Reviews

I was simple but cute

it was very short(cuz it's a short movie) but it was very fun, the story was definitely there, very easy to understand and interesting, and although we only got to see one quick kiss it's still worth the 16 minutes.

the charachter also had very obvious differences and where their own people I also like that it was a pretty serious topic in some parts but it still feels so easy going at the same time it's happy is ending and it's really all you need.

but I overall just really recommend it since it's so short and easy to watch.
you can watch it on bilibili and gagaoolala.

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What did I even watch?

I don't know what I expected when I watched this but I'm very disappointed. It even took me 3 days to finish this movie 'cause I ain't feel like watching it but somehow I know I need to finish it to move on.

There's a lot to unpack here. The story overall is messy. It kind of makes sense but not the most ideal way to present a story. When I read the plot I thought there was more to it but it was everything. Nothing more, nothing less. No twists and turns. Just the female lead getting her revenge. The end.

The only thing that I somewhat like about this movie is the classical music that was on the background. It's kind of relaxing after getting pissed by the movie itself.

Not something that I would really recommend to anyone. I was totally click-baited on Tiktok. Although, I should say if you want to watch it why not. Others seems to like it just fine. But definitely this is not my cup of tea.

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"What would you do?"

A Hen in the Wind was a difficult film to sit through. The film was set in occupied post WWII Japan when it was recovering from the damaging effects financially and emotionally from the war. In the homes, marriages had been tested as women struggled to maintain households with the men away for years. Ozu veered into melodrama and physical violence with one such marriage, something he did not often do, and which was troubling for these 21st century eyes.

Tokiko and her son are expectantly waiting for her husband to be repatriated after the war. She's sold nearly everything she had and is almost penniless. Her friend is also short on cash but helps her when she can. After selling her last kimono Tokiko has enough money to eat for awhile longer when disaster hits. Her son becomes dangerously ill and the hospital requires a cash payment up front for his life saving treatment. With no one else to turn to for such a large sum of money she sells herself for one night to save her child's life. After her husband comes home, she is unable to lie and tells him what she had done. Far from being grateful for saving his son's life, Shuichi becomes livid and interrogates her. He visits the brothel in order to find out if she had been a regular there. He meets a 21-year-old girl and sympathizes with her reason for having to prostitute herself and vows to find her employment. His boss agrees to hire her, but points out to Shuichi that hypocritically he had no problem forgiving and understanding a stranger but could not do so for his own wife. Shuichi acknowledges his wife had no choice. He just can't seem to let go of his anger. Later that night when Tokiko begs him to stay home, he "accidentally" pushes her down a tall flight of stairs. The "accident" seems to knock some sense into him and he tells Tokiko they need to forget the past, embrace, trust each other from here on out and live as they were supposed to.

The level of intimate violence in this film disturbed me greatly. It was heavily implied that Shuichi raped Tokiko. The poor woman had been victimized twice. Once by crushing poverty and a heartless medical system and a second time by her spouse. Shuichi manhandles her on several occasions, one of which causes her fall. The fall was filmed to show just how brutally her body slammed against the stairs over and over. Shuichi could not even be bothered to help her as she finally dragged her limping body back up to their room. When he declared that their estrangement was over and they would both forget what had happened it was hard to take him seriously. Nowhere in his self-righteous monologue did he tell her he was sorry for his behavior and make sure she was okay. Perhaps Ozu was using the marriage as a metaphor for Japan showing after its disgrace, it could all be put behind them in order to face a brighter future. Whatever the reason, it has been a long time since I've despised a character as much as I have Shuichi. He had every right to be taken aback and troubled, but his utter lack of empathy and physical rage toward Tokiko was disconcerting as he played the victim.

Ozu, as other directors had done, asked the question, "What would you do?" During times of financial crisis especially when a life is on the line, what would a person do? In this case a mother was willing to shame herself in order to save her child's life. It's easy to judge when money is available, but when it's not and there are few options, people will do what they must to survive and for their children to survive. And in this instance Tokiko was still the same truthful person she'd always been with her husband and told him what she'd done.

Even if I hadn't known this was a film by Ozu I would have recognized his work. The repeated use of architectural shots, especially of the gas storage units next to the slums where Tokiko lived were a dead giveaway as well as the precisely organized and decorated rooms the camera lingered over. He also showed the rusted-out remnants of sewer pipes several times usually in conjunction with Shuichi. I don't know what his meaning behind the sewer pipes meant, but I know how I viewed them in regards to the husband with the hurt male pride. If their marriage had been contaminated it was not by coerced infidelity but a cruel world that would let a child die and a husband who could not understand the cost to his wife. I found it interesting that the brothel was neater and cleaner looking than the heartless hospital. Finally, Ozu was already doing the directing style of actors looking straight into the camera to talk. This was his one technique that often disengaged me from the story because it didn't feel natural or intimate, more like breaking the fourth wall.

