Scene from Confessions

During the last century, Japanese directors have produced works of great beauty and weirdness for the big screen, and in the process have influenced the cinema around the world. It is difficult to select a list of films to represent the rest, but these 5 contemporary movies will give those interested in Japanese cinema a sampling of what makes this nation’s movies so celebrated worldwide.

Confessions (2010)

Very few tell horror stories well as the Japanese do. Tetsuya Nakashima’s revenge story in 2010, with its bizarre atmosphere created by the music, slow-motion and the subtle facial expressions of the actors, distinguishes itself from the gory horrors that flood the contemporary global cinema and shows once again the ability of Japanese filmmakers in capturing the darkness of adolescence. The film opens with a 30-minute monologue of the school teacher Moriguchi, whose 4-year-old daughter is found dead in the school’s swimming pool. She reveals to her self-involved pupils that the death of her beloved daughter is actually a wilful murder conducted by two students in the class and she has spiked their free milk with HIV-infected blood. The whole classroom shushes in fear.

Those who are familiar with Battle Royale, Lady Vengeance or Into the White Night may have sensed the hostility, if not fear, towards teenagers and kids in Japanese films. Similarly, Confessions is a film about perverted desires, dark wit and the inextricable restlessness of youth, and a brilliant thriller movie-goers should never miss.

Departures (2008)

The winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009, Departures is a touching meditation on the transience of life. After losing his job, cello player Daigo moves back to his hometown. In answering to a job ad about working for “Departures”, which turns out to mean “Departed”, Daigo is introduced to the art of “encoffination” – the traditional ceremony of washing, dressing and placing of the deceased into a coffin. Initially, Daigo is misunderstood by his friends and wife and is ashamed with his job himself. But during the process of conducting the rituals for many families, he witnesses life, death and love, and discovers the beauty in the ritual itself. Combining exquisite performances with soul-touching soundtrack composed by Joe Hisaishi, the film is funny and melancholy at the same time and leads its audiences to laugh through tears.

Memories of Matsuko (2006)

It is hard to make a tragic story amusing, but Tetsuya Nakashima’s Memories of Matsuko, with the use of bright colour, exaggerated performances and singing throughout the film, is an exception. In a visit to his late aunt Matsuko’s former apartment, the teenager Sho discovers the life story of a woman who has experienced love, betrayal, imprisonment, spending the rest of her life in a filthy old apartment filled with junk until she encounters a rapturous death in the end.

Through the journey in getting to know Matsuko, Sho sees a woman who spends her life trying to give happiness to others, no matter how much she gets hurt. Looking at the entire life of an aunt that he has never met, Sho acquires a deeper understanding of his family as well as his own humanity. As Matsuko says, “the value of life doesn’t depend on what other people do for you, but what you do for others”.

Love Letter (1995)

Written and directed by Bunjaku Iwai, who was already known by then for his previous films Fried Dragon Fish (1993) and Undo (1994), this film is less of a coming-of-age drama than a middle-aged man’s love letter to the past times.

After losing her fiancé Itsuki Fujii in a tragic mountaineering accident, Hiroko, on a whim, sends a letter to Itsuki’s old address in Otaru where he spent his adolescence. Unexpectedly, Hiroko receives a reply a few days later from someone who claims to be Itsuki Fujii but turns out to be a girl that went to the same high school with her fiancé, and most coincidentally, a namesake. In this strange correspondence, the two women refresh their own memories of the same man. Enjoy this contemporary love tale, which will surely evoke your own past memories about school days and leave overall warmth inside your heart.

Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence (1983)

You may have heard the theme music “Forbidden Colours” from the film long before you watch the film. With this soundtrack, the composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also stars in the film, won the 1983 BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. Directed by Nagisa Oshima, the film is a tale of four men in a Japanese prisoner of war camp during WWII – a rebellious prisoner, a young camp commandant, a Japanese-speaking British officer, and a seemingly brutal Japanese sergeant – who later develop a peculiar friendship with each other. However, all of them have to face the conflicts between personal emotions and their political duties and face the brutal ending when the war ends. Re-examining the friendship among men during war time, the film is a riveting World War II classic drama worth watching many times.

Byline:

Yuan Liu is a freelancer with an interest in Asian cinema. She is preparing for a winter trip to Niseko ski resort in Japan where she can indulge herself in some of the best powder skiing in the world.

Thus, I present A Swede Talks Movies’ The Films I Watched In 2011 Awards! Or ASTMTFIWI2K11A, if you’re into the whole brevity thing. A bunch of random categories will be conjured for whatever films I feel like singling out for one reason or another.

