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"Refugees are people, too. They live and breathe."
Black Knight didn't add anything new to the dystopian world genre, but it was an engaging and entertaining drama at the perfect length. It was long enough to give the viewer time to care about the characters and also didn't bog down and overstay its welcome. For a world short on oxygen, it knew just how many breaths to take.Kim Woo Bin as delivery man 5-8, in his oversized coats was perfect as the leader of the delivery people and refugee rebels. Having survived a massacre, he knew exactly what the Cheonmyeong corporation was capable of. The Chairman's son, Ryu Seok, wanted to eradicate the refugees and keep the status quo with the haves having all the oxygen and resources in their underground relative utopia while the refugees gasped for air and dealt with a lack of food, medicine, education, and jobs on the dusty surface.
Kang Yoo Seok as Sa Wol was the cocky young upstart mutant refugee who entered the fight ring in order to become a delivery man. Again, nothing new in the winner takes all fight to the near death or death to gain a dystopian prize, but the scrappy and sympathetic Sa Wol made it easy to care about him. Esom as Seol Ah, was the dutiful soldier who was not afraid to bend the rules by hiding Sa Wol in her house and raising him for a decade. As the story went on, she and 5-8 would have a different reason for going to the mountaintop, each taking their own road in order to bring Ryu down and save the refugees who were marked for death.
Kim Woo Bin did a great job as the delivery man who delivered more than food and oxygen, he delivered hope and justice. Song Seung Heon was elegantly despicable, proving why nepotism is a bad thing. The story had some lapses in logic and could have delved more into certain plot points, but the charismatic performances overrode the plot holes a delivery truck could have driven through.
Black Knight highlighted how the 1% in charge of resources was unwilling to share and capable of almost any atrocity against refugees that they didn't see as holding any value. It was in their best interest to keep the people divided into classes. The company and their lifestyles trumped any good they could have done for the surviving masses. For Ryu, the people were never grateful enough for the oxygen Cheonmyeong allowed them to breathe---those whom they decided were worthy to breathe.
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing." (Source debated) The politicians, military, refugees, and delivery people would have to decide what they were willing to do to build a world for all survivors. Black Knight could be dark at times and was unafraid of sacrificing characters in the deadly fights, but it also shone a light on the goodness of people as they fought to create a better world for everyone, not just for some. This might not have been a perfect drama, but it was perfect way to spend a few hours on a rainy day.
5/12/23
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This review may contain spoilers
You do not want to catch this rainbow
"Why must humans be so greedy?" Gamera vs Barugon brings that harsh lesson into focus showing how human greed causes as many problems as giant Kaiju.At the end of the original Gamera, the giant turtle was enclosed in a capsule and launched into space. This movie picks up with a meteor cracking open the ship and Gamera spinning his way home to Earth where he caused some damage feasting on hydroelectric power from a dam.
After Gamera takes off to parts unknown three men travel to New Guinea to retrieve a giant opal left hidden in a cave from WWII. The natives try to warn them off but they won't hear of it. Death and betrayal follow which is why we can't have nice things. The opal, as any Kaiju fan will have figured out by now, is an egg, not a stone. Next thing you know Barugon is on the loose with his giant tongue (whole new meaning to the term tongue lashing!), glowing tines on his back and a giant rainbow ray of death you do not want to catch. Gamera shows up and takes quite a beating from the new kid in town.
The humans, including a repentant thief and the native girl who came with him to Japan seek to stop Barugon. One of the other thieves cannot except the loss of the jewel and goes on a murder spree. As usual, most of their efforts are thwarted because this is Gamera's movie, not theirs, and it's up to him to have the marquee fight.
Though the movie starts slow, the humans are among the most interesting of any Kaiju movie. Hongo Kojiro made a believable humbled man trying to undo his mistake, knowing it would be impossible to repay the lives lost. Fujiyama Koji played the greedy and villainous thief well. Let's just say his character got the tongue lashing he deserved by human and Kaiju alike.
I didn't care for the original Gamera but his second outing was much more enjoyable and well done. It helped that there wasn't an annoying child talking about turtles non-stop. This Gamera was dark and excluding the usual Kaiju pseudo science, fairly coherently and cohesively written. It was beautifully shot and the fights were well done considering they were guys in cumbersome rubber suits. For a 1966 movie about a big turtle that can fly you couldn't have asked for much more.
