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The Happening (2008)
M. Night once again does his best to not dole out cookie cutter films...
Love him or hate him, his movies have a unique signature upon them that definitely separate him from the dozens of movies release each month from Hollywood. As a matter of fact, Hollywood apparently has run out of ideas remakes upon remakes, and now worse with movies like The Departed, Strangers, The Ring, and Bangkok Dangerous they're down to ripping off European/Asian movie directors for their ideas.
This time M. Night strikes back with notable differences from all his other movies. First of, M. Night usually forgoes direct violence and gore and replaces it Hitchcock styled atmosphere/sound over gore. Looks like studios are tired of this and forced his hand. Interestingly enough, even with the added gore and violence, there was still a great deal of that "atmosphere" utilized to heighten everyone's awareness. A good deal of work was put in the sound fx to also put some flavor into several key moments.
Like all M. Night's movies, there are SERIOUS flaws in The Happening. Bad acting across 4-5 scenes you simply cannot deny, just really dry delivered lines. A surprising number of no name actors is probably the reason for this, which leads to the music of the film. I haven't seen music this bad in a film this decade. It sure seems as if studios are cutting M. Night at the knees financially. Lastly, this blame will fall solely on the director, the pacing was a tad uneven, abrupt in some places that failed to achieve the desired effect I would say.
Despite it's flaws, the plot and premise is quite interesting, even if it's a bit far-fetched. Once again I found myself smiling throughout the movie and enjoy this movie as if it were one of those old 50s B&W goofy horrors about a giant brain eating up half the planet. Shyamalan doesn't explain the plot in total detail, leaves you with several clues as to what triggered the main events and how the main characters dealt with those events. If you like weird sci-fi with dashes of brilliant horror footage, this is your movie. If you like M. Night movies not because they're full of action and violence, but because they're interesting and different.. you'll love The Happening. However if you have ADD, adrenaline junkie, or hyper-critical in your films.. you'll hate this film steer away.
Taiyô no uta (2006)
Pretty bland romance, pretty bland presentation
There's few things that are memorable about Midnight Sun, I suppose if the movie's main song catches you, you will take the most from this film. Otherwise you'll be pretty bored most of the time. A girl who has some rare disease called XP, is forced to live her life at night. She often watches this one particular guy from her window as he goes about trying to learn how to surf.
The movie is quite forced, the director tries to force upon you a slow movie by extending several shots and scenes unnecessarily, there's not much depth, some decent amounts of humor though, which is nice, but overall I found it to be yet another average Asian movie, nothing more.
Zoo (2005)
You'll feel completely trapped.... in pure boredom
Reading a synopsis about Zoo and chances are that you probably be interested in this film. 5 stories, 5 young upcoming Japanese directors, dark tales of murder, weird happenings, etc..
What Zoo actually is, is five young Japanese directors who've learned what a still shot, or slow shot is. They use it a few times and pretend to be Takeshi Kitano I suppose, then the stories they show you will be explained to you in the most idiotic way possible.
- The first short film is about these two twin sisters, who are played by the same person, one is hated by the mother the other is not. Everything in this first story is pedantic and trod-ding, and it leads up to a climax that is completely ... NOT surprising.
- The second is a rather semi-interesting one, called 7 Rooms, people are for some unknown reason, each locked into a room, by some unknown guy, who wants to kill them after they've been there for 7 days and eaten 6 slices of bread and 1 bowl of soup. The ending. Is a giant roll-eyes unfortunately.
- The third is absolutely ridiculous I don't even want to talk about it's so stupid.
- The cartoon is boring and dull.
- The final piece actually attempts to be spooky and sort of take chances, but leaves you empty and hollow. There is absolutely no real story told, a mild statement is made and the movie's credits roll.
The end. Save yourself the trouble, this is not for suspense/horror fans AT ALL, go see Tale of Two Sisters or Audition or something else Asia has done that is really worth something.
Naisu no mori: The First Contact (2005)
Funky Forest: Zero Contact ...
To say Funky Forest: The First Contact is a bad movie is an understatement of incredible proportions. I can really get into a good art house film, even a surreal and twisted romp like El Topo, Naked Lunch, and Survive Style 5+, because those movies actually have something worth discussing when the credits roll.