What I did find of great value in this film was Tanaka Kinuyo's emotionally honest performance. She conveyed a plethora of emotions that all rang true. Her devastated face and torn dress told you all you needed to know in one scene. Regardless of the situation, Tanaka gave her character great depth even when you might not agree with her actions. It rendered Shuichi's actions unforgiveable because Tanaka conveyed Tokiko's suffering so well that it made you wonder how anyone could not want to comfort her. In fact, it was the women of this film who tied it together. They had no choice but to keep moving and doing what they must without falling into despair. They were the ones who stood by each other, shared, and even as they joked about rising prices and rations gave the impression that hope was on the horizon.

If you can set aside the marital violence, which can be a tough assignment, A Hen in the Wind asked pertinent questions. The film also gave a glimpse into Japan's post war trauma in a way only Ozu could. Despite the destruction and shame, the resilience of the people, like in Tokiko's marriage would rise up and make a better day putting the past behind them and face the future with honor and courage.

6/21/23

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A trip through Hell

I'll keep this short and sweet.
Spoilers ahead:
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Question: How do you make an entire movie, quite literally, around the twitch of a hand?

Answer: You throw in some dinosaurs, a pack of hungry wolves, some battle scenes, a game of chess, a clay pot, a trip through hell, some fabulous CGI, and an amazing cast of actors!

I personally thought part 1 (Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds) was a better movie overall, but there are many who disagree. Regardless, both movies were very well done and deserve to be seen by those who occasionally enjoy a bit of the fantasy genre. I'd hope they would continue with the plans to make a part 3 and 4, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen, sadly.

Are you still reading? Why?? Go watch!!!

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good storyline projecting the life of certain group of people in 60s

Good one to try. You can expect critical storyline with in-depth meaning beyond sex.
The film follows a group of prostitutes living in post-World War II Tokyo who band together to survive in a world that is hostile to their existence.

The characters are complex and well-drawn, with each of the women having their own distinct personality and motivations. The film delves deep into the psyche of these women, exploring their desires, fears, and struggles.

The cinematography is stunning, with beautifully composed shots that capture the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. The use of color is particularly striking, with bold and vivid hues that give the film a dreamlike quality.

Despite its subject matter, "Gate of Flesh" is not without moments of humor and humanity. The film manages to find moments of tenderness and compassion amidst the harsh realities of life as a prostitute. The performances are uniformly excellent, with each actor bringing depth and nuance to their roles.

Overall, "Gate of Flesh" is a powerful and thought-provoking film that explores themes of sexuality, gender, and power in a way that is both raw and poetic. It is a must-see for fans of Japanese cinema and anyone interested in exploring the darker corners of the human experience.

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I Expected More

I expected more from this movie, but I wasn't bitterly disappointed. The summary tells you essentially all you need to know about the plot of this movie which is that it's about a girl who gets stalked by a man after losing her phone.

Lee Na mi is a young woman who loses her phone on the bus while drunk after a night out. The opening of the movie establishes that Na Mi is a woman who's dependent on her phone-her world essentially revolves around the device so when she loses it and it's picked up by an unknown party, he gains access into her world.

I don't watch movies often because I feel like a lot of the time, more could have been told of the story but due to the 1.30-2hr time limit, often gets omitted. I felt like that was the case with this movie.

There wasn't enough focus on what was meant to be the main focus of the movie-his access into her phone. The killer's M.O is to gain access into his victims' phone and using that access, isolate them from the people in their lives and then kill them. However, the movie spends the bulk of its time having him watch her and take note of her relationships and plot his move. This would've been fine except it put all the focus on the killer and when you watch a thriller, I feel like a driving force behind the emotions of the viewers comes from the fear and distress of the targets/victims-not the methods of the killers/perps. We didn't get enough of Na Mi in distress and living in fear-there wasn't enough build up to how his access into her phone impacted her life, so it was a bit lackluster and made the whole "phone" part of the story unnecessary to me. It could've been omitted, and he could've just been someone who followed her home off the bus, and we'd have had the same result. If they had taken their time to not only show how he used his access to her phone to methodically ruin her life and isolate her from her loved ones but also how that impacted her by making her restless and living in a constant state of fear, distress and distrust and the feeling of endlessly being watched but never knowing who until the final showdown in the house-it would have been much better. What we got, however, was that everything happened too quick, and the movie was over-he blew up her job in one go and her relationship with her best. Her father being removed was a non-factor because she didn't even realize he was missing until the final showdown, and she figured out who he was like the same day he cut out her job and friend from her life. This could've been done better to make it a better thriller, but it was otherwise a fairly good movie.

