Happy weekend, everyone.
We made it to another one and thank you for joining me here.
This week was packed to the rafters with coverage of the New York Asian Film Festival and all the while I had to go back to regular work, with an admittedly reduced schedule, and amend a funding form for a film festival. I have been busy writing reviews for films and posted a preview for the San Sebastien Film Festival 2020 which launches later this month. Already underway is the Venice International Film Festival. I also posted about the upcoming release of Melancholic by Third Window Films. Here’s my review.
What were the films I reviewed?
Dancing Mary Dir: Sabu (2019) – a fun genre mash-up movie where a supernatural romance meets a road trip with yakuza action and Kurosawa style atmospherics. Sabu uses familiar themes of fate and finding a purpose whilst utilising a similar structure to some of his more recent films by having an extended flashback tie everything up. My review is over at V-Cinema
One Night Dir: Kazuya Shiraishi (2019) – it started off promisingly with a uncomfortable yet believable depiction of people dealing with domestic violence and the insidious ways that it can destroy and reshape people, but a let crime-fuelled subplot used to ease the characters into a cathartic ending was too contrived to be believed. My review is over at V-Cinema
A Beloved Wife Dir: Shin Adachi (2019) – a stellar comedy that is both hilarious and uncomfortable about the dysfunctional relationship between a lazy sex-mad writer and his long-suffering wife. The writing was pure perfection as these two angular characters clashed as she pushes him to be a better guy and he focuses on getting laid. A late redemption for everyone feels earned and highly rewarding. One of my favourite films of the year. Here’s my review.
I watched some non-Japanese films including Grizzly Man Dir: Werner Herzog and Taxi Dir: Jean-luc Besson.
What is released this weekend?
Genkinahito 