

Holy Weapon boasted an amazing cast-Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, Ng Man Tat, Simon Yam, and Sangra Ng to name just a few. If you love Hong Kong martial arts comedy you will most likely enjoy this film more than I did. Very little made sense and often bordered on the bizarre-walking flowers, a green-haired vampire, and a woman who could turn into a spider were just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. I don’t mind martial arts madness, but the rape, poop, and penis jokes wore thin quickly for me.

The Japanese Super Sword has come to China to take over the martial world. After cutting down thousands of men, Mo Kake aka Heaven Sword, juiced up on the “greatest drugs,” is able to temporarily defeat Super Sword. SS vows to return in three years. The drugs cause Mo’s personality to change and he goes on a killing spree seeing Super Sword everywhere. Not everyone was disappointed to be killed, "I am damn satisfied to be killed this way!" By the time the Ghost Doctor (“late again!”) arrives, Mo collapses after having driven his fiancée away. Ching Sze changes her appearance and name and becomes the Heartless Man Killer. In order to kill Super Sword when he returns, the good guys will need a secret book and seven female virgins in order to become their own super weapon. Fortunately, there are plenty of oddball and horny maidens to fill just that order.

Michelle Yeoh played the grownup in the room, Ching Sze aka To Col. She was, of course, wonderful as always, even with this material. Maggie Cheung played a dippy Princess protected by Sandra Ng as her bodyguard. Carol Cheng and Damian Lau were betrothed as children but he wanted out badly enough to kill her. He fell in love with the princess and her guard fell in love with him and then the guard later fell for his fiancé, Doll. Along the way, the characters met Sharla Cheung’s Spider, who ended up falling in love with To Col. Ng Man Tat played the Ghost Doctor with Einstein hair. Simon Yam was the deadly enemy who could turn into a sword who also needed to sleep with virgins to maintain his youthful skin care routine. Everyone was looking for love and not terribly hung up on gender (which I liked) or often consent (which I didn’t).

There were numerous rape jokes and attempts which I found horribly offensive. Poop jokes and penis jokes dropped every few minutes. The film was badly faded which made reading the white subtitles difficult at times. There were also frames where the subtitles were cut off at the bottom of the screen.

At first, I was thrilled to see so many accomplished actresses in this film, however, the material did not do them justice and wasted their talents for the most part. Holy Weapon had a few entertaining scenes, but I only finished it for Michelle Yeoh. Comedy is in the eye of the beholder so I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone who is a fan of the actors or genre from watching this film, it just wasn’t my jam.

2 March 2025
Trigger warnings: Snakes, horse parts flying, penis/poop/rape jokes, and several attempted rapes and an accomplished rape

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"Please don't poo at home"

One glance at the title, poster, and synopsis of My Perfect Roommate and you know what’s coming. While the film may have been short on surprises, it delivered on what it set out to do---cause you to smile, cry and feel your heart warm.

A new program that matches seniors with young tenants is meant to help out both generations. The older person is given company and financial help and the younger person is given an economical place to live along with the benefit of learning from a senior citizen. Cranky, socially isolated Geum Bun reluctantly takes in university student and part-time worker Han Ji Woong. The parentless student goes out of his way to help people, having only himself to rely on. Woong arrives to see a floor that bears a striking resemblance to a Frank Lloyd Wright painting with red, yellow, and blue tape delineating his, hers, and common areas. Woong discovers even the toilet is off limits to him. Not exactly a match made in heaven, but one that would teach both elder and youngster a few life lessons.

My Perfect Roommate highlighted the isolation some seniors face. Geum Bun never married and had no children, living her days alone. One of Woong’s jobs was cleaning apartments after a person died, the loss often unnoticed for days. Woong grew up in an orphanage and faced discrimination because he had no parents. He tried extra hard to be seen as a model student and obedient child in order to earn love and trust, which was never guaranteed. Both characters suffered from not fitting in, one eschewed friendships and the other never let any one in too close lest they discover his secret.

Na Moon Hee can always be counted on to shine in any halmeoni role whether handing out lollipops or verbal butt whippings and Geum Bun was no different. MPR may have been predictable yet still managed to tug at my heartstrings with this unconventional made family. If you are in need of a feel-good film, this roommate might not be perfect but it knows to put the toilet seat down and not eat your last yogurt in the frig.

21 February 2025
Trigger Warning! One scene has a gruesome display of insects if those bother you.

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"Just because you see it with your eyes...Do you believe it?"

Unidentified was anything but straightforward. File it under absurd arthouse, low budget, independent, allegorical tale, and musical sci-fi endeavor. The movie combined seemingly random vignettes and documentary style scenes. Weirdly, it worked on different levels, but will likely not appeal to most.

In 1993, giant spheres settled over major cities around the world. No first contact, just silence…for 29 years. As people became accustomed to the new sky décor, an international theory developed: Alien Mind Control Syndrome. Whether aliens were controlling people’s minds or masquerading as people was up for debate. Those under 29-years-old began to question if they were aliens. Three people in black could have been aliens, from somewhere else, or just mentally stressed from the ever present spheres. Were oddity and social alienation a sign of being an extraterrestrial or just being odd and lonely?