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How can a slice of life feel so empty?

Things happened but everything was meaningless, because nothing was established. There were so many things that did not work out.

They tried to tell us the main characters are struggling. With what? What was the focus of the story? Honestly, I don't know. Was it striving to achieve your dream no matter what? Was it changing your dream after finding out who you truly are? Was there something going on between the leads or not? Did any of the characters have any depth, personality, personal story? Everyone was so one dimensional, defined by one personality trait or personal story, it was hard to care for any of them…

It’s hard for me to comment about the acting, since the characters were rather shallow. There were few highlights from Shin Seung Ho and Irene did fine - the character had just nothing to offer, so she had nothing to show.

What’s good? The movie is rather pretty.

Overall, it’s not like there was something wrong with this movie… but there was not anything right about it either.

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the romance was so precious here!

What a beautiful way to tell a story about the precious time that passes between people that are in love.

I can totally understand why some would think the time logic is confusing but after exposition from the FL I pretty much got it. The acting was good. Fukushi Sota was so cute as Minamiyamai. His performance from the beginning was endearing. You could feel his love for Fukuju through the screen. Komatsu Nana was good too but I found Fukushi’s acting more enjoyable. At times it seemed like Minamiyamai liked her more than she liked him, perhaps even one sided at times. After the secret was revealed her behavior made more sense.

The ending was so abrupt. I really loved every moment the leads were together and wanted to see more of them but I am happy we got to see their timelines collide again as we know they do have a happy ending.

I def recommend this movie if you’re new to Japanese movies/shows and you're a big fan of romance or destiny-trope stuff. I was quite pleased with this and loved the romance aspect here. Am open to watching this again in the future.

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Why is this not a series?????

A short story that you’d wish to be a series…

It’s only 14 minutes but it felt like 3 hours long~ in a short period of time, it made me love their characters and their story already.

There are no kissing or intimate scenes, but the way they look at each other, and treat each other, the place, setting, and music — makes it SO ROMANTIC. This is such a perfect example that not having those kind of stereotype scenes could still make a drama beautiful.

I’d love to see the both of them work in another project again one day. Be it a sequel for this, or a totally new drama series this time.

They got big potential to top the dramas we have to this date. There’s really something about their chemistry.

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It will ruin your day

But in a good way. This movie is so well done but it’ll TUG on your heartstrings. Nowadays zombie movies are always copy pastes from each other, and though you can’t do many different things with this genre, this movie totally does it. You get attached to the people there and at some point you really start fearing if your favourite character will die (they probably will here ..) it’s heartbreaking, especially the ending. I’ve been told to watch this movie since forever and always pushed it behind, today I watched it and it kept my attention as well as my emotions. Amazing casting, great acting and overall an amazing plot of the movie. So much action and suspense, I loved it. You won’t regret watching this!!

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"You know Jonathan, if you add your marks with mine, we make a perfect 100!" said Shane

What a lovely movie!

I started watching this very randomly because I was bored and outside it was gloomy dark weather, somehow I ended up watching this movie. It's hard to explain in words how beautiful the whole story, cast, the acting and the cinematography was. It's an unspoken feeling that will linger on your mind for couple of days.

Teenage love is hard, beautiful and full of inexperienced unknown emotions which wa portrayed that pragmatically as possible. Love and friendship intertwined and presented longing, belonging and finally founding peace with one's own mind, which is the most exhausting journey in the world. Shane is longing for a lifelong friendship from Jonathan and he is bottling up his love for Shane.

What I loved about this movie is that they will not show you your pre-assumed happy ending but something more than that. The background music is very soothing, it just blends into the theme so well that it creates a nostalgic earthy aura around it.

Highly recommendable and it's better to watch it alone, so that you can feel the characters like I did.

But one spoiler, don't expect "happy ending". It's not your normal fluffy BL but a LGBTQ themed queer awakening movie.