(As usual these old niche movies are graded on a curve)
10/20/22
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This review may contain spoilers
Before the United States sent men to the moon South Korea had a futuristic space program...and...a giant fire breathing lizard visiting from out of town.Prior to becoming a tv and film grandpa, Lee Soon Jae was an astronaut and pilot trying to celebrate his wedding night. Instead of celebrating he was called into action to observe from space an earthquake moving in a straight line toward Seoul.
Ill Woo, a young overworked scientist, tracked the phenomenon from the ground. Low and behold up popped from the ground Yongary, hungry and tearing through town looking for something to eat.
The requisite politicians and military took charge and performed all the tried-and-true tactics against a Kaiju, starting with tanks. This is where Korea broke with Japan when the tank commander didn't take long to call for a retreat. Anyone who watches these movies knows that the poor tank guys don't have a long life span when battling giant monsters. A helicopter managed to make it through, too. They also sent a plethora of missiles to pelt the beast, against Ill Woo's recommendation, which only served to strengthen the monster.
This is where I should mention the one thing I disliked about this movie. Yongary had one of the most annoying kids in monster movies, almost tying a couple of early Gamera flicks. The eight-year-old Icho delighted in pulling pranks such as using a beam his uncle invented which caused people to itch, like the poor honeymooners, and often disappearing from his older sister's care to follow Yongary around. And of course, the young scientific genius figured out what needed to be done to stop the behemoth. Ill Woo might have done the heavy lifting constructing the deadly weapon but he couldn't have done it without his plucky irritating sidekick. This was one of those movies I was rooting for the monster to eat the child.
Yongary's costume was almost on par with Godzilla's from this era, the flame nozzle in Y's mouth was quite visible, but in a rubber suit, I'm not sure how they would have worked around it. And Yongary danced, the actor inside of the suit was quite agile for all he was required to do. South Korea must have sunk some money into this movie because overall the miniatures were quite good. Not to say they were all well-constructed, one canvas backdrop of the city looked like they should have ironed it before filming. A tank that was set on fire had it's wiring showing beneath it. Oh, and the moon looked like a Death Star prototype. But other than those few quibbles, the miniatures, forced perspective, sets and overlay were pleasing and well done.
Aside from the overly precocious child, the human stories were slightly above par for an old Kaiju movie and the acting passable. The Koreans brought a more emotional element to the genre. There was no moral to the story except sometimes you have to do things you don't like to do to survive.
Yongary was a fun monster romp, with lots of monster action. Toho could be stingy with Godzilla's scenes, this movie let the monster stomp, burn, laser and dance his way through South Korea before being brought low. A word of caution, the ending was a bit gruesome for the time period. Yongary was better than Son of Godzilla that came out in the same year, not saying much I know. I would have rated this slightly higher except for Yongary's diminutive fan who seemed to pop up in nearly every scene. If you enjoy giant monster movies from this time period and all the camp and tiny planes that entails, you might want to try this one.
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Mind and body fall away
This 2009 film follows the spiritual quest and enlightenment of the Japanese Buddhist Dogen Zenj who brought Zen Buddhism to Japan in the 1200’s. I can only comment on this film as a non-Buddhist and one who hasn’t studied Zen Buddhism and the life of Dogen. My review is based on the artistic endeavor.The film followed Dogen on his spiritual journey which took him from Japan to China to have his questions answered and in search of a true Buddhism. The scenery was spectacular as this lone man traveled in a foreign land. He found one master who was more concerned with politics and later, a sage who was a cook at a temple. All the main highlights were touched upon as he discovered Zen Buddhism, became enlightened, returned to Japan to share what he had learned and then inevitably ran up against the sect in power that didn’t like new ideas, and finally, the events ending in his death.
The performances were for the most part subdued as you would expect in a film about Buddhist monks. Nakamura Kantarou didn’t have much to do except look serene and introspective which he did well. Uchida Yuki brought a spark to the film as Orin, a prostitute, whose path led to Dogen which changed her life. Orin had the most obvious character development in the film which made it easier to be invested in her limited story. The monks practicing detachment also made it hard for this viewer to become emotionally attached to them.