The acting was not great, but better than most low budget films. Romantic love, heartbreak, an alien cult, dream interpretation, burned-out workers, even Korean reunification all made appearances. It was not unusual for characters to break out in dance and/or song. Luckily, the music was actually quite pleasing.

I have no idea what director Jude Chun wanted me to take away from this strange film. What I got from it was how we all deal with the “aliens” in our midst, those who are “different” or foreign. Do the “aliens” in a foreign place still dream of home? Are we welcoming, seeking to learn from each other and peacefully co-existing or do we shut down and listen to our lizard brains and determine we must protect ourselves from the “aliens” and their different ways of thinking, looking, and doing things whether in society or in our personal lives? Chun didn’t spoon feed his vision. The film dragged in places and was obviously not well funded yet it provided interesting existential perspectives and what alien film couldn’t be improved by song and dance?

17 February 2025

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"Each heart is different."

A few months after Naruse Mikio directed his first talkie, he created this film based on a play titled, “Two Wives.” Two Wives described the film much better than the submissive order “Wife! Be a Rose!” Had it not been a Naruse film, I might have skipped this title. I’ve learned to trust him where women were concerned, he was much more forward thinking than other directors at this time. While billed as a comedy, there was disappointment and pain behind the upbeat music and smiles.

Kimiko and Seiji are planning to marry, all they need now is for the fathers to meet and hash out the transaction. The only problem being, Kimiko’s father left home to live with a geisha in the mountains around Nagano fifteen years ago. Aside from a meager money order that arrives each month, Kimiko and her mother have not heard from him in a long time. Kimiko works in an office supplying much of their income while her mother writes poetry for the newspaper and teaches a poetry class for free. Etsuko spends money freely on her own clothes, living in her own little world. Kimiko determines to visit her father and bring him back to not only arrange her marriage but also to free him from the clutches of Oyuki, the woman he is living with.

In Naruse’s first talkie five months prior, the sister who dressed in Western style clothes was derided as a “modern girl.” Kimiko often dressed in Western clothing and was portrayed as independent and yet also filial. Despite Kimiko believing that “Men like a wife who acts childish and cajoling…or motherly and protective,” she tended to be neither. Seiji admired her fierceness and had no problem with her traveling alone across the country to cross swords with the harridan controlling her father. “I guess you’re as tough as she is.” When things turn out to be different than what she believed, Kimiko rolled with the punches and opened her mind and heart. There was still heartbreak aplenty when attempting to be filial to two parents with different hearts. Many a child of divorced parents has had to come to terms with adults who cannot live together.

Unlike Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts where Naruse overused the new ability to employ sound, in this film, the music flowed evenly and organically throughout the story. The acting for 1935 was exemplary, forgoing melodramatic tics. Chiba Sachiko as Kimiko conveyed the longing and despair behind her smile as she dealt with conflicting emotions regarding her father and mother. With Naruse’s characters, still waters ran deep, belying powerful eddies and currents guiding their actions.

Wife! Be a Rose! could easily be reworked in the present as a film about the different ways families exist and coexist. Love doesn’t always come in the package we expect nor does love make every relationship work. Sometimes love means acceptance of who people are and also being able to let go.

7 February 2025

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"How did you end up here?"

Wen Shi Pei’s directorial debut, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, was an impressive first film. The sets and color scheme were heavily reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai. Shadows, rain, green, orange, and red lighting set the mood as much as the rundown sets. Eddie Peng and Sylvia Chang gave strong performances as the disparate main characters brought together by a husband’s death.

Wang Xue Ming is forced to take a detour late one night when a bull gets loose and refuses to move out of the road. One unassuming turn leads to cause and effect with Wang becoming entwined with the widow Liang and a group of unsavory businessmen.

The film began in the future with Wang in prison, lamenting his lack of memory of previous events. The story bounced back and forth repeatedly and you have to stay sharp to keep up with when the events were happening. Significant details unwound, revealing themselves in retelling the story from different angles. Even with those clues laid out, other secrets stayed buried.

Eddie Peng, in an unglamorous role with beaten face and unkempt hair, had the strongest performance I’ve seen him give until now. Enigmatic, and feeling guilty over the incident on a dark road, Wang kept his emotions tightly hidden. Sylvia Chang also shone as the widow who wasn’t particularly sad to lose her husband, yet also had no idea what to do with her life in an empty apartment. Wang Yan Hui as scruffy Detective Chen, had less to do, as he attempted to discover how Mr. Liang ended up dead. The stars were Peng and Chang in an unusual friendship.

AYLT dizzyingly overused the flashforward, flashback, and flashsideways for me, yet I still found the film’s style fascinating. The criminal mystery was largely left untouched, yet I wasn’t overly concerned so caught up was I in Wang and Liang’s strange give and take. At times slow, at times perplexing, and at times gorey, Are You Lonesome Tonight was an excellent first film for Wen Shi Pei.

“Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?”

4 February 2025

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