A wonderful, refreshing drama, with a unique, totally unexpected plot, great humor, sensitivity and life lessons for new moms and moms-to-be. Relatable characters, situations, problems and frustrations - I'm sure all moms did find something familiar: happy, loving memories they want to remember or embarrassing, painful moments they want forget... A great watch and time well-spent :)
A 'documentaristic', full of wonderful forest and rural scenery introduction to the life, tradition and rituals of the Ainu indigenous people, through the eyes of a young orphan boy who tries to find his dream and place in between the world of tradition and modern society.
The concept was not something new -there are a lot of second chance stories out there (and I've watched quite a few of them)-, but it turned out to be an entertaining family oriented drama with lots of heartwarming and funny moments, as well as a refreshing rom-com with some cheesy moments and lots of fun-service. Convincing acting, well-supporting music, satisfying ending and no annoying characters to introduce unnecessary frustration resulted in a feel-good drama that it's worth giving a try :)
A bittersweet, subtle story exploring family relationships, distancing and bonding, through the eyes of an oversea student that returns home for summer vacations and faces a family that has drifted apart. But, while drastic unfamiliar changes keep happening, he soon realises that family bonding is stronger than it seems and its dynamic is always reestablished.
Thank you so much, dear penel :) I know that I can always count on your feedback.Yeah, I agree about your choices,…
Agreed! They're both among the top war movies (which isn't really my fave genre, but a masterpiece is always a masterpiece!), though I have a soft spot for Bowie as a musician and performer and Sakamoto Ryuichi's music ❤ That whistling theme though...
Reading your top-notch articles is always a great fun - and a chance to add new movies in my PTW lists!
I haven't watched many of Kitano's works, but like you, my most fave is "A Scene at the Sea"! A wonderful experience. "Dolls" is definitely not for everyone, but the intriguing cinematography and eerie atmosphere were worth the watch.
One of his best movies as an actor, and one of my 10/10, is "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" with David Bowie and the wonderful music of Sakamoto Ryuichi ♥
A poignant, autobiographical tale of a Korean-Japanese family running a small restaurant, 'Yakiniku Dragon'. Their bonding, struggles, cultural exchange barriers and everyday life banters are depicted in a unique blend of bleak, touching, intense and humorous moments. With excellent performances (especially from the parents) despite the bilingual issues, superb cinematography and a successful combination of drama elements from both countries, the outcome is an intriguing, sophisticated and very enjoyable watch.
Sexy, funny, colourful and absolutely hilarious, with two great FLs and so many familiar faces! A very enjoyable adult sex comedy with many humorous, heartwarming and steamy moments xD
A melancholic, bittersweet romantic time-travelling story about love that transcends time and space. Not very original and cliche-free, but an enjoyable watch. Its strongest points were Lee Hong Chi, the cinematography and color palette, and the great scenery from Prague.
"Children can’t control parents, just like parents can’t control children."
"Everyone may seem to live differently, but whether it is you or me, we are living in the same world."
A road trip movie about three estranged siblings, their reconciliation, their healing, their secrets and past, their ties, and a study of the meaning of family, family bonding and acceptance.
A fast-paced, intriguing, well-written and genre-balanced drama. With lots of suspense, mystery and fantasy elements, heartwarming stories and a proper closure. No unnecessary or annoying characters or subplots, no dragging, no typical cliches. OCN at its best!
Filmed at a real-life psychiatric hospital, this film is a sensitive approach to institutionalisation and mental illness, though it gives some very strong, emotional gut punches. Shofukutei Tsurube and Ayano Go were excellent as usual, while Komatsu Nana was surprisingly much better than expected, giving a convincing and layered performance.
A wonderful story about family and bonding, coming of age, war, overcoming loss and grieve, and one of the most beautiful love stories I've seen in a long while between Suzu and Shusaku. With a magnificent music score from Joe Hisaishi, a brilliant cinematography and depiction of rural Japan during the WW2 and superb performances, this underrated, criminally unnoticed drama was so painfully touching, inspiring and bittersweet! A pure 10/10 in my list.
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OAL's signature from top to bottom xD
Can't wait for the rest articles of this series
Relatable characters, situations, problems and frustrations - I'm sure all moms did find something familiar: happy, loving memories they want to remember or embarrassing, painful moments they want forget...
A great watch and time well-spent :)
Convincing acting, well-supporting music, satisfying ending and no annoying characters to introduce unnecessary frustration resulted in a feel-good drama that it's worth giving a try :)
But, while drastic unfamiliar changes keep happening, he soon realises that family bonding is stronger than it seems and its dynamic is always reestablished.
And "Wuthering Heights" (1992) dark soundtrack :)
That whistling theme though...
I haven't watched many of Kitano's works, but like you, my most fave is "A Scene at the Sea"! A wonderful experience.
"Dolls" is definitely not for everyone, but the intriguing cinematography and eerie atmosphere were worth the watch.
One of his best movies as an actor, and one of my 10/10, is "Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence" with David Bowie and the wonderful music of Sakamoto Ryuichi ♥
Their bonding, struggles, cultural exchange barriers and everyday life banters are depicted in a unique blend of bleak, touching, intense and humorous moments.
With excellent performances (especially from the parents) despite the bilingual issues, superb cinematography and a successful combination of drama elements from both countries, the outcome is an intriguing, sophisticated and very enjoyable watch.
A very enjoyable adult sex comedy with many humorous, heartwarming and steamy moments xD
Its strongest points were Lee Hong Chi, the cinematography and color palette, and the great scenery from Prague.
"Everyone may seem to live differently, but whether it is you or me, we are living in the same world."
A road trip movie about three estranged siblings, their reconciliation, their healing, their secrets and past, their ties, and a study of the meaning of family, family bonding and acceptance.
With lots of suspense, mystery and fantasy elements, heartwarming stories and a proper closure.
No unnecessary or annoying characters or subplots, no dragging, no typical cliches.
OCN at its best!
Shofukutei Tsurube and Ayano Go were excellent as usual, while Komatsu Nana was surprisingly much better than expected, giving a convincing and layered performance.
With a magnificent music score from Joe Hisaishi, a brilliant cinematography and depiction of rural Japan during the WW2 and superb performances, this underrated, criminally unnoticed drama was so painfully touching, inspiring and bittersweet! A pure 10/10 in my list.