Friday, November 27, 2015
199. Jumping (1984)
Country: Japan
Directed by Osamu Tezuka
Every time I watch this short animation I feel that Tezuka had here a missed opportunity to make a real masterpiece. The drowing often looks inconsisted, the humour in the film doesn't really work, instead of something else what mostly is depicted are scared animals as Tezuka hardly inhales to the movie any social ,political or philosophical views . However, is no way 'Jumping' to left out of the list. Among the others the flow of the picture with every jump is absolutelly fantastic and when you watch the film you feel that is you who flies jumping higher and higher.
You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/ubb6g5K4zeo
Thursday, November 26, 2015
198. The warped ones (1960)
Country: Japan
Directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara
From the many Japanese movies of 50's and 60's having as subject a wild dangerous youth and unlawful characters with a reckless lifestyle, this is my favorite. Not only because it uses sex, crime and violence justified enough and not just as a way to attracts tickets. What a admire to the film mostly is that presents its young marginalized characters as 'ugly' without any idealization but also it doesn't ends with conservative moral conclusions and depicts equally the hidden ugliness of the uper classes. Then the film is quite innovative: uses its music score with fantastic way, he manages at times to escalate a feeling of frenzy when at other moments gives you the feel of documentary, its directed with fresness and its quite imaginative. A rather unknown gem of Japanese cinema
You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/-JXvrq0o1E8
Friday, November 20, 2015
197. The white-eye bird (1962)
Country: Vietnam
Directed by Nguyen Van Thong and Tran Vu
Is difficult to have an accurate idea about a film that you watched without English subtitles so without to be able to undedstand the dialogues. However, "The white-eye bird" is a classic film glorifying the struggle of Vietnamese people against colonialism with a beautiful black and white photography, lyricism, a strikingly cute young girl as a heroine, and a nice melodramatic end (taking aside the rather annoying music). Sure, it looks old fashioned and childish at times but still I thought that it coudn't be ommited from this list
You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/389uF5izSdY
Thursday, November 5, 2015
196. 2LDK (2003)
Country: Japan
Directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi
A bittersweet satire of the fierce world of show business where people do everything to get money and fame while the dreams of the most get crushed under the mersiless competition. The film combines succesfuly various genres, including comedy, drama, action and terror, has a lot of tension from its first minute and ends with a nice, compassioned way: the two young actors/models of the story are not the brainless girls of the stereotype but nothing more than victims
You can watch the full movie here: https://youtu.be/ERGBmCneUO8
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