FFFC attempts at every avenue to be this deep and intellectual, essentially there is no substance in this movie. This movie is badly done, the visuals in this movie are not inspiring, the dialog is worse, the musical numbers destroy this movie.. I chuckled for GUITAR BROTHERS, but that was immediately wiped out by something completely unnecessary, and irrelevant. It attempted to be deep and meaningful I think, but its just pretentious disoriented nonsense. Freshman film students without a camera could craft something more interesting.
Guitar Brothers and the stand up routines in between skits get 1 point each, everything else is just badly paced, pseudo-creative, heavy handed attempts at being AS good as films by other REAL directors like, Sogo Ishii, David Lynch, and Jodoworsky. Give me a break. I am convinced that people that rave about FFFC are doing so because they have no idea of what they saw, because it was nothing but mild pertinent statements here and there mixed with stupidity and blended until you puke on your own shoes.
This movie was an extreme disappointment, coming off the high that was Survive Style 5+, a film that actually has meaning, combined with excellent use of scenery, cinematography, catchy dialog, funny moments, good soundtrack, excellent performances, fantastic pacing and flow. FFFC features the exact opposite in every way, boring scenery (20 minutes staring at a bland beach at night? a completely white stage? Alien balls floating in white space? a dinky school hallway and then a... school hallway?), terrible cinematography, forgettable dialog, nothing funny or humorous, save the fact you just wasted your life for two hours, soundtrack?, amateurish performances, uneven, disjointed, and often flat out dragging pacing, zero flow whatsoever.
There are those that claim this is what makes FFFC a great movie, that it is so unconventional at every turn that its pure genius. This is simply a way to stroke your own ego it seems, because "unpredictable" could be a good quality for a film if it wasn't coupled with "boring", "innane", and "terrible". Personally I have spoken with two people who admitted to me that FFFC was terrible when they left the theater, but overwhelming rave by art-house elitist made them watch the movie again and then come back to me with a... "Hey it was pretty good I liked it".
I'm going to put my foot down, this movie is slop, I don't care if Roger Ebert says this film is the best thing he's ever watched since he lost his own virginity. "The Emperor's new cloak" I say... this movie is no way indicative of the other psychedelic/trippy films to come from Japan in the last 10 years. Taste of Tea, Party 7, and Kamikaze Girls are much better movies (even with a low budget), and none can honestly compare with Survive Style 5+. Watch FFFC only if your interested in making a pretentious pile of nothing on a shoestring budget.
Survive Style 5+ (2004)
How to be surreal, satirical, and still maintain a high level of "fun" in your film
What is Survive Style 5+? One of the best films I have ever seen in my life. This film is about 5 ( or more, you decide) styles of living, depicted in a seemingly haphazard and bewildering form. The use of song, colors, cinematography will ensure most people have no excuse BUT to be captivated by every scene. Even those that simply miss out on all the symbolism and allegories for every day life will find this movie highly entertaining simply from the excellent performances and superb overall presentation.
The movie opens up with a man, who's apparently murdered his wife, burying her in the forest with a couple of meaningful comments about murder itself. That serious moment opens up a floodgate of seemingly subconscious events and comedy that is meant to jar you from the underlying essence of the movie for a moment. The film introduces other "styles of life", for example a group of bumbling burglar teens, a hit-man (Vinnie Jones) and his translator, an advertising guru who thinks every think she makes is the pinnacle of hilarity, and a family that apparently has a few issues of their own to deal with.
Each layer of bizarre is followed by another layer of bizarre, until the ending will most likely leave you with your jaw on the floor. The great thing about SS5+ is that deep within the layers of apparently non-sensical comedy and action, there is a meaning to unearth, most people will come up with their own ideas as to "what it all means" and THAT is the best aspect of SS5+, enjoy.
Dead End Run (2003)
Dead End Run tickles the senses, and the imagination...
If you go into Dead End Run expecting the sequel to Electric Dragon 80,000V you'll be disappointed, this is not the continuation, prequel, or sequel, although most of the people from that film are in this one.. the similarities end there.