This year I watched 229 movies I hadn’t seen before, from 19 different countries with release dates spanning from 1925 to 2011. A lot of it is from recent years, but I did check out a couple of older “you haven’t seen that one!?” flicks too. I saw my first ever films from Belgium, Brazil, Greece and Russia (Ben X, City of God, Dogtooth and Night Watch, respectively). I saw my first ever Charlie Chaplin movie (The Gold Rush) and got my first glimpse of Audrey Hepburn in Wait Until Dark. I watched highly regarded classics like Casablanca, The French Connection and the Alfred Hitchcock films Vertigo and Rear Window, as well as newer stuff like the brunt of the Best Picture Oscar nominees from the last ceremony. I saw great films like Man on Wire and A Single Man, and I saw crap like Season of the Witch.

For these awards, I’m only counting films I saw for the first time in 2011. Rewatches need not apply.

And now, on with the show!

Most Eyebrow-Raising “And Introducing” Credit Award
Winner: Kate Winslet – Heavenly Creatures

It kind of feels like Kate Winslet has been around forever, always turning in great performances. And yet there she was in Peter Jackson‘s teen murder drama Heavenly Creatures, her arrival on the big screen loudly heralded in the opening credits. As for the performance itself? A bit rough around the edges perhaps, but full of energy and enthusiasm.

Best Use Of A Urinating Baby Award
Winner: Hard-Boiled

Hard-Boiled was pretty kick-ass all around and could have gotten a shout-out for plenty of different things. But that baby putting out a fire by wetting himself really stood out. Patently ridiculous, but so good.

“What’s The Big Deal?” Award for A Beloved Film That Left Me Underwhelmed
Winner: Carrie
Runner-up: Withnail & I

While I did like Withnail & I less than Carrie, that one seems to be more of a cult classic than anything. Carrie has more wide-spread acclaim, which made it all the more disappointing to me. I’ve had more fun discussing the film with people afterwards than I had watching it.

Award for Excellence In Sexiness
Winners: The entire cast of Nine
Runner-up: Sharon Stone – Basic Instinct

Nine is an overcrowded meandering mess of a movie musical, but it’s certainly gorgeous to look at. Hard not to be when you cram Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Fergie and more into it. Special credit goes to Penelope Cruz. Her performance of “A Call from the Vatican” is sizzling. Look it up if you haven’t seen it.

Award for Excellence In Sex
Winner: Shortbus

More of an interesting experiment than a triumph as a movie, Shortbus is the result of director John Cameron Mitchell setting out to create a film that uses sex in ways not done before. A fascinating endeavour that makes for a one-of-a-kind movie.

“You’re Not Fooling Anyone” Award for Most Homoerotic Tension
Winners: Robert Downey Jr. & Jude Law – Sherlock Holmes

One wonders why Rachel McAdams and Kelly Reilly were even in this film. Sherlock and Watson clearly only had eyes for each other.

Most Shades Of Brown Award
Winner: The Book of Eli

Few movies look as lifeless as this one. The Book of Eli makes The Road seem like Speed Racer by comparison.

Best Japanese Amelie Award
Winner: Memories of Matsuko
Runner-up: Kamikaze Girls

Both Memories of Matsuko and Kamikaze Girls were directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, who I can only assume is Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s long-lost twin brother. The two films share the whimsical tone and rich sense of color found in Amelie. But Memories is the more accessible of the two for someone like me who isn’t well-versed in Japanese culture, and it’s combined with a sadder story that borders on Lars von Trier territory at times. You’d think it would make for a styles clash, but it works surprisingly well.

Movie That Would Have Worked Better As A Short Award
Winner: Kabluey

I couldn’t get into this tale of alienation and Iraqi War blues, filled as it were with characters I found it impossible to relate to. But the scenes where lead actor/director/writer Scott Prendergast dons a big-headed mascot costume to hand out fliers on a country road were really sweet and funny, and easily the bright spot of the movie.

Best Twist Ending Award
Winner: Breaking the Waves

Perhaps not a film that springs to mind when one thinks “twist ending”, but the last shot of Breaking the Waves made me reexamine the whole movie and what it had been trying to tell me. I couldn’t get it out of my head for days.

Best Conclusion To A Declaration Of Love Award
Winner: Robin Williams – The Fisher King

“But I still don’t drink coffee.”

Best Documentary With “Word” In The Title Award
Winner: Word Wars
Runner-up: Wordplay

Scrabble beats out crosswords in this war of words. Wordplay does have a nice upbeat tone, celebrity cameos and a great climax, but Word Wars finds the people that stick with you, which is a crucial component for this type of documentary.

Shannyn Sossamon Award for Best Shannyn Sossamon Performance
Winner: Shannyn Sossamon – Road to Nowhere

As you may or may not know, I have quite the soft spot for Shannyn Sossamon. Granted, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition here considering that the majority of my Sossamon watching has taken place in earlier years, but her work in Monte Hellman‘s twisting neo noir is her most challenging to date, and she nails it. Here’s to hoping for more great performances from her in the years to come, and no more slumming around in crappy horror films like Devour and One Missed Call.