The film suffered at times from choppy editing and storytelling. Characters appeared without any backstory to let us know who they were and time jumps happened without any warning. A segment involving headless ghosts and swarming CGI butterflies probably sounded better on paper than it looked and would have been best omitted. The moon played a large role (sometimes Earth destroying large!) and had to be interpreted symbolically. At times in a film grounded in realism, the supernatural CGI elements seemed out of place and didn’t really add anything.
To enjoy this film, it would help if you are interested in religious history or the life of Dogen. It is slow paced with many scenes of people sitting and meditating. I do enjoy these types of spiritual journey films, even at that, it could be plodding at times. Overall, I enjoyed it, and as a niche film could recommend it though I suspect the greater movie audience would not find it as interesting.
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"Love is a matter of time. It's no good meeting the right person too soon or too late"
2046 returned to the world Wong Kar Wai built in his 2000 film, In the Mood for Love. Tony Leung Chiu Wah reprised his role of Chow Mo Wan, this time as a broken man who numbed himself with casual sex and used the lives of the beautiful women in the hotel room next door, room 2046, as inspiration for his story of the same name.Chow, now alone after the events in the last film, earns his meager living writing racy stories. He had moved to Singapore and has little money for airfare home. The Black Spider (Gong Li) comes to his rescue and after spending time together he asks her to go to Hong Kong with him which she refuses. Back in Hong Kong he helps a very drunk woman home one night. In a moment of narrative synchronicity, he finds a room available next door, room 2047. He would have preferred 2046 but the woman he helped home was later stabbed by a jealous lover in that room and there was some redecorating to do. For those who didn't see In the Mood for Love, 2046 was the number of the room in another hotel where Chow and Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung) worked on a martial arts story.
Aside from the revolving door to his bedroom, the lonely writer becomes involved with various women at different times and different ways in the hotel. The landlord's daughter, Jingwen (Faye Wong), is in love with a Japanese man, something her father cannot tolerate and will not approve of. Bai Ling (Zhang Zi Yi) moves in and she and Chow "borrow" each other to occupy their nights. Both have their share of paramours but become intimately if not romantically involved. Though she would like more, he keeps his emotional distance. As he writes his dystopian story of a train to 2046 where people search for their lost memories, the women's lives offer fodder for his creativity.
For me, this film would have been more difficult to understand if I hadn't watched In the Mood for Love prior to it. Understand might not be the right word, sympathize would work better. Chow didn't come across in a very favorable light as he slept his way through Hong Kong. Knowing what happened between him and Su Lizhen aided in feeling sympathy for his case of terminal heartache as guilt and grief guided his self-inflicted pain.
There were also many call backs to ITMFL. The green noodle thermos made an appearance several times. Many of the sets and lighting were similar, even more so when the rain set in. A taxi ride where he at least subliminally tried to recreate a moment with Lizhen with another woman gave a glimpse into his mind. And every Christmas he visited the diner as Nat King Cole's Christmas Song played in the background.
With three of the women, he found that he was using them as a substitutes, something that did not bring him comfort for very long. He was told the ending to the story he had written was too sad. How does one write a happy ending when your heart is hollowed out and beyond repair? When loss and longing are your constant companions? At best the women in his bed gave him a brief sense of warmth but he found himself lonely even in someone else's arms. Passion could not replace what he was searching for. His heart was waiting on the only one who could break his solitude and give him a happy ending and he had let her slip away.
This film was visually stunning. The color palette leaned heavily on green, yellow, and red in lighting, sets, costumes, and props. The costumer set the bar too high with Maggie Cheung's cheongsams in the previous film but there were some gorgeous dresses, particularly on Zhang Zi Yi. I was pleased that the soundtrack was more diversified for this film, fitting the despondent mood perfectly. Tony Leung, Zhang Zi Yi and the rest of the cast gave superb performances. The neon train moved beyond metaphor to personal therapy as Chow worked through his feelings writing about others. In style, this film succeeded brilliantly.
Where the film let me down were the characters. Though attractive and complicated the characters were challenging to care about. Remote and difficult to read, most of them kept their feelings to themselves. And those that did reach out were often reprimanded.
