The MichaelVox Movie Weblog |
FOLLOWING August 30, 2001 From the director of MEMENTO. They are talking about re-releasing Christopher Nolan's first film, FOLLOWING. The people at Columbia had a screening for fans of MEMENTO. It was in Black and White and is very short (in a good way). It has a cast of unknowns. An unemployed writer spends his days following people around an English city. He doesn't harm them, he just tries to imagine their lives as he walks behind them. He gets bolder and soon follows the same person more than once. A man realizes he's being followed and confronts our protagonist. After a tense cup of coffee, they become partners in crime. There are twists and turns and the ending is not that predictable. Much like Memento, scars and injuries give us hints as to what the time line is for the film. We jump ahead and backwards with no warning, except a black eye, or cut lip, we can use as clues. Not nearly as slick as MEMENTO, but well-done nonetheless. August 29, 2001 A lesbian detective (a private dick?) is hired to find a missing novice poet in Sydney. Mostly unknown actors, with the exception of Kelly McGillis who is brave in her portrayal of an intellectual professor who plays for both teams. Susie Porter plays the detective, a street-wise muscular woman who is instantly smitten with McGillis, even though she's a suspect. They have several pretty arousing encounters; we see each of them in all their glory. The story is definitely not dull. It's hard to dislike Porter's character--she's charming and attractive and self-depreciating. The girl that she is looking for is played by Abbie Cornish who has done mostly Australian TV up to now. She has the most incredible eyes I think I've ever seen. I look forward to her next feature. The lesbian slant upgrades this from a routine detective story to something more exciting. August 24, 2001 Four friends. Two marriages. One divorce. Surprisingly well-done stage play turned film from HBO. Dennis Quaid and Andie MacDowell are married food critics. Toni Collette is and artist married to Greg Kinear who's a lawyer. The four are best friends until one day when Collette tearfully announces that Kinnear has left her. Emotions are brought to the surface, sides are chosen and then changed, and the married couple takes a long look at their relationship. All of the actors are good and because it's from a play they all get long scenes, full of dialogue. More poignant as MacDowell and Quaid had just been through their own break-ups. Better than expected. JESUS' SON August 20, 2001 An aimless young man tries to redeem himself after a life of drug addiction and petty theft. -->Directed.....Alison Maclean [MichaelVox's Top TV Drama Of All Time: Homicide: Life On The Street; Subway Stories: Tales From The Underground; Sex And The City; Beloved] The cast is great and I'm a big fan of Crudup's but this film didn't capture me at any point. I wanted it to, but I was never sure if Fuck Head (his actual character name) was an idiot or just on drugs or that's the way he acted to get his way. The voiceovers are funny, but he seems more intelligent than his onscreen character. Morton is terrific as a fellow junkie who loves Fuck Head nearly unconditionally. Leary is a drunk guy who drowns his sorrows over losing his wife. Jack Black is perhaps the funniest man in America and all of his scenes (he plays a hospital orderly) are hilarious. He is much better than the material. And Holly Hunter is great in everything she does. Her small part brings a bit of life to this film but its too late by the time she shows up. There is spiritual stuff involving an Amish couple that I still don't understand. The look of the film was good to be sure. The 70s style (or lack of) was well represented. There is a scary real looking car crash. And Crudup is nothing if not charismatic. But he sort of drags along reacting to stuff as it happens. A good cast that could have done better.