Dead End Run explores the connection between life and death, confrontation and resolution, perhaps even love at the brink of heightened danger. To that end this film achieves its goals by presenting to you a series of stories (three in total) with different views of the same theme. They each start off with someone running, and end at a climactic moment, with little dialog or story telling.
Dead End Run is more about capturing a fleeting concept, or an emotion perhaps, its not about a story necessarily. I found this film highly enjoyable, and have already viewed it several times over, each time noticing the amazing detail that went into certain sequences (Steam!) The movie itself does have some faults however, it drags a little too long, while trying to convey emotion and heighten suspense, I feel that it just prolongs the moment and doesn't heighten or add anything to the material at all. However these moments are sparse, as the movie is only 1 hour or so long, the film doesn't leave you hanging for long. Definitely a movie for fans of art, composition, and slow pacing.
Romangseu (2006)
Someone wanted to make a good action movie with good romance.. and failed
Take two genres, action crime drama, and romance, to tried and true genres, and mash them together. Typically, at least with U.S. movies, action movies contain little depth, character development, or plot really, it just moves quickly enough to the next over the top action scene. I'm generalizing a bit here, but this is probably about right. Movies tend to either be more on the serious side (less over the top action), or more on the action side (less serious film elements).
Koreans have a knack for good romance stories, I have seen a whole string of them, The Romance, is terrible in this department. I'll give you a hint for when a "romance" scene is coming up in this movie, the hero of the story, will get a constipated face and stare off numbingly at the girl. Then the tango music plays. This = Love Scene.
Character development? Not really, everything is flushed into a series of tango music/slow mo/clichéd rituals that will leave quite bored. The action scenes come in suddenly and are a bit awkward, as usual most characters cry too much for too many things. The ending is well... expected really, especially if you've been watching plenty of Korean cinema. This falls way below the "average" mark for film, it is a poor movie, with laughable style, and a mish mosh of clichés and trite dialogue. Stick with Public Enemy/Bittersweet Life for crime drama, and A Moment to Remember / The Classic for romance.
Oasiseu (2002)
Phenomenal performances...
There are plenty of long drawn out comments already on the lead actors performances so I won't repeat what's been said. Yes this is an actors movie, every single actor/actress, ESPECIALLY So-ri Moon just bang out jaw dropping, completely engrossing, completely convincing acting that it's easy to get wrapped up in it. I almost want to give this movie a 10/10 just for acting alone.
*****SPOILER***** However I do have some issues with the film, mainly the rape scene, that is the precedence to love between the two main characters, it is bittersweet and morbid, and DOES provoke thought. However the only thought I could have was that it was unrealistic, then again she was locked up in her apartment so... perhaps not. It was enough to jar me away from the story for quite a while. But nothing was worse than the unresolved nature of... everything, some people find that artistic and immerse... I find it a little lazy, there are several characters who have no repercussions to their actions what so ever.. and like a true Asian movie.. characters have an inability with SPEAKING. They have no qualms with insulting each other, and making a giant scene, or humiliating each other in public, but oh my.. forbid SOMEONE may speak when it really matters.. sigh.
Not that "Oasis" HAD to have a happy ending.. I don't mean that in a long shot, but some "resolution" in one way or another, not just the two main characters stay quiet forever, and all the evil deeds, except Mr. Unlucky get completely swept under the rug with a fade away ending that was infuriating.
Irréversible (2002)
Lies somewhere between art and perversion.
Unfortunately for my tastes it lies much closer to perversion than to art. To some viewers they will try to mask the gratuitous amounts of violence and sexual perversions contained in this movie as a sort of 'tool'. Yes it will leave you desolate, alone, the director practically rapes your eyes and mind, however as for me, I did NOT think it was necessary to see Monica Belucci get anally pounded for 12 minutes on screen. Also the homosexual club was truly hellish, and the guy who they kill (wrong guy OOPS) death scene was not "awesome" it was hellish, I actually half turned my face in horror it was so well done, and that's saying something since there's very few scenes in movies that scare me.