2046 was a deeply melancholic look at love and regret, bordering on cynicism. By the end of the film all of the color had been drained out of the spectrum, leaving only the cold, dark mood of despair. For Chow, love was pain and "all memories were traces of tears." This film could be just like Chow-beautiful to look at but also mystifying and emotionally detached and completely irresistible to walk away from.
5/3/23
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"Had I not seen the sun, I could have borne the shade..." E Dickinson
Had I not Seen the Sun has been a difficult drama to rate and write a review for. Certain elements left me wanting and others I found completely engrossing. Also, given that we must wait until December for the second half to air, the drama ends on a cliffhanger meaning the story is not complete. I went out on a limb with my score hoping the writers bring everything to a satisfying ending.Li Jen Yao turns himself in, confessing to several horrific murders. A small film company receives permission to do a documentary on him. Their goal is to discover the one thing the police were unable to ascertain…the motive for the grisly killings. Chou Pin Yu is the young film assistant. She’s moved into a haunted apartment and begins to be possessed by someone with a connection to Li. Pin Yu is given a ghostly guided tour of the lives of Li and the ballerina he loved.
The present time escapades did not work for me largely because the actress playing Pin Yu is extremely inexperienced and she lacked the ability to give any depth or nuance to a complex role. I rarely comment on acting abilities as it’s very subjective, but I nearly dropped this drama early on because I could not connect with her performance. When the drama largely moved to the past I fell into the story. The narrative may not have been original and was overtly melodramatic, but I don’t mind a little drama mama action. I’m tempted to say the writers were heavy-handed with their butterfly metaphors but can’t bring myself to criticize their uses of my namesake.
“Moths (at night) keep going in circles mistaking lights for the Moon…Butterflies only appear under the sun and go anywhere they want to.”
I’m curious to see how the writers will resolve the mysteries of which there appeared to be many. If nothing else, this drama was a strong motivation for cameras in classrooms and child advocacy programs and more.** With the exception of one girl’s family, there were no people deserving of children in their lives in this drama. Most of the teens involved lived in the darkness. They either basked in the sun hoping to learn how to walk in the light or attempted to drag the light into the darkness with them. We'll see if anyone sees the sun by story's end.
20 November 2025
Trigger warnings: SPOILERY
-a violent sexual assault, numerous beatings, and glimpses of disturbing murders.
**Spoiler comment below**
**** There is also a need for better protections for sexual assault victims with the police, schools, and more public education that girls/women who are raped are NOT sluts or responsible for the vile acts committed against them and they are not tainted goods. The protection of boys is not more important than the welfare of their victims and the victims deserve justice though it is too often denied. Li Jen Yao should have aimed lower.
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"Human are unpredictable"
An Engagement Ring aka Wedding Ring was a post WWII film dealing with love, heartache, and longing. Starring Mifune Toshiro and Tanaka Kinuyo it wasn’t hard to see how these two lonely people could be attracted to each other.Kuki Noriko runs the family jewelry story in Tokyo riding the train home on the weekends. Her husband, Michio, was drafted right after they married, was repatriated two years after the end of the war, and then was stricken with illness (TB?). He lives in their seaside vacation home with his retired father. On a return trip home, Noriko takes the bus. Dr. Ema Takeshi is also on the bus and literally tumbles into her lap several times on the winding road. Turns out he is Michio’s new doctor. On their travels to and from Tokyo, Noriko and Ema realize they have an attraction for each other. Michio notices the change in his wife and is guilt stricken that he is unable to give her what she needs.
Writer/Director Kinoshita Keisuke was careful to not villainize any of the main characters. They were all gracious, honorable people caught in a fevered dream. Noriko loved her husband yet in seven years they’d only lived as husband and wife for less than a year. She yearned for a man’s affection and touch, something her husband had been unable to give her. Enter Dr. Ema played by the sexy beast of a man Mifune Toshiro. Tanaka was 40ish at the time and Mifune was 30. Not only was the good doctor in athletic shape but he was young as well. Michio envied their health as he lay helplessly in bed writing depressing poetry. He wanted his wife to be happy and fulfilled lamenting that he was unable to achieve those desires.
