Japanese Film Hall of Fame

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2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
Harakiri



I saw this film about 4 years ago when it was nominated in the seventh Hall of Fame so this was my second time watching it. I think my reaction is fairly similar.

First off I did think the movie was quite a bit longer than necessary, which ultimately made parts of the story drag. Overall the story itself and the premise was very intriguing, it's just that interest was able to be lost easily in certain areas.

Loved the used of the flashback scenes and I also love that that was the way that the story was told. I wish I felt a deeper connection to the characyers, which ultimately is one of my biggest proponents for just how much I really do enjoy a film.

The movies biggest strength I would say it the quality composition of the camera shots and overall cinematography. That samurai battle with the wind rustling and those two going head to toe was extremely well done and info wish there was more of that.

Overall I feel it's a film I should appreciate more than I do. I wish I enjoyed it more too, but overall it's a fair ride for me. It seems to be quite liked around here and maybe I can get into it more with a third go around as it is pretty complex.






Kamikaze Girls / 下妻物語 (2004)
Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima
Starring: Kyoko Fukada, Anna Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki Miyasako

Kamikaze Girls is a film that has a very clear visual style, with saturated colours that are pleasing to the eye. Surreal and fantastic sequences blend in with the scenes that are played relatively straight, making the story seem almost like a daydream. The basic coming of age premise is not as outrageous as its colourful cast of characters, but the film's quirky presentation and tendency to break the fourth wall keep things interesting.

A majority of the characters and performances in Kamikaze Girls are intentionally exaggerated, which plays into the film's comedic elements quite well. Momoko's mother was the only one who bothered me, since she was just too over the top, but I strangely wasn't bothered by Ryuji's ridiculous “unicorn” pompadour. The short animated segments looked great, but I found that the design of its characters didn't suit the rest of the film as well as it could have.

As is always the case with comedies, the film's brand of humour is going to be hit or miss. The first few gags had me apprehensive, but overall I found the film to be quite amusing. I liked that though Momoko presents as very sweet looking, she is quite self-absorbed and uninterested in others, while Ichigo, the tough biker girl, is not the lone wolf as you'd expect, but is rather someone just looking to belong. The clash of subcultures and personalities made their dynamic work, and their relationship quickly becomes the heart of the film.


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'Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind' (1984)


Intoxicating animation from Miyazaki, the monsters and insects inhabit a dangerous and unpredictable world that Princess Nausicaa has to journey through to save the Valley of the Wind. I really respect Miyazaki's work and admire the thought and dedication that has gone into it. But this for me, leaned on the fantasy side of things too much. That's my taste, not a fault of the film.

In a way, this film is a hugely prescient, cautionary tale of climate change etc. But may also be a nod to the dark side of Japanese military history too. The story telling is excellent, as is the detailed animation (I loved the snake monster chase quicksand sequence).

At the end of the day though, this won't be my favourite nomination as I do prefer more realistic dramas to the fantasy world type movies.





After Life / ワンダフルライフ (1998)
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring: Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Susumu Terajima

Despite some hectic camera work at the start, After Life is an incredibly laid back film. The plot follows a fairly strict weekly schedule, but there is a lack of pressure that makes the entire thing feel rather calming. Outside of a few key sequences, most scenes don't make use of cinematic lighting techniques. It often seems to rely on natural light, which combined with the depressingly realistic office and school spaces, makes the locations feel incredibly down to earth. That may seem at odds with the film's otherworldly premise, but it works surprisingly well.

While filming the memory of a little girl dancing in a red dress, the woman whose childhood they were recreating looked legitimately happy and nostalgic. Either that moment was a real part of the actress' childhood or, given that performance, she should've been in more films than this. A few other stories were told with such sincerity that I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't acting at all, but rather sharing parts of their lives. With Kore-eda's background, it's entirely possible that he did blend real life with the fictional narrative.

The documentary-like approach to the film's cinematography worked well for the interview sessions in particular, but I would've liked to see more of the crew attempting to put together twenty or more memories on practically no budget in just a couple of days. Though that's obviously not meant to be the focus of the film, since it's clearly intended to be about self-reflection. On that note, the film did honestly make me wonder what one memory I would want to hold on to, though with my generally indecisive nature, I'm glad that I don't need to decide in just three days.


