Christine's reviews

Hope you like it Nebs


My Secret Cache

directed by Shinobu Yaguchi

After having loved to pieces the directors last couple of films - Swing Girls and Waterboys we finally sourced an earlier film of his My Secret Cache. Seems to be out of print everywhere, but it turned out to be worth the wait. Although you can tell that he's developed as a director when you compare this one with Swing Girls and Waterboys as those films seem more confident.

Story is that from when she was a little girl Sakiko has adored money. After she leaves school she's kicked into action by her mum for lazing around the house counting her money, so she thinks she's found her perfect job in a bank, complete with tacky pink uniform The only trouble is that the lovely money's not hers, so when a robbery is bungled and the money lost, Sakiko makes it her single minded obsession to get it back. The film is her trials and tribulations in her aim to fulfil her quest.

As in the other films I've seen, the cast here are utterly charming. The director makes use of everyone, even the bit part characters are given some fun and that's what makes his films so entertaining, cos they make you laugh as much as the main story. In My Secret Cache Sakiko's family - mother, father and sister go along with her antics and are forever picking up the pieces after her with greater and greater incredulity.
Naomi Nishida is perfect as Sakiko, with all the stunts she pulls off to get to her goal and she still plays it all with this hilarious deadpan face as if these things were an everyday occurance. Her development from moody teenager to zany superwoman is really funny.

To sum up, an amusing little film, with no pretensions to be anything other than a bit of light fun.

Thanks Chris, My Secret Cache, sounds really interesting

__________________
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I absolutely loved the look of Benjamin Button from the gorgeous opening scenes (a little J-P Jeunet inspired) through the wonderful realisation of the dark and resonating retirement home and the recreation of old New Orleans whorehouses, streets and bars and those atmospheric scenes in Murmansk. However halfway into the film I started liking the look of it lots more than the actual story which pressed home the point in so many ways the whimsy of it became quite wearing.

I was moved in parts, and I was even in tears a couple of minutes in - a very personal reaction. There were some great scenes - a whole section with Tilda Swinton could've made a lovely little short film (she's great!) , and there's an 'if only things had happened a few seconds later' scene which is so true. There's a nicely atmospheric scene with Captain Mike in the bar in Murmansk and plenty of other little attention to detail touches you'd expect from Fincher.

The old people were a lot of fun, in fact all the supporting actors were excellent specially Taraji Henson as Queenie but Benjamin and Daisy's love story just felt a wee bit empty. It wasn't Pitt and Blanchett's acting that was the problem, they were fine but not outstanding, I just felt they were somehow outshone by the other characters despite being the focus. I didn't think till some hours after that one of the strengths of the film is that I accepted someone could live their life backwards without feeling that it was weird in any way.

Anyway, the film was too long but looking admiringly at the sets and the art design and the cinematography made it well worth seeing. Fincher could've cut the running time down by not doing quite so many scenes at the hospital, it wouldn't have had a significant effect on the film imo - bookending it would've been enough.

So we learn that youth might be wasted on the young, but y'know old age also has it's own joys

The Good, The Bad, The Wierd

Directed by Kim Ji-Woon


Set in Manchuria in the 1930's, this is Kim Ji-Woon's take on a spaghetti western with the three guys of the title chasing a treasure map across the deserts. Mix that up with all sorts of other groups after them - the Japanese Army, Korean Independant fighters, odd bands of other indigenous warriors and you get this mad high octane film!

Kim Ji-Woon has three of the best, and the most box office friendly Korean actors in Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun and Jung Woo-sung so it's no wonder this film was such a hit in Korea, but even if you didn't know anything about them this film would still score just for it's sheer energy.

A lot of the action takes place in a ramshackle wooden town and while the gunfights are taking place, the camera is weaving in and out of the pillars and shacks and up through the roofs giving such a great feeling of movement. There's several chases through the desert and a great opening sequence - a train holdup...classic! Talking of gunfights, well it just doesn't end - there's hardly time to draw breath before they're off again. Consequently the body count is pretty high and pretty bloody too.




It's a lot of fun, and a worthy addition to the directors list of films. In case you know nothing about him , you should definately seek out any of them. I've seen them all - The Quiet Family (which was remade as The Happiness of the Katakuris by Takeshi Miike) about a very weird family, The Foul King about a guy who aspires to be a wrestler, A Tale of Two Sisters - a really spooky, very visually rich horror film, and A Bittersweet Life - a great gangster film.

I didn't know that was from the director of A bittersweet life and A tale of two sisters. Huh. Anyways, I didn't quite take to it (is that the right expression?), for whatever reason.

The chaser is miles better, see it asap...

__________________
http://www.last.fm/user/diezelpower/

Hey Adi, yeah that is the right expression, but I'm guessing you mightn't have seen it on the big screen? I managed to catch it on it's one week outing to Showcase, and I think that's what made all the difference. Those tremendously exuberant films that rely mostly on action don't always come across so well on tv huh? Besides which seeing Lee Byung-hun up there in glorious technicolour looks good to me



I've got The Chaser coming soon too

Aye, you're right, maybe seeing it on the big screen would've have made the difference...those landscapes really are hoooge. What's Showcase btw?

And yes, that fellow is quite scrumptious...

Showcase is the local multiplex screen. It just seemed totally incongruous seeing that film even being given a weeks showing here in Bristol on one of the multiplex cinemas...the arty one in town maybe, but hmmm. Oh well perhaps a good omen for the future...mind you there was only me and 2 other people there

That's...odd. I thought it was like an Asian mini fest at the art theater or summink. Shame no one came. We do get the odd non-English feature at the local multiplex but I think that's because subtitles are all the same to us...No Asian films though. I dunno why, I'm betting that with the right marketing, the likes of The Chaser and The good, the bad...could draw in substantial crowds...:\

I didn't know you lived in Bristol...hah...