BRINGING OUT THE DEAD
1999 August 19, 2001 In New York City, an overworked ambulance driver heads towards a breakdown over the unremitting horrors of his night shift. -->Directed…..Martin Scorsese Nightmarish tale of a weekend in the life of an alcoholic paramedic. Good cast and dreamy direction can’t make it move along any more quickly. Cage is good, Rhames is funny, Sizemore psychotic. As with all Scorsese films, the music is fantastic and loud in almost every scene. New York City has never looked meaner, although Cage seems to have no fear when junkies spray their blood on him or he gives mouth to mouth to street people. I didn’t see him with gloves on at any point. A vocation about which films aren’t usually made. We’re supposed to see how Cage’s past failures on the job reappear as ghosts as he tries to complete his duties. He just seemed a bit wacky to me. Not one of Scorsese’s best films. 10 Ebert
TOPSY-TURVY
1999 August 18, 2001 The trials and tribulations behind Gilbert and Sullivan’s creation of The Mikado. -->Written and Directed…..Mike Leigh [High Hopes; Life Is Sweet; Naked; Secrets And Lies] Delightful tale of Gilbert and Sullivan’s partnership and the ups and downs of a life in the theater in the 1880s. Fantastic representation of backstage life. Not unlike present day. We see rehearsals, supportive lovers, ego battles, production company politics, prima donnas, substance abuse, costuming, and choreography. A bit long at 2:40ish but the music is so fantastic that one only has to wait for the next musical interlude. Both G & S are a bit pompous as their success is already widespread when we meet them. Gilbert is married and speaks in an educated and dry manner, though he has the best lines. Sullivan enjoys the company of many women, including prostitutes, but is no less classy. At the beginning we see an opera of some kind where a man in full armor sings about each piece as he takes it off. Surely, the two have reached the bottom of their creative well. This changes when Gilbert goes to a Japanese exhibit and sees the dance and song and some custom of Japanese life. He decides to write THE MIKADO. Sullivan feels he has a great ‘real’ opera in him if only he could get away from Gilbert’s creatively-lacking librettos. Sullivan to Gilbert: ‘In 1885 it was a magic coin, before that a magic lozenge.’ Gilbert: ‘In this instance, it’s a magic potion.’ I enjoyed it a lot. The details are important and correct. The balcony fills to capacity before more than a handful of the wealthy have seated themselves in the orchestra section. A song that had been removed the night before the opening is returned to the score after a nervous, but successfully organized protest by the chorus. Both male and female actors complain about their Japanese wardrobes. Laughter. Tears. Curtain. 10 Ebert
MY GENERATION
2000 August 18, 2001 Documentary about the three Woodstock Music Festivals and their few similarities and many differences between a ‘free’ festival in 1969, and the completely corporate sponsored ones in 1994 and 1999. -->Directed…..Barbara Kopple [Harlan County, USA; American Dream; MichaelVox’ Top TV Drama Homicide: Life On The Street; Wild Man Blues; Cinema Verite: Defining The Moment] Ironic and interesting story of corporate America co-opting the Woodstock “brand name”. We see the boardroom dealings of Polygram and the different sponsors. Ben & Jerry wanted no part and their decision proved to be the smart one in hindsight. We see a Polygram suit say ‘Ben & Jerrys is becoming Ben & Jerk’s Ice Cream’ after they declined participation. Perry Farrell is seen lamenting the ‘smell of money’ at the 1994 Woodstock, then a graphic tells us that PORNO FOR PYROS was paid $150,000 for 50 minutes of work. The crowds at all three festivals are seen tearing up fences and sleeping in mud. “That sounds miserable, I’ll be at the Sheraton”—Henry Rollins. The first ‘free’ Woodstock is juxtaposed with the 1994 ($135) and 1999 ($150) concerts. Pepsi paid $5, Hagen Daz and The Wiz paid $2 million a piece. We are given a funny tour of temporary Wiz store built at Woodstock by a cynical Gen-Xer. Great camera work and as you would expect excellent music from all three festivals. THE CONFESSION August 14, 2001 Shown as one of four shorts in the BOYS TO MEN compilation. Sweet film about an elderly gay couple, one of whom is dying and wants to see a priest to confess his sins. He had a wife and family at one time. The swishier of the two doesn't want anything to do with a priest in the house. Nice and sweet. ...LOST August 14, 2001 Shown as one of four shorts in the BOYS TO MEN compilation. This film was about five minutes long. There are two model-quality buffed guys who are naked throughout. We get two penises, erections, near-insertion, and ejaculation right on screen. Not for the homophobic or bible-thumper. I believe its trying to say something