The sexual tension between Ema and Noriko was restrained but palpable. Kinoshito kept dialogue to a minimum allowing his actors to express their longing through their faces and body language. The sensual touch of a hand reminded me of one of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie, when Daniel Day Lewis removed Michelle Pfeiffer’s glove in The Age of Innocence (1993). Mifune was never terribly believable as a shy, awkward character. Just his presence alone made Ema’s attraction to him believable. (She had more restraint than I would have. Fan girl moment!) Yet as attracted as they were to each other, they resisted acting upon their feelings out of a sense of duty and compassion. They both liked Michio and wanted him well. Ema told Michio the best medicine would be for him to make love to his wife!
I enjoyed the scenery from the train and bus windows. Bucolic fields, trees laden with beautiful, fragile cherry blossoms, and dangerous mountain roads would have been stunning in color. The symbolism of each played a role in the burgeoning relationship. The music was unremarkable which didn’t bother me because I was fixated on the two adults wrestling with their overwhelming desire and guilt.
The titular engagement ring-what a rock!-indicated where Noriko’s heart was leaning whether she wore it or forgot to. The huge diamond was a reminder that this film was unusual for a post WWII film as so many of them dealt with financial destitution. This family was quite well to do though Noriko shouldered the responsibility of running the jewelry store and caring for her invalid husband. Lonely, tired, and stressed, Ema’s presence provided a spring in her step and a bright energetic smile.
The Engagement Ring kept a gentle pace as the characters wrestled with their loyalties and longings. Heartache was inevitable for at least one of these nice people. Tanaka Kinuyo and Mifune Toshiro managed to make their characters sympathetic as they sought a treatment for the fever afflicting them. Even cannonballing into the ocean wasn’t enough to cool these two off.
3 November 2026
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Hsiao Chen is separated from his master when Chi Keung was taken to jail. Hsiao takes over their spiritual charlatan business by accident and then purposefully. He’s saved from a group of thugs by cross-dressing Jin Lian who becomes his new “disciple” in the business. The two end up fleecing people even as they convince the villagers Hsiao is a medium for the gods. When Hsiao begins teaching the villagers kung fu to protect themselves from the local gangsters, the Big Bad calls in reinforcements that may be the end for the “spiritual boxer.”
I had high hopes for this film when the introduction included an exhibition match with Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai, and Wilson Tong. It went downhill from there. Wong had skills but lacked the star power to carry this film. The film had numerous familiar names as villagers and the Big Bad’s thugs. Lin Chen Chi in a wig that looked like combed out roadkill, did an adequate if not memorable job. Shih Chung Tien wasn’t exactly terrifying as the local crime boss Liu Deruei. Lee Hoi San and Ng Hong Sang did, however, bring the menace as Liu’s hired specialty killers.
The bookended fights were well choreographed as Lau Kar Leung (one of my faves) was both the director and martial arts director. This was only his second directorial effort so I’m willing to cut him some slack. Spiritual Boxer was the film equivalent of luke warm water, not awful, but not good either. Graded on a curve as usual.
31 October 2025
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Lo Tung (“Fat Lo”), Mai Chien Tang (“Malted Candy”), San Cha (“Cake”), and “Rice Pudding” are four buddies who drive pedicabs. Mai meets a young woman named Hsiao Tsui when he runs into her and romance blooms. Lo begins a romance after threatening Ha Ping with a torch who happens to work in a shop in his auntie’s building. Despite the rocky beginnings, true love takes its course though conflicts arise. Hsiao has a dark past and the local triad boss (John Shum with a huge gold grill) wants Ha Ping.
The film begins with a big workers’ brawl and soon after has a car vs pedicab chase. The chase ends with the best fight of the film. Old school Shaw Brothers actor and martial arts director Lau Kar Leung and Sammo fight with fists, kicks, and Lau’s specialty---weapons. Lau was 53 and Sammo was pushing 40 but you’d never know it from their speed and agility. I found the choreography highly entertaining. The middle of the film sank into romantic melodrama before the murderous fights began giving Sammo a reason to clean house at the Triad lord’s. Sammo fought perennial baddie Billy Chow while Mang Hoi (criminally underused) took on Chung Fat. With Sammo, Mang Hoi, and Brandy Yuen choreographing the fights, none of them were disappointments.