However when the whole movie unwinds, there is no momentous twist, or grand revelation, or big understanding or underlying themes that come together. The movie is very straightforward, 3 people obsessed with sex go to a party, where one of them does cocaine, the other obviously still has feelings for the girl. She's pregnant. The two walk out of the party to cool off (mainly Vincent) at this time Monica Belucci is raped and beaten for 12 minutes in an under passage. When Vincent hears of this he goes on a rampage through France's seedy underbelly of hookers, she-males, and gay S&M clubs until they reach the wrong guy and kill him. That's it. It's this momentous let down that I score this movie a 5. It felt like low grade porn with some mild action at the end. The interesting lighting and camera work elevate this movie beyond porn.
The Jacket (2005)
A smooth psych thriller that was not what I expected...
The Jacket is being advertised as a "oohhh scary and suspenseful psychological thriller", I guess that in some ways it is. However it is not, it's not really a scary "boo!" in your face movie, you follow the story of Jack Starks, a Gulf War vet who confesses to have have "died the first time" in 1991 when during an engagement lets his guard down to a young boy, who in turn shoots him in the head.
He is left for dead, and later while in the med ward, is discovered to actually be alive, miraculously. He is medically discharged, and in a quick scene the doctors say he has amnesia and Gulf War syndrome, before a quick cut to Brody walking around in a snowy Vermont.
I have definitely seen more disturbing images in other foreign films, and even some older U.S. films like Apocalypse Now, however the movie isn't so much about war as it is about Jack Starks's self-analysis. In a Donnie Darko type move the movie starts to evolve into something else entirely. I Jack Starks dead? Is he crazy and delusional? Is he time traveling? Is he still dead on the field of the Gulf War battle? This movie features excellent performances by Adrian Brody who portrays a wide range of emotions well, from melancholy humble, to terrified, and angry. I was more impressed with "lunatic mental hospital scenes" with 12 Monkeys and The Princess and the Warrior BUT, the other hidden surprise here I thought was Knightley, she didn't do too bad, and since the story ends up focusing on the "what ifs" of these two, its a great thing they had some chemistry on screen.
I definitely liked this more than the goth-teen-emo flick, Butterfly Effect (although in all honesty wasn't that bad), and put this in the same vein as The Machinist. Excellent performances, but weak ending/not a complete story telling experience. I will definitely add this to my movie library.
Ôdishon (1999)
A lonely widowed man, takes his friends advice and agrees to a 'fake' audition to screen for his new wife. Nothing is what is seems.
This movie cannot necessarily be categorized as "horror" in the same vein as Friday the 13th, or Nightmare on Elm Street, I was recommended "The Audition" as if it were a horror. So at first I was a bit expecting crazed Japanese women running around with steak knives, but this is NOT that kind of a film. This is a suspense/thriller that is more akin with the non-linear styles of Tarantino's movies, and the same genre as Fatal Attraction and Sleeping with the Enemy.
What I really loved about this movie was the carefree "innocent" sort of way our main character Aoyama behaves. The movie starts off a bit slow paced, but the second half of this movie gets darker, and darker, and the finale is well done. When compared to other femme thrillers like Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction that the U.S. has made, The Audition stands firmly in the lead for this particular style love/betrayal/obsession suspense style.
Miike's visual style is varied, but fits so well into this movie you forget about looking at camera angles, and performances, and at least in my case I was carried and mesmerized by the movies.
Some may find this movie gruesome, it is not gory in the ridiculous 'B' movie blood every way, however I found some of the scenes a bit disturbing and painful. It was very easy to sympathize with Aoyama and I thought he was very easy to relate to. Do not over hype yourself for the Audition (or any movie really) tell yourself this is going to be some dumb boring movie and just relax, after watching this movie you will have a lot to talk about.
*****************SPOILER**************************** Please do not read this unless you have seen the movie. After reading the message boards there are various comments about the movie that I noticed some people did not understand. Also many people seem to misinterpret style and atmosphere as something that is completely unnecessary in a horror movie, only thing people want to see in a horror flick is body parts, blood, and violence with a thin veil of a plot. If that's all you want, this is not your movie my friend.
The first half of the movie is what Aoyama really saw, his loneliness, which quickly turns into his hope as he reads Asami's resume. He falls for her without seeing her, in other words, he sees what he wants to see and nothing else. He dismisses all other potential wife candidates and had pretty much settled on Asami, his interview with her reveals he already had fallen in love with the vision of his perfect replacement wife.