about the recklessness and hopelessness of having H.I.V. and unprotected sex. At least that's what the website said. August 14, 2001 Shown as one of four shorts in the BOYS TO MEN compilation. Guy is alone on beach so he sits down to read. Hours later a guy about his age walks up and says hi and then takes his clothes off and jumps into the sea. The first guy, fearing his acquaintance is dead runs to the water to save him, where he finds it was just a joke. Joking, naked guy invites other guy back to beach house to dry off. It turns out that scraggly guy is a hustler and the first guy is allegedly straight. They have (not unerotic) sex and the hustler demands money which hurts the john. Well done with good music and beach house sunsets galore. Full frontal naked guy action is also on display. The ending is pretty creative. Both characters look exactly as you would think they would. CRUSH August 14, 2001 Shown as one of four shorts in the BOYS TO MEN compilation. This was the most adorable gay-themed film I've ever seen, I think. Pubescent girl is cutting out a Teen Beat picture of her favorite dreamy actor, while across town, a big-city boy stuck at his Grandma's small-town house for the summer is cutting out the exact same picture in his room. The girl develops a understandable crush on the boy as he watches 'High School High' on television with her and knows all the stories and gossip about the actors. Meanwhile the boy is feeling an attraction towards a tall kid he sees playing football in the town park. Misunderstanding and heartbreak turn to fun and friendship. The girl is an absolute doll, but the boy is so obviously gay that you'd have to be blind not to see it. The film is funny and all the performances are good. The film sort of hinges on how the girl reacts to her new knowledge. Short, but fantastic. DROLE DE FELIX August 14, 2001 H.I.V. positive gay man quits his job and travels from Normandy to the South of France by backroad to meet the father he's never seen. Much better than the trailer would indicate. What is being advertised as a 'gay-man-frolicks-in-French-countryside' film is actually a much more touching story. Felix hitchhikes and walks across France and as he meets new characters a chapter heading is put on the screen separating these different interactions. He meets a 'little brother', 'grandma', 'cousin', and 'sister'. Each vignette is funny and heartwarming, especially the grandmother one. He does seem to meet the most socially progressive people as no one seems to bat an eye at his homosexuality. It is ultimately a happy film about different souls coming together for short periods of time. I liked it a lot.
COMMITTED
2000 August 12, 2001 Woman follows her husband to Texas after he leaves her two years into their marriage. -->Written and Directed.....Lisa Krueger [Mystery Train; Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; Benny & Joon] Free-spirited woman (Graham) runs a club in New York. She's married to her soul mate (Wilson) who is a photographer but is relegated to taking pictures of food for the newspaper instead of news. He leaves town, but she doesn't give up hope for their marriage. She believes him when he says that he just needs space to figure things out. She seems to be the most understanding woman on the planet. She stumbles upon him in El Paso, where she doesn't contact him, but sits back to make sure he's all right. Even when she sees him with another woman, she has faith for their relationship. She tells people he's in an 'emotional wheelchair' no different than if he had been hit by a car, and she wouldn't leave him if that happened so why would she now. While in El Paso she meets a southwest-centric cast including the Hispanic woman who slept with her husband, the sexy paper mache artist, and a grandfatherly medicine man. It was enjoyable watching Graham's huge eyes filling up the entire screen. The weight of the film is on her shoulders and if we didn't believe that she is as innocent and big-hearted as she seems, the film would collapse. She seems honest and committed (hence the title) and sees only the best in people without being an idiot. The film begins to lag at the end when the title becomes literal, but along the way it certainly is fun. Great use of Johnny Cash's Ring Of Fire sung in Spanish. This one was much better than I thought, but then again having Graham onscreen for most of any film would make it enjoyable. 6.25 Videohound
STATE OF GRACE
1990 August 11, 2001 In New York, an undercover cop returns to the neighborhood where he grew up in order to infiltrate an Irish gang that is about to make a deal with the Mafia. See The U2 Pop Culture Database for more information. TAKE IT FROM ME August 11, 2001 Story of mothers trying to get off the welfare rolls. When Mayor Guliani says that 500,000 fewer people are on welfare, where did they all go? Plenty of struggle.
