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Terumae romae (2012)
Good comedy film
This short film is about the story of Lucious, a roman architect, who leapt through time to modern Japan which makes him gain experiences and knowledge of building hot spring so he can apply these knowledge to Roman hot spring. First off, I like the plot of this film. it is very creative and different from other time-traveling films that I have ever watched. This movie is totally an entertainment since you do not have to think about the action of characters or why it happened too much but just enjoy the film. The plot is not complicated. The main actor of this film looks so alike with Roman people even he is Japanese. However, this movie is originated from comic book. So, there are some parts that might be frustrating to watch. For example, the movie itself is more like a gag cartoon that are divided into episodes. So, each apart of the film is not continue with other parts. Also, I don't really feel like it is necessary to have a female character who is the second main actor of this film in this movie in this film and forcibly put romantic plot between Lucious and that female character.
Otousan no tabako (2007)
So heart-warming and good family film
This short movie is about a little girl who buys tobacco in order to give it to his father. However, it is not that easy since her mother always finds out that she owns tobacco. But one day, Her mother says that she will go out for a while, so it is her chance do buy tobacco. This film shows how the girl is confused about making her own decision of right or wrong things and the awareness of 'what you should do' and 'what you really do'. This movie also did a good job to entertain the audience by showing the girl's cuteness and innocence that is sometime funny and makes me want to keep up with her and see what she is going to do next. About the camera effects, I really love the lighting of this film. it is bright that fits the mood & tone of the film. However, I was a little bit confused with the end of this movie since I, personally, think that the ending is kind of open-ended film which is able the audience to imagine the end by themselves.
J'attendrai le suivant... (2002)
Maybe he is the one she has been waiting for?
This short film is a comedy film about a guy who starts doing an announcement saying that he is finding someone to date with. So, he hopes to get off at the next station with the one who find him interesting. This film is mostly a monologue from the main male character talking about his lifestyle and his interests in finding someone to date with. His speech is really cute and makes me want to support him. I, personally, really love the way the girl looks at the boy. Also, her facial expression can express her feeling really well. I can see that the girl is really interested in the boy and wants to get to know him more. It just looks so lovely like an ordinary romantic film. the tone of this movie in the beginning tend to be a romantic film. An announcement from the guy saying that he is finding someone to date with is really a dreamlike romantic plot. However, the ending of this film is really surprising and unexpected. It turns the tone of this short film to a comedy (or bad joke?) film instead of romantic film.
Whacked (1998)
What a mysterious beginning!
The story is about people in New York suddenly die when they were walking on the street. the film will expose why it happened and how it relates to golf. This film begins with the mysterious sudden death of people in New York. The beginning of this film did such a pretty good job in attracting the audience to continue watching. Also, the ending is really surprise and so creative that you cannot imagine. it answers all of the riddles that has not been answered in the beginning. The atmosphere of this film reminds me of western film that has something to do with cowboy and gunfighting. In my opinion, the actor's face expression is really good and fits with the tone of the film However, personally, the middle of the film is quite too long and a little bit boring to keep watching. Many details added to make this film longer are quite unnecessary. Many scenes are beyond the reality but these are acceptable since I can understand that director probably wants to express his creativity. To sum up, this film is funny because of its creative ending and its mysterious beginning
Three Days in Kamakura (2012)
3 days in Kamakura change couple's relationship forever
The story is about a couple that their relationships are in trouble coincidently meet a lost boy during after the news of cruel train accident where many people died and get injured. The film does a good job to show an awkwardness and a strain between these two people really well. Some scenes that seem negligible and other little details have their meanings telling something between these two are strange and lacking. The boy is a thing to fulfill and maintain their relationship. One point that I especially love about this film is how the main casts very look like a real family; couple who are Western and Japanese and the boy who is half-Japanese, half-Western. However, there are some scenes that I could not analyze and relate with. Some incidents the film seem unnecessary and somehow unreal for me. Also, some extras are not necessary for me since this story mainly focus on relationship between a couple and a lost boy who become a part of the couple for three days. To sum up, this film is simple since it tells about couple's relationships but their relationships are so complicated that make you want to keep up with them.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
I'm in tears
The Theory of Everything is movie based on biography of well-known scientist Stephen Hawking focusing on a relationship between he and his wife. I personally really love how this film narrates romantic story of Stephen Hawking since people who decide to watch this film probably already know his background. This story narrates mainly on Stephen Hawking and Jane Hawking (his wife) so, it is about story of 2 people. Also, we can see character development through the film. their characters change gradually but still very noticeable and make the audience become emotional and make them want to keep up with the story and support these two people. The casting was perfectly matching with real person even trivial details of the characters, such as personality, the way they act or even clothes. One thing that I have to mention about is the soundtrack of this film. there are many songs that are classical music. In my opinion, the soundtrack suits with its old-school tone very much and of course make the audience become more emotional from the story. If you like romantic movie with vintage costumes and settings, you will definitely like this movie.
The Crush (2010)
This is pure LOVE
The crush is about an eight years old boy who have a crush on his teacher at school. However, he finds out that that teacher already has boyfriend. So, the boy challenges her boyfriend to duel with him.