I reckon you're right Adi. Those sort of films really appeal to younger people who are the demographic that cinemas chase like gold dust - they're exciting and action packed and have really cool characters. Shame the cinema chains don't recognise it and give them some publicity.

Anyway. Last night I watched:

Lust, Caution directed by Ang Lee

Set in the period just before and then during the Japanese imperialist invasion of China which happened in the years just before it all became part of WW2. Resistance against the Japanese was rife and Ang Lee's story follows a group of fervent students including a young girl, Wong (Wei Tang) intent on doing something for their country against the Japanese.

The film begins with the students plotting to assassinate Mr Yee (Tony Leung) who's a high ranking collaborator, and they dream up an ambitious scheme to trap him which ends horribly. The film now shifts to years later in the height of the occupation, when two of the students meet again and plans are revived.

Ang Lee and his team have recreated old Shanghai with such loving detail that the setting itself contributes a very powerful atmosphere, and this includes the clothes which are superb.

Although the supporting cast are great, specially the mah-jong playing ladies, the film belongs to the two leads Tony Leung and Wei Tang. Tony Leung is playing against type as his usual role in similar Wong Kar Wei films is a romantic lead. Here he is cold, manipulative and hard - a nasty piece of work. Wei Tang in her first film is an absolute revelation as the woman who has to insinuate herself into Mr Yee's life. She's vulnerable but committed to the deception she's asked to do, so much so her sacrifices are painful to watch. There's a heartbreaking scene where she spills out her disgust to her controlling undercover master who just doesn't want to listen to the sordid details - that scene is genius.

Anyway, if you like Wong Kar Wei films I think this one is for you, but I'd have to warn you there is some fairly graphic sex scenes and some sexual violence.

[

Hmm, I have never heard of this film up until now. Your review has convinced me to pursue. Can't believe that's Jarvier Bardem..

Sorry I accidently posted above before I could complete my post.

Great stuff, Christine!!

Thanks Christine great stuff

Revolutionary Road
directed by Sam Mendes

It's 1955 and Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) and April (Kate Winslet) are living the he American suburban dream. Frank has a steady job and April is a stay at home mum. They have a two children and a lovely house in a leafy road, but all is not well within their marriage.

A very well acted film, although slightly 'stagey' in feel, it's a pithy comment on suburban life, the role of women as was in the 1950s, the dilemmas in life we all have about fitting personal fulfilment around the day to day economic reality of getting by,

The strict social conformity of those days came across very well, and was portrayed visually nicely by things like Frank (Leonardo DiCaprio) followed on his whole journey to the office from home, in a sea of other male commuters all grey suited, behatted and newspaper carrying. The inability of April (Kate Winslet) to find any kind of happiness outside the home was a terrible indictment of those times. Here she is portrayed as a woman with some bottle but her spirit is broken by Frank turning his back on the dream she has of upping sticks. I really wanted the end to be different but it was sadly very predictable.

There's some great period touches - the clothes, the cocktail drinking, the attempts to keep face, the dressing up for drinks with neighbours.

Ultimately though the film felt like it lasted 3 hours when it was only actually just on 2 hours, and I just kept wishing they'd just be grateful with what they actually did have and just bloody well get on with it. My sympathy lay with April, but that's probably a woman siding with another woman, but if this had've been working class inner city not middle class suburbia April would've had a job anyway and not been moping around the house filling time folding clothes Also there's a disturbing sidelining of the children, they never seem to form part of the family- what's all that about then?

I've heard the book is very good, but I'm afraid the film was a bit of a bore. (imo)

2.5/5

Now here's a film!

All About My Mother
directed by Pedro Almodovar

After a tragic accident, Manuela goes back to Barcelona to look for someone from her past. While she's there, she reconnects with old friends and makes some new ones - well that's just a very succinct summary of the story without wanting to give too much away.

What I love is the passion that infuses all Almodovar films and this includes the characters, the storyline and the performances he gets from his actors. Circumstances are stripped bare, you don't need to know screeds of back story, these are sparkling characters that are living in this film at this time. His women are real (even when they're men!), gutsy and determined. Look at the great actresses here - Marisa Paredes and Cecilia Roth, and look at the young Penelope Cruz, she doesn't need all that Hollywood gloss to make her beautiful. Even when some unbearably sad things happen in his films, you still come home feeling the resoluteness of the human spirit.

Reading back, this sounds a bit flowery, but these films are emotional!

Y'now this film was one that I kept on putting off seeing. I was very close to my mum who died coming up 12 years ago now, and a film about mothers always just about does me in, but having rejoined LoveFilm I put this one on my list and it was the second one they sent. So now I'm happy I've seen it at last

4/5

Oh boy, I've clearly got some catching up to do on the Asian cinema front. Great thread christine

__________________
Virtual Reality chatter on a movie site? Got endless amounts of it here. Reviews over here

One of my favorite films...

Thanks Chris

Seems like I'll be adding a few of these to the "queue". I'm pretty much a blank slate when it comes to Spanish movies.

I'm guessing you're talking about films in Spanish and not just Spanish films? What about Talk to Her, Pan's Labyrinth, Belle Epoque, The Sea Inside, The Orphanage, Amores Perros, The Exterminating Angel, Macario, etc. I left off dozens more.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page