THE BONE COLLECTOR
1999 August 10, 2001 A paralyzed former detective and forensic expert works with an inexperienced female cop to catch a serial killer. See The U2 Pop Culture Database for more information. THOMAS EST AMOUREUX August 7, 2001 In the future, an agoraphobe has all human interaction through a computer screen. -->Directed.....Pierre-Paul Renders Like nothing we've seen before. We never see the lead actor's face. We watch the whole film from his POV. When someone calls him on the computer phone, we see their face, but never his. For eight years, Thomas Thomas has been housebound. This film takes place some time in the future. He has his every need taken care of by delivery or through the computer. All except for love. He finds himself bored with his favorite cybersex game and looks to make a more human connection, believing however that he will never again be in the same room as another person. Creative camera work, digital film, animation all over, tatoos on everyone. It definitely sets a unique time and place. Got much better as it went on. It started with a sexual encounter with an animation partner, but soon got deeply into the isolation that everyone feels and how the computer, among other devices, makes us more and more isolated. His agoraphobia may be a natural progression of human evolution after years of e-mail and telephone 'conections'. Very well done. CINEMA VERITE: DEFINING THE MOMENT August 6, 2001 Documentary about the history of Cinema Verite or "Cinema Truth". Many famous documentarians are interviewed with an emphasis on Canadian filmmakers. Interesting and informative. -->Directed.....Peter Wintonick
JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE
1998 July 31, 2001 A military guy falls for the sister of a terrorist who blew herself up in front of him. -->Directed.....Hiroyuki Okiura I must confess I've never seen anime before. I have no idea what the story was in this film. There were good guys and bad guys and in-betweens. But none of that really mattered because the movie just looked so damn cool. There are scenes involving shadows and water and wind that are so lifelike its frightening. The shading and colors were great. When the background people speak, the foreground people are out of focus as if shot in a camera with real actors. It was exciting and romantic and heartbreaking. And it was a friggin' cartoon. SUMMERTIME July 23, 2001 An American spinster has a holiday in Venice and becomes romantically involved. -->Directed.....David Lean [Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Lawrence Of Arabia] A bit dated in its philosophies. The most important being that a woman over the age of 40, traveling alone in Venice must be a spinster who will never find a man. The other being the sheer gravity of traveling to another country to try and get laid. But for its time, it was beautiful to look at and gave a great feel for the city (which I've never visited). Hepburn is witty and smart and sarcastic and, truth be told, a bit horny. Brazzi is classy and although he runs a gift shop, he seems to have all the time in the world to enjoy coffee in a sidewalk cafe. Fun to watch. 8.75 Maltin
HIGH FIDELITY
2000 July 22, 2001 A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love, and other pop favorites. -->Directed.....Stephen Frears [My Beautiful Laundrette, Prick Up Your Ears, Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, Dangerous Liaisons, The Grifters, Hero, Mary Reilly, Fail Safe] With a cast this talented, it has to be good, right? My second viewing was just as special as my first. I watched this time with people that didn't have the same love of music that I do, and I don't think they enjoyed it as much. Cusack is perfect in his role and everytime Jack Black is onscreen, you don't want to miss a word. DVD had deleted scenes including one from the book that should have been included when Rob goes to buy a record collection from a scorned wife. Information on the book HIGH FIDELITY can be found here.