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Excellent movie

In the beginning, I watched a "politically motivated" movie, the communist faction, and I thought that it wouldn't be for me. And damn it was.
You have to work your way through that beginning. Politics gradually disappeared from the screen during the story and the deep life story of Jun (the great Sid Lucero, whom I also know from the excellent Filipino film Selda) came to the fore, as I followed him gradually over the years and other main characters include Errol and Roland (here on MDL, these characters are not mentioned by mistake) and the other secondary roles are also etched in my memory. When I thought about the political development of the Philippines and watched the GAY LINE OF THE STORY in particular, and we all know that in the past people of minority orientation did not have it easy (often even today), it was quite a strength, a deep experience. I understand that, for example, older generations will be put off by the "communist" beginning and or the heterosexual gay line, when the actors had to submit to quite sexually explicit scenes (somewhere I'm confused whether the Philippine censors didn't even ban or cut out a part in 2010), which were very convincing, I didn't mind that the creators couldn't "age" Errol more towards the end of the film, it didn't detract from the deep story, after all, Errol's older son at the end of the film was actually a year older than his "dad". A really powerful experience for me and it's a shame that 13 years ago technology wasn't at such a high level and the film has an "old" look ...

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Lighthearted romantic comedy

So many silent films from this era were tragic and melodramatic. Ozu's The Lady and the Beard was a breath of fresh air with its lighthearted comedy and sweet romance. No deaths, no one forced into prostitution, no devastating understandings. This easy, delightful comedy may leave you a little like me, weak in the knees from relief.

Okajima is a college student and kendo master, but what makes him stand out is his large bushy beard. His friend, wealthy Teruo, invites him to his sister's birthday party after a match. On the way there, Okajima rescues a kimono clad Hiroko from Satoko, a girl gangster. Later at the party, Teruo's sister and her friends disdain the bearded and coarsely mannered Okajima and try every way they can to embarrass him which proves fruitless.

After graduation, Okajima struggles to find a job. Hiroko, who had been a secretary at one of the places where he interviewed finds him and tells him he lost out on the job because of his beard. Like wise men everywhere, he listened to her and shaved his beard and was instantly hired at a hotel. Not only did it help with his employment but now Ikuko and Satoko were also interested in his clean-shaven face and ability to defend himself and by extension-them.

This film which fell into the post college time of life for Ozu's characters was made in eight days. Unlike Ozu's later films with rigid shots of people and settings, the people and scenes flowed more easily. This was before he had people staring into the camera to recite their lines, which always felt forced to me. I liked the fluidity of this one though I did miss his traditional geometric shots and ubiquitous teapot.

Ozu touched on his oft used theme of traditionalism vs modernism. Okajima with his old-fashioned beard used to scare away women (which he learned from Abraham Lincoln) personified traditionalism. Hiroko, though soft voiced and wearing a traditional kimono also understood the more modern and western ideas. Ikuko was more modern but also from a noble family and was entrenched in her wealthy elitist lifestyle. Finally, modern girl Satoko had gone so far astray that she had fallen into a life of crime. Satoko drove a really nice Lincoln car with a huge greyhound hood ornament though. Okajima and Hiroko did a gentle push-pull dance each moving toward and from strictly traditional ways and strictly modern ways. Ozu found a nice middle of the road for them to travel.

The Lady and the Beard was a pleasant romantic comedy where everyone learned a few life lessons and more about themselves. The comedy could veer into silly slapstick but it never lost its heart when it did. It was a simple story and a simple film that was simply entertaining.

6/20/23

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A story of infatuation, a need to please and possess. This isn't a love story. However, it IS a story -about- love.

Colonel Kim Jin Pyeong has settled into a quiet life after Vietnam. Despite PTSD and nightmares, he finds himself doing what he has to, to simply get through day-by-day. He carries an air of cold indifference wherever he goes, and whatever he does. Whether it's conversations with his wife, eating, sleeping, or shagging -- he's basically just existing. Until Jong Ga Heun moves in across the street, the wife of his subordinate. He realizes instantly that she is different from the other women that surround him on the base and in the residences. Calm, collected, cool; and oddly candid. It's a story about two people who are unhappy with the lives they are living, and how they try to find a way to manage the apathy.

I will admit, the lack of emotion between the two lead characters was stifling. I honestly never thought I'd see cardboard act with cardboard. However, after finishing, there was a moment when I teared up. I wasn't expecting it. If there was a way to put the acting in most of this film, it would be the words 'deadpan delivery'. Constantly. There is so little emotion from the two lead characters, and still even, a lack of chemistry, but perhaps that was intended. Since the characters seem to just be looking to escape their lives and themselves for a while. I wasn't drawn into the 'love story', but I suppose that's because it isn't a love story. The sets are nice, the lighting was well done, and the music is nothing to write home about. I suppose if I were, to sum up how I feel about this movie, the singular word would be: meh.

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