One first thing that I have to mention in this film is that it plays with the audience's feelings really well. Its tone changes rapidly but the audience are still able to understand what is going on now. The tone of movie starts with romantic film which a student falls in love with his teacher. His pure love to his teacher makes the audience want to support him since his pure actions are very pure and child-like. However, around the middle of the film when the boy knows that his teacher already has boyfriend, the atmosphere of the film starts to get darker and more suspense which makes the audience curious to know what is going to happen next. However, the weakness of this film is some actions are very nonsense and un realistic for me. I cannot stop thinking that if it was in real life, these characters would do different thing instead of in the movie.
Lifted (2006)
Cannot get over with its clumsiness
This film is about a newbie alien which tries to abduct a human who is sleeping into the UFO. However, he found it really hard since he is struggling to control the switches.
This movie's plot is really simple but the film itself is able to narrate it in really cute and interesting way. There are so much to talk about this film. First off, the sound effect of this makes this film more interesting and play such a critical role in expressing the tone of the film. Of course, the sound effects in animation tend to be more exaggerated but this film manage to use the sound effects to enhance the joke of character's action really well and in a good timing. The facial expressions and visual story telling are so easy to understand the character's feeling and what is going on in the movie that make the audience want to keep up with the movie and support a teenage alien because of its cuteness and clumsiness. If you like comedy animation with very cute characters, I definitely you guys watching this short film.
Father and Daughter (2000)
One life has been narrated in 8 minutes
The story is about father who left his daughter when she was young. The film mainly focuses on daily life of daughter that secretly seeks for her beloved one. The story has perfectly been told through this short film. Talking about animation itself, seasonal changes and daughter's physical changes are very delicately made and easy to keep up with. We can know the age of characters by looking at their movements and their costumes. Not only the characters, but the scenes also tell time in the story very well. The film pick up the same scenery in different time so it is very recognizable for the audience to know the changes of daughter and to understand the emotion of daughter when the time passes. The pace of this film is not too fast or too slow that audience be able to appreciate the love between daughter and father and to apprehend the situation in the scene. One thing of this film that has to be mentioned is the soundtrack of this film. It fits the pace and the situation in the film really well which deepens the loneliness expressed from the film.
Born with It (2015)
What a sarcasm
This movie is about a primary school African-Japanese boy who moves to countryside because of his parent's work. He is suspected to have a disease by everyone since he is black, so he tries to prove that he is normal. The movie makes us want to keep up with the boy's decision and his school life. This film narrates Japanese society in primary school that foreigners get discriminated because of their different appearance. Moreover, this movie is really relatable to a foreigner living in Japan like me. However, the film is not as stressful as its plot. It has a little bit of humors of how innocent the kids are. One thing I do not like about this short film is that, since there are some funny scenes in this film, some scenes seem to be unnecessary. From my point of view, this movie can be shorter, but it is acceptable and able to attract the audience to watch it until the end. so far I recommend you guys watching this especially those who are interested in Japanese society and want to get to know more about it.
Fish Out of Water (2005)
Colorful character
The story is about a guy who go to work by boat every day to avoid the crowded and live peacefully. However, one day, a beautiful girl asks him to take her to office with him too; his life start to become chaotic and got threatened by other people.
The story is represented in very colorful and funny way that is similar to comedy film. Actor's face expressions are very good and somehow over-exaggerated that enhance the colorfulness of the film. the story shows that, sometime, being too kind to people can harm your merit or even your life, since people try to get advantage from you. Moreover, paddling a boat alone can be demonstrated as living by your own and the traffic congestion means chaotic society where the man is trying to escape and lives on his peaceful life. Not to mention, the sound track of this short film is fun and does not fail to keep the audience watching. Also, the music fits character's expressions and control an overall tone of the film. If you like colorful and funny but also sarcastic film, I definitely recommend you watching this!
Kokuhaku (2010)
best revenge movie I have ever seen
Confession (2010) is about a revenge of middle school teacher whose daughter got killed by student(s) from that class. Because of an unfair law that protects youths who conduct crime, she starts to revenge by her own way. When I watched this film, I was unexpected because the story of this movie is kind of different from what I understand from the trailer. This movie is different from other revenge movies I have ever seen that it focuses more on the backgrounds of murderer and the intention of killing the girl. Every method she uses to revenge is very clever and creative but still reasonable for ordinary woman like her. The footage of this film is very stunning and thoughtfully taken. Also, it fits with the soundtracks so much. The soundtrack of this film shows pop culture of Japan. They are fun songs but they use them in very sarcastic but interesting way. The movie also mention about Japanese society especially problem of students affected from schools and family, such as sexual harassment, bullying, neglectful teachers and domestic violence. However, at the first part of the film, there is a scene that teacher explains what happened with her daughter that I, personally, think that it is a little bit too slow since
Embers (2006)
Deepened wound
Embers is a New Zealand short film about a young wife who waits for the return of her husband from World War II. She has been afraid that her husband is not coming back. However, after he returns, their marriage life becomes more uncertain.
This movie demonstrates the fear of westerner to Japanese people that has long traumatize them. My favorite scene was the scene that a wife starts to realize that her husband has changed by seeing a piece of ear of her husband's company who was killed during the war. An apathy that her husband shows to her when he talks about his friend expresses that he got mental breakdown form the war and his personality is not the same as her beloved one. However, the first to middle part are very slow that possibly makes the audience get tired of continue watching it. Also, the reaction of wife is too overreacting that makes me frustrated to watch. Personally, I, as an Asian, think that this movie is biased and exaggerated too much about the bad image of Japanese solder. However, it can be understood that the director intended to narrate the bad image of Japanese solder that the westerner have.