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
1990 July 21, 2001 A boy with artificial hands upsets the community in which he lives. -->Written and Directed.....Tim Burton [Tron, Beetlejuice, Batman, Batman Returns, Singles, Ed Wood, Batman Forever, Sleepy Hollow] Still gets to me after all these years. Probably Burton's most personal work. Towards the end a cop asks a shrink if Edward will be okay. The shrink says 'all those years of isolation have made him different.' Burton sees himself as Edward, unsure of how to react and interact with the world around him. Ryder and Depp were still a couple during filming. When they stare at each other and Winona says 'hold me' and Depp says 'I can't', it's absolutely heartbreaking. The music is perfect and there are great performances by Diane Wiest and Alan Arkin as well. It should be a Thanksgiving tradition. 7.5 Maltin
BULLY
2001 July 17, 2001 A group of teenagers in a Florida town grow tired of being picked on by the school bully and lure him to a swamp where they beat him to death. -->Directed.....Larry Clark [Kids] This was the definition of a film that is nothing more than adolescent semi-porn masquerading as an issue movie. Just because the kids suffer prison as a consequence of their crime, doesn't make the close-ups of Bijou's crotch, or the bordering-on-rape teenage sex okay to show. I've been angry at Larry Clark since KIDS came out. KIDS was shocking, but ultimately had a lot of truth about how a particular set of kids in New York City had indiscriminate sex with each other and how acting that way in the age of AIDS was playing with fire. Then I read a piece in the Village Voice about how KIDS may have been the most widespread male-kiddie-porn film ever seen. The slow, misty shots of the pre-pubescent boys wrestling and smoking and drinking, all without shirts on, was far too prevalent to be incidental. When I saw KIDS again, I felt the exact same way as the Voice author. KIDS is still a worthwhile piece of film, but you have to get past the naked boys to get to its heart. KIDS is a walk in the park compared to BULLY. Incidentally, I just saw Ebert and Roeper refer to this film as a 'masterpiece'. I've never disagreed with so many people about a single film. The story is simple: Marty and Bobby are lifelong friends. Bobby picks on Marty all the time, in private and in front of other people. There is a scene where Bobby pimps out Marty and makes him dance in another one of Larry Clark's fantasy sequences, this one an amateur night at a gay dance club. It is implied that Bobby pimps Marty out for actual sex but we don't see this. Just after this scene, Marty is driving Bobby's car and he hits the curb and Bobby yells at him and then hits him right in the nose, then he pulls his arm back and hits him again, full in the face. I don't know what kind of brain this Marty kid has, but at that point, the friendship is over. This isn't like an abused kid or an abused spouse type thing. These are high school kids. They can stop hanging out with each other. But for some reason Marty doesn't leave. Lisa and Ali happen upon the two boys at their job and they end up going out that night and having sex in Bobby's car. Bobby grabs Ali's head and moves her into oral position while Marty and Lisa have sex in the back seat. The one truthful scene that is still in my mind is while Bobby's getting oral in the front seat, he looks in the back seat and watches Lisa's face the whole time. Lisa become smitten with Marty, even getting excited when she ends up pregnant. Ali likes having sex with Bobby, and on another day, he shows her a gay porn tape, which she doesn't want to see, before forcibly raping her. These are terrible kids doing terrible things, but that's not what makes the film terrible. When Bijou climbs up to the front seat of the car from the back, the camera angle is on the floor and we zoom in on her crotch in her short cutoffs. When Bijou walks around the supermarket, her ass is hanging out of those same shorts. When Bijou is on the phone while getting a pedicure, we again get a crotch shot, which has nothing to do with the story or even any of the characters. The other three leads get the same treatment. It's one thing to show kids nude having sex. That's natural. But the lingering camera showing Renfro's shaking boxer shorts during the amateur dance night, and Bobby working himself up in front of a mirror, and two other characters having sex in a bedroom full of teenagers is just a fantasy come-to-life for the director. Miner, who is less exotic than the other women (girls) gets a bit better treatment. Her sex scenes with Renfro are for the most part pretty natural. She is naked a lot and not shy at all, which is probably an honest characterization. But Heather and that Leo-looking guy from Dawson's Creek and Bijou and Renfro all seem to me to be exploited in the name of anti-violence. That's what sickens me. I'm a fan of exploitation films. I watch the 'skinamax' films on the Satellite. I enjoy porn. I talk openly to most people about most any topic, usually to the embarrassment of the other person. But I don't pretend that I watch 'Buttman' because I enjoy the travelogue aspect of seeing Montreal. I don't kid myself that it's more than it is. BULLY pretends to be art, but it is really a bunch of extremely attractive young people who were talked into scenes that they'll be embarrassed about in a few years. I just saw THE WAR ZONE which is about incest and has nudity and is extremely hard to watch, but not a second of it was exploitative. BULLY was entirely without any merit, until the actual murder begins to take place. At this point, it gets scary and you can see the kids actually act a bit and they're all dressed and you wonder who will crack first. These scenes are just a hint of what Clark could have done had he not been so in lust with his cast. They are probably good actors, but we don't know that from this film. Don't pretend to be a huge reflection on society's moral decay when you're nothing more than an erotic teen film.