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Watched half of Harakiri but I'll have to take a break. Will finish it either later today or tomorrow. Definitely not my favorite.
I thought Harakiri would be one of the front runners for this HoF, but given your remake here, and Raul's earlier review, that might not be the case.



I thought Harakiri would be one of the front runners for this HoF, but given your remake here, and Raul's earlier review, that might not be the case.
Just finished it and the second half is actually much stronger than the first. I need to wait a day or two before writing a review to see how I really feel about it. It seems that I kinda agree with Raul on the film but I may be a tad more negative (who would have thought).



While filming the memory of a little girl dancing in a red dress, the woman whose childhood they were recreating looked legitimately happy and nostalgic. Either that moment was a real part of the actress' childhood or, given that performance, she should've been in more films than this. A few other stories were told with such sincerity that I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't acting at all, but rather sharing parts of their lives. With Kore-eda's background, it's entirely possible that he did blend real life with the fictional narrative.
They are real. Koreeda filmed hundreds of people that he just randomly picked from the streets of Japan - asked them the question, then if their memories were good enough to put on film, he filmed them talking about it.



I enjoyed a lot of the films in this Hall of Film approximately the same amount, so deciding on a final ranking is proving to be very difficult. At this point I'm fairly confident in my top 3, but that's about it. I think it would be funny if I was the first to finish, but last to send in a list haha.



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
What is the deadline on the watch period? Thanks
No concrete deadline, but id say at least until Jan 15th. Most of you shouldn't have issues, if anything, just me



Women will be your undoing, Pépé
No concrete deadline, but id say at least until Jan 15th. Most of you shouldn't have issues, if anything, just me
and myself!

Haven't gotten one in yet
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The Third Murder (2017) It's nice to know that David Fincher films inspire Japanese filmmakers The Third Murder is a procedural about a man on trial for murdering his boss. Kōji Yakusho is particularly good in his as the accused. I loved the scene early on when he was being questioned in prison and he just matter of factly confesses to his crime giving the worst details possible for his case. Obviously their is more to the story and I found it became a little convoluted later on in the third act. So it's a bit uneven but still I enjoyed this one quite a bit.


good nomination.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé



Harakiri aka Seppuku

Hanshiro Tsugumo: What befalls others today, may be your own fate tomorrow.

Harakiri's set-up is a basic one. That slowly unravels to something far more.
A Ronin (a master-less Samurai) asks permission of a feudal lord to use his courtyard so that he may commit ritual suicide.
Hesitant, due to what as become commonplace where Ronins claiming to seek an honorable death are, in reality, looking for handouts of coins and to be sent on their way; they tell him a harsh story of what happened to one such Ronin who tried to scam them as a warning.

With the use of multiple flashbacks, we discover why this Ronin has chosen this specific feudal lord and while the story lines within the middle of the film does weigh down the pace somewhat, it's third act rewards the viewing brilliantly.
Having only seen this once when I nominated it, my second viewing was even more enjoyable having prior knowledge of what was what regarding the initial stories and their complete meaning as the film progresses.

Also, unlike many Samurai stories, this is not glamorized but takes on a more realistic take on the Code of Samurais and the disregard of those that have fallen to a more destitute life as a Ronin. Along with the lies that cover up the truth of ones' actions in order to Keep up Appearances.

Tatsuya Nakadai is captivating in this and we are instantly with him from the very first moment of his appearance.

Even more so as we learn his personal story. Explaining his world weary anguish to the point that we cheer him on in the final act.

A slow-burn of a film that is, in my eyes, an equal to many of the older samurai films. Focusing more on humanity than the pursuit of Glory that is the backbone of this genre.



Women will be your undoing, Pépé




The Third Murder (2017)

good nomination.
I tried watching a streaming of this tonight but the subtitles were a hodge-podge of a translation so I'll be getting it from my library.
The opening scenes definitely got me interested in this.