There were things that did not work for me. The story was uneven, with characters disappearing and reappearing. Ha Ping’s boss pushed her hard for a romance. I don’t mind age gaps, but the nearly 60-year-old Sun Yueh constantly creeping on 28-year-old Nina Li (his employee) screamed “Me, too” moment of harassment. The camera focusing on women’s clothed bouncing breasts for long lingering minutes was uncomfortable. Ha Ping was pretty, with no other backstory or development, as if that created enough of a character to fight over.
This film, like so many Hong Kong kung fu comedies, started out light and fluffy then devolved into something resembling the Manson Family Christmas* before the final funny credits that erased the horror of the prior losses. Sammo Hung fans will likely not be disappointed as the big guy put on quite a kung fu show. As always, I rate these pre-1990s martial arts films on a curve.
29 October 2025
*Scrooged (1988)
Triggers: The final fights were bloody if you are squeamish
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Chicken dance!
The First Vampire in China was on my list to watch for one reason---hopping vampires! Turns out it had an even better reason to watch---a vampire chicken! This was a ridiculous jiangshi, vampire, and ghost film grounded by Sek Kin as the ever-calm sifu ready with a talisman to subdue supernatural critters.I usually try and give a little synopsis of the story here, but this one was confusing at times. Not helped by much of it being filmed at night making it very hard to see. Basically, there was a school near a large burial ground that taught how to summon and contain things that go bump in the night. The students accidentally release malevolent ghosts. That wasn’t their greatest worry. A new inept mayor arrives and long story short, an ancient gold jade wearing vampire, along with an assortment of hopping vampires are set free when he attempts to rob a tomb. Sifu Kent and his students Kwong and Mao bring their magical tools to try and set everything right.
I don’t usually find Hong Kong horror or kung fu comedies very funny but I will admit to laughing at the vampire chicken and its effects on the hapless antagonists. The chicken song that played throughout the movie was funny enough. A jump-roping jiangshi was also unique. The students weren’t very memorable, Sek Kin saved this movie. The bumbling fool usually played by Billy Lau in the Mr. Vampire movies was played by Charlie Cho here. I found Charlie’s character far less annoying as an annoying character. And the mayor was pretty annoying. Kung fu fighters Hwang Jang Lee and Johnny Wang made brief appearances as ghosts.
The only copy I could find was faded and the subtitles were even more faded and tended to run off the bottom of the screen. I will admit that if I ever hear that this film has been restored I’d probably watch it again, though the likelihood is that it will just further degrade. The First Vampire in China is only for fans of this particular era and genre, and idiots like me who giggle whenever the chicken song is played. Graded on a curve as always.
20 October 2025
Trigger: Allusion to a dog being killed for its blood. The chicken used looked like a puppet so I don’t think one was harmed for the film.
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"I didn't expect him to trick me again" and again, and again...
The Whistleblower was a thriller set across three continents highlighting the dangers of capitalism and greed. Lei Jia Yin and Tang Wei starred as two people caught up in corporate corruption that could lead to the deaths of over a million people.Mark/Ma Ke has been living in Australia with his family for over ten years. His company has developed a way to turn coal into a form of natural gas. A Chinese company wants to use the technique under a highly populated area that sits above a large coal reserve. The CEO sends his wife, Zhou Si Liang, to handle the less than savory financial elements. She and Mark had been lovers years ago before she broke things off to marry a rich man. They meet at a party and share a night of passion. Passion turns to fear when Si Liang’s life is endangered and a terrible problem with Mark’s company is revealed to him.
The Whistleblower had good elements to it that were buried under plot inconsistencies, plot incoherencies, and two characters who weren’t always likeable. Starting the film with infidelity didn’t put the characters on firm moral footing. Frustratingly, both Mark and Si Liang had moments of brilliance and then utter stupidity. If there was a theme to this film it was that money is bad and makes people bad. Even if that was the case, and there are plenty of corrupt, heartless corporations in the world, the basic business model of GPEC was astonishingly, unbelievably short-sighted and would result in the utter destruction of the company and all involved. If the CEO of GPEC had been a Bond villain then it would have made more sense.