THE WAR ZONE
1999 July 15, 2001 A teenage boy discovers that his father is having an incestuous relationship with his sister. -->Directed.....Tim Roth [A World Apart, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, Vincent & Theo, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Reservoir Dogs, Bodies, Rest & Motion, Pulp Fiction, Little Odessa, Rob Roy, Everyone Says I Love You, Gridlock'd] Not the most uplifting tale, but haunting in normalcy of the family. Mom and Dad love each other and have just had another baby. Tom is around 15 years old, his sister Jessie about 17. They've moved from London to a cold and miserable coastal town because of Dad's job change. They are open and loving and cuddly with each other. Nudity isn't hidden amongst the family. Then Tom sees his sister and father in the bathtub. He begins by screaming at her in private. She is a bit embarrased about the whole thing. She thinks Tom is just jealous and wouldn't care if he had a girlfriend of his own. The mood gets more and more deep until the only conclusion that could possibly happen takes place. The pacing and lighting and mood is at once happy and tragic. Quite a debut by Mr. Roth. The way that Dad doesn't wink at his daughter and is never seen shushing her or threatening her makes him even more of a monster than he otherwise would be. This is a hard film to watch, with a particular scene that goes on long after its point has been made, but it will stick with me for a long time. All of the performances are great, especially the two kids. I look forward to seeing them again in something much more light.
THE LIMEY
1999 July 15, 2001 After he leaves prison, an English criminal goes to Los Angeles to discover how his daughter died. -->Directed.....Steven Soderbergh [Sex, Lies, and Videotape; King Of The Hill; Out Of Sight; Pleasantville; Stir Of Echoes; Erin Brockovich; Traffic] Stamp is fantastic as a criminal who will not stop until someone answers for his dead daughter. Although this sort of revenge movie is pretty common, in the hands of Soderbergh it reaches a new level. Dialogue is overlapped, we often don't see the character talk. The timeline is askew as we skip forward and then backward. Fonda is sleazy as can be as a record producer who lives with a succession of young girls. Fun to watch. MY AMERICAN GIRLS: A DOMINICAN STORY July 15, 2001 Documentary about woman who left the Dominican Republic twenty years ago to make her fortune and raise her three very different daughters.
HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH
2000 July 15, 2001 The life and times of a transvestite would-be glam rock star. Written, Directed, and Starring.....John Cameron Mitchell [Band Of The Hand; Girl 6] Really unique and creative story of East Berlin boy (Hedwig) who marries a U.S. Serviceman who brings Hedwig to Kansas, where Hedwig is abandoned, but finds solace in a glam rock band. It's a musical with fantastic songs which move the story along nicely. There is animation onscreen which explains what the song lyrics alone probably couldn't. At the center of all of this is Mitchell who is a petite, David-Spade-looking guy, but when he gets into the drag and wig becomes a performer that Cher or Tina Turner wouldn't want to challenge. It was funny to be sure, what with the performances at the local salad bar restaurants. But it had a surprising amount of heart in it. It was about finding love and loving yourself and all that other gooey stuff. It really worked on me. I was smiling throughout. We've already had two good musicals this year. I guess that's our quota. Bravo to Hedwig. STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES July 14, 2001 Documentary about Stanley Kubrick with clips of all his films. LEGALLY BLONDE July 12, 2001 Ditzy sorority president is dumped by her boyfriend so she follows him to Harvard Law School where she starts to shine as an attorney. -->Directed.....Robert Luketic Check your brain at the door. It's not unpleasant to sit back on a Summer's night and let a movie unspool in front of you without you having to lift a mental finger to figure it out. The full house at my screening couldn't have been happier. Funny things happen, the nice people win at the end, and everyone goes home happy. Selma Blair is the best thing about this film. She'll find her lead role soon that will rocket her to fame. The character of Elle is supposed to be so unbelievably hot that no one could picture her at Harvard Law. She has several scenes where she laments her appearance saying 'all they see is blonde hair and big boobs'. But the thing is, Witherspoon is attractive (especially her eyes), but she's not drop dead gorgeous. The dialogue should have been changed somewhat to reflect that while Witherspoon is blonde and good-looking, there are, in fact, women in law school who are more attractive than she. But that's sort of beside the point. The film is about how a clueless young woman can bring a different perspective to a trial than someone who is brilliant, but doesn't know people. It could have been worse. I'm still amazed at the reaction that gay jokes receive in this day and age. The crowd just about had a riot when one character was discovered to be gay. We really haven't come as far as I thought we had. LUCAS July 8, 2001 A studious 14-year-old boy tries for the football team after falling for a new 16-year-old girl at school. THE COMMITMENTS July 7, 2001 Dublin youth, believing that the Irish are the blacks of Europe, form a soul band. See the U2 Pop Culture Database for more information. TOKYO EYES July 3, 2001 The young sister of a policeman falls for a young man wanted for shooting at people in Tokyo while wearing a disguise of thick glasses. -->K.....Shinji Takeda Stylish and fast-pace story of a video-game loving, techno music dancing kid who pulls guns on people when they prove themselves to be bullies. The story is funny and you can't help rooting for the young man not to get caught. The lovers are attractive and cute together. Strange development of brother-sister relationship keeps the audience in the dark for about an hour.
GEKKO NO SASAYAKI
MOONLIGHT WHISPERS 1999 July 3, 2001 Japanese high-schoolers fall in love, and what should be his dream relationship turns into her reevaluation of what being in love means to different people. -->Directed and Written.....Akihiko Shiota I promise this is like nothing you've ever seen before. A terrific conversation starter. Takuya secretly pines for the gorgeous Satsuki, a classmate, even going so far as to spar with her in martial arts before class. He says he enjoys it when she hits him on the head, it makes him know he's alive. A classmate gives him a note to pass to her but she declares that she would rather be pursued by Takuya and not the more experienced classmate. Takuya is beside himself with joy. It's a dream come true. They begin an incredibly beautiful courtship with conversations, walks, video games, bike rides, and of course, sparring. A locked drawer contains proof that what he wants out of their relationship is quite different than what she had in mind, but later, she realizes that his way has its charms (and perks) as well. I don't want to say any more about the plot because it goes in ways an audience has never seen before. What begins conventionally goes way over to the other side by the time the film ends. This sort of slice-of-life film from Japan is pretty rare. The parents are over-protective, both families have money, sex in high school is a common thing, and even in rigid Tokyo, a man (or kid) can have needs that aren't exactly common. I was most impressed by this frank and honest-to-a-fault story. The power that each lover has and uses in their own way is a joy to watch. |