The conversations he has with Asami are real, he ignores all warnings and again he sees only what he wants you to see, and in reflection of that the entire first half of the movie plays out like a calm romance melodrama. Certain things make Aoyama suspicious, she never gets dropped off at home and he doesn't go to her place. Finally she suddenly leaves him in the hotel, Aoyama's loneliness and distraught returns full force and he has to find out what happened to Asami so he tracks down her old dance school and meets what you learn later is her STEPFATHER.
He then comes across a bar she used to work at called the Stone Fish, a bar owned by Asami's AUNT, I suspect that the man who often came to the bar was her UNCLE but it's not certain, and it could be that the UNCLE is the RECORD COMPANY AGENT, although it's not certain. What is implied is that UNCLE or RECORD COMPANY AGENT told Asami that they loved her. Aoyama gets a shocking glimpse into her life meeting her STEPFATHER, and more disturbing information from the man who gives a brief history of the Stone Fish.
The final act of this movie is really the revelation, Asami breaks into Aoyama's house and poison's his drink with a paralyzing drug. As he falls Aoyama has a surrealistic (read:NOT LITERAL BUT BASED ON REALITY) dream in which he puts it all together. You see the OTHER SIDE of the conversations he has with Asami, the disturbing side Aoyama ignores about Asami. Her abuse and her attitude don't fit, he then foresees the result of the Stepfather getting his head sawed off. Her torture and screwed up childhood. What happened to her UNCLE or RECORD COMPANY AGENT you never see his face, yet he knows he is living in that house as her pet "Love only me" is Asami's neurotic thought. She killed her AUNT by sawing her to pieces and leaving RECORD AGENT (or UNCLE's) 3 digits and a tongue at the scene. The reason I think the RECORD AGENT is the UNCLE is because she says the UNCLE was real bad to her, and SO WAS HER AUNT. So the scene at the Stone Fish makes more sense if it's revenge against both. In which the UNCLE who probably molested her is now her slave.
In the end, Aoyama understands that he will share this fate "You will love only me", she throws this "lie" he agreed to in his face when she brings up the fact he will always love his son, not ONLY HER. She kills his dog (another love) and make it perfectly clear his son will die, and that he will be mutilated and tortured and be her pet forever.
Aoyama's 2nd dream is very different from the first, that was short and sweet and was simply what Aoyama wished for, or wished wasn't happening. He went back to a time when he was happy with Asami, had his feet, and she tells him she loves him back. That's all he wanted to hear.
Tasogare Seibei (2002)
Twilight the Samurai is a movie that is easy to fall in love with.
A realistic look at feudal Japan before it's demise, one cannot help draw a correlation with The Last Samurai. While I loved Ken Watanabe's performance, Cruise's insertion into that filmed bothered me quite a bit. I often thought if they would have just shown the movie without that obvious constipated clichéd Cruise in there what a great film it could have been.
Then I saw Twilight the Samurai, and I was pleased. Twilight also reminds me of Dances with Wolves, in the portrayal of a more realistic and hard earned life of old times. Twilight isn't this incredible swashbuckling hero that can deftly avoid all manners of enemies and hacks 586,932 people before the movie is over, yet there is no question that Twilight is a hero from start to finish.
I love the realistic look at feudal Japan, and while the pacing for some maybe to slow, it's real easy to start to become real enamored with Twilight. A often ridiculed lower class samurai, who just is so unconventional for his era, in that he is just a peaceful simple man.
All the love (notice I don't say romance), portrayed by all the characters seemed and FELT real. There is no gushy over the top out of character lust groping to establish a romance between Tomoe and Twilight, which I appreciate as it is more in-line with Japan's feudal society of that era. His family life feels genuine, his reluctance and humbleness feels genuine, the action scenes lack slow mo bullet time and a theatrical score entirely, yet I couldn't help but be at the edge of my seat just hoping, for the best.
This is a beautiful film, with characters that are enjoyable. I must say that the final scenes will fill you with all sorts of mixed emotions, from anger, to fear for Twilight, relief, betrayal, love, that when the movie is all over, you will definitely be a bit stunned. You will probably say "all this and not an ounce of wire-fu? slow-mo? nudity? cursing? over the top music?" This movie is a profound testament to what it means to act, and direct.