Lei Jia Yin and Tang Wei did the best they could with the material. Tang Wei has a beautiful charisma that is too often underused in Chinese films. The Whistleblower did try to distract from its messy storytelling with action scenes. There were plenty of car chases, and foot chases along and in buildings, and characters falling off and out of buildings. The White Truck of Doom even made a guest appearance! The most fascinating thing to me is that apparently there aren’t whistleblowers in China as there were three screens of explanation about the terminology.
The Whistleblower was an okay thriller that was overly long and stumbled over itself on occasion trying to do too much and not keeping track of its own plot. It’s worth a try for fans of Lei and/or Tang and if you can go into the movie with low expectations.
25 September 2025
Triggers: Black face, not so subtle racism . Infidelity-the wife was the most sympathetic character as well as the son.
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Be careful what you wish for...
Princess Yang Kwei Fei was one of only two films Mizoguchi Kenji shot in color. Based on the lives of Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved consort Yang Yu Huan aka Yang Gui Fei, it covered their brief moments of happiness before a bloody uprising tore them asunder.This film was made in conjunction with Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers. Aside from Japanese being spoken which was jarring, it looked much like a SB film minus the sword fights and kung fu. This film would have benefited from a little wire-fu. Despite having famous actors in the main roles, the film was terribly dry. Gui Fei was shown to be a kind and caring consort. Xuanzong adored her and she helped him not feel like a bird in a suffocating gilded cage composed of regulations and schedules. The Yangs he appointed to important positions abused their power and angered the people and Imperial guard. An Lu Shan who had been responsible for introducing Gui Fei to the emperor resented not gaining an even more prominent position and coveted the throne for himself. Before long the music minded emperor had a revolt on his hands.
The acting by Kyo Machiko and Mori Masayuki was fine. The sets and music were fine. Perhaps the run time was too short to properly build the story. Why did the people come to hate the Yangs seemingly overnight? What was the treacherous Crown Prince up to, a character we never met? The emperor and his Gui Fei were together for around 11 years IRL but the movie made it seem as if it was a matter of days or weeks. This tragic love story deserved a more in-depth journey into their relationship and the complexity of the world around them. Princess Yang Kwei Fei was fine, but I expect more than fine from Mizoguchi.
16 August 2025
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"My cabbages!"
I suspect Yamamoto Masashi’s 1987 film “Robinson’s Garden” is a polarizing film. Two hours of a counter culture woman creating a home out of an abandoned industrial site may either strike a viewer as profound or a colossal waste of time. I didn’t consider it a waste of time but also failed to see its profundity.Kumi and her friend Maki make a meager living as small time drug dealers and live in a communal type dwelling with an international crowd of underachievers. One night while stumbling home drunk, Kumi climbs over a wall and enters a thick forest, unusual for Tokyo. There in the midst is an empty factory and surrounding buildings. The next day Kumi sells or gives away nearly everything she owns and moves in. She paints murals on the walls and plants small trees. After that she begins the arduous task of digging up overgrown weeds in order to plant a cabbage patch. She furnishes and decorates her home with castoffs she finds in alleyways. All does not go well when she invites her friends over and it ends in a brawl.
Robinson’s Garden was more about the feelings that it evoked than any plot. Conversations were sparse and usually inane and repetitious like a record skipping in place. Kumi created her own reality or at least tried to, the opposite life of the rigid salaryman or cooped up housewife. In a feverish moment she pedaled her bike through a group of identically dressed salarymen to drive home the point. The isolated, verdant island hidden somewhere in Tokyo had a mythical feel about it, especially when coupled with a mysterious tree at the center of strange events.
The industrial site transformed into a rustic home led people to have hallucinations. An odd mandala painted by a stranger could have been a curse or a blessing. Kumi’s physical and mental health deteriorated as time went on, was she a victim of nature or lead paint or having only cabbages to eat? Kumi wasn’t a great gardener and alternated between working feverishly and sleeping for long periods of time.
Robinson’s Garden had little plot and could have used some judicious editing from my perspective. For a time, Kumi’s off grid existence bordered on paradise as she spent her days living in the moment. Capitalism and consumerism were far away over the wall. Either Nature or her own ebbing sanity began clawing back the “improvements” she’d made, showing the impermanence of humanity in the face of whatever green goddess ruled in her hidden world. This film was interesting but didn’t convey very clearly the existential questions it seemed to dance around.
25 June 2025
Trigger warnings: Partial nudity and sexual encounters
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"Once you have your hair cut, you'll change your old worldview"
Mother and a Guest showed the cultural crossroads Korean widows faced in 1960. The small town, how people dressed, and the customs were in a state of flux. Much of the film was narrated by the kindergartener and the adults were seen through her eyes. She didn’t understand them and I can’t say that I did either.Lee Kyung Sook and her six-year-old daughter Ok Hee live with her mother-in-law. Her husband died before Ok Hee was born. Kyung Sook wears her white widow’s weeds and chignon, never looks men in the eye, and is the epitome of demure. She clings to her widow’s integrity by not remarrying. Trouble develops when they take in Han Sun Ho as a boarder. Ok Hee is immediately taken with the soft-spoken artist and follows him around like a puppy. Could a romance develop between the widow and the artist when they are almost never in the same room and almost never speak? Well, that’s the question.
Throughout the film widows and widowers were shown remarrying and living happy lives. The old taboo was no longer enforced. Lee has been a widow since she was twenty-one and seemed relegated to forever being alone except for her daughter. Her wants and desires were irrelevant as well as her daughter’s. There could be no laughter and she’d abandoned her music. This film was supposed to be a melodramatic tearjerker, but the main characters inability to communicate was frustrating and at times infuriating. I was far more invested in the maid’s story or even the hairdresser’s.
Mother and the Guest was a snapshot of changing mores in South Korea after the war. It also showed the stranglehold on women’s virtue and filial obligations that did not loosen easily.
12 June 2025
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"Not everybody in Buddha's temple is as merciful as Buddha"
Despite a disclaimer at the beginning of the film that said it was not historical and that any similarity to real persons or places was coincidental, Conflagration was based on the book The Temple of the Gold Pavilion (Mishima Yukio, 1956), which was in turn inspired by the 1950 burning of the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto by a mentally disturbed monk. I have thoroughly enjoyed two of Director Ichikawa Kon’s other films adapted from real events, but this one missed the mark for me. Perhaps if I had read the book, it would have filled in the details so obviously glossed over in the film.High school student Mizoguchi Goichi arrives at the Shukaku Pavilion after his father’s death. His father had been a monk and thought Shukaku was the most beautiful place in the world. The chief priest accepts Goichi as an apprentice much to his deputy’s chagrin. Many of the young apprentices have been drafted or killed in the war and there is real concern over who the successor to the temple will be. Goichi is awkward socially and stutters which makes him a target among the young monks. Goichi wants nothing to do with his mother and has strong feelings about who is pure enough to enter the temple. Along the way he becomes friends with a pessimistic young man with a club foot who uses his infirmity to make women feel sorry for him. Friendship between the two misfits is volatile at best. For the most part, Goichi finds no joy in anything or anyone except for the perfect and eternal pavilion.
I found the character of Goichi to be inscrutable and unlikeable and not in any compelling manner. Ichikawa Raizo VIII’s take on Goichi was so deadpan that I struggled to understand any of his motivations. The film never answered the question why the chief priest would want Goichi to be his successor, the boy was clearly emotionally imbalanced and had serious issues with people. A young Nakadai Tatsuya played the manipulative Togari with his usual energetic flair. Nakamura Ganjiro II as the head monk Dosen gave a strong performance as a monk who dove into the worldly concerns of greed and sex.
Conflagration was beautifully shot, no easy feat in black and white. Story elements felt like rocks skipping over a pond, never quite connecting or showing any depth. There was no suspense to the film as it began almost at the end, after Goichi has burned the temple. The movie failed to explain his obsession with the temple and his complicated feelings regarding beauty and purity. Events occurred that were never fleshed out nor had any emotional consequences. The one likeable character disappeared midway through the story like a puff of smoke. By the last third of the film, I was ready for Goichi to find his book of matches and free me from this conflagration.
9 June 2025
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