Best Movie Seen With A Friend Who Had A Cold Award
Winner: Contagion

Before I saw the movie, I had heard the jokes about how one should cough in the theater while watching this viral outbreak film to make people squirm. And then my friend shows up outside the cinema with a cold, proceeding to cough and sniffle throughout the movie. Very appropriate.

“Why Did I Watch This?” Award for When I Should Have Known Better
Winner: Helvetica

“A documentary about a typeface? Oh ho ho, how quirky! I bet there’s a whole bunch of fun angles and cleverness at work to make it interesting! Surely this will be one of those way-better-than-it-sounds type of films!” No. It isn’t. It’s just really damn dull.

Best Use Of A Woman In A Bikini Riding A Horse For No Reason Award
Winner: Casino Royale

And by “no reason”, I of course mean except fanservice.

Best 2011 Film So Far Award
Winner: Drive

Tightly-wound, exhilarating, violent and oh so slick, helmed by a stone-faced Ryan Gosling who is as impressive as always. I’m not sure what’s more amazing: the movie itself, or the fact that it managed to live up to all the lofty praise people had been heaping over it ever since Cannes. Time will tell if Drive will remain my #1 as I see more films from 2011, but at this point in time, it’s a very easy pick.

Worst 2011 Film So Far Award
Winner: I Am Number Four

Some people like to point out how Hollywood only churns out garbage these days. I don’t think it’s that pronounced a problem, considering how there’s still good blockbusters popping up here and there. But if I did subscribe to the notion, I’d say that I Am Number Four is everything that’s wrong with Hollywood today. A stupid excuse plot, characters without any depth or likability, lifeless CGI-filled action scenes and no emotional investment whatsoever. I find no redeeming factors in this movie.

Best Swedish Film Seen By Me In 2011 Award
Winner: Beyond

While it doesn’t bring anything new to the table story-wise, Sweden’s Foreign Language Oscar submission Beyond is still a very well-acted family drama and a strong directorial debut by Pernilla August. Don’t ignore this one even if the Academy decides to.

Worst Film Seen By Me In 2011 Award
Winner: Zombie Nation
Runner-up: The Traveler

Well, duh. It’s only the worst movie I’ve ever seen. If you want to know more, check out my review.

Best Film Seen By Me In 2011 Award
Winner: Blue Valentine
Runner-up: Breaking the Waves

Blue Valentine is a devastating piece of work that absolutely floored me. A unflinching look at a relationship’s two extremes: the hopeful genesis and the brutal armageddon, with the inbetween left for the viewer to imagine. Heart-wrenching to the bone, and the best film I’ve seen all year.

What’s the best film you saw this year? And what did you think of my picks here?

Cast: Miki Nakatani, Eita and Yûsuke Iseya

Memories of Matsuko

After a female tramp is found dead on a park, her nephew Shou (Eita Nagayama) is called in to clean up her apartment. Not knowing anything about his Aunt, he unwittingly relives parts of her extraordinary life through photos, diary entries and old friends he meets.

He discovers all about his amazing Aunt Matsuko, who stumbled through life looking for her prince charming, only to discover that life isn’t like the fairy tales. Afraid of being lonely, Matsuko did anything to cling onto the romantic relationships she had, whether it was through prostitution or settling for a violent relationship. We see her journey from being a sweet young girl who craved attention from her father, to an old recluse who just wanted to be loved.

Miki Nakatani takes the lead as Matsuko, and does a fantastic job with it. From portraying a vulnerable teacher to a hardened woman capable of murder, she really hits the nail on the head a delivers the film’s best performance. A riveting character delivered with an enthused and emotionally connected actor, it was brilliant to watch.

Memories of Matsuko was difficult to watch in some places, it uses images of violence frequently, and can be quite upsetting with some of the more brutal scenes. However, the cinematography is stunning. From the film’s use of extreme hues to the wide shot angles, the peculiar stories that unravel have a real sense of emotion behind them. It’s flashy, bright and daring, but this over stylised Japanese film looks and feels right all the way through. The film’s ability to be so adventurous with the plot and style is what has brought in such a positive reaction, as it’s so different and fresh. The accompanying sound track is brilliant too.

Memories of Matsuko was one of 2006s most critically acclaimed Japanese films, it’s easy to see why.

Star rating:  6.5/10

Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima.

Running time 130 minutes.

题记：《被嫌弃的松子的一生》这部片子对我的影响很大，看完这部片子的当天，我吓得要死，并且很多天都不能释怀。因为我看到一面镜子，这面镜子里，照出了真实的自我和我自己命运的另一种可能。
　　太可怕了。。。。。。。。。
　　无论如何也不要像松子那样的人生！那是我心里最强烈的呼喊！
　　就像一个人知道自己得了癌症那般地恐惧和害怕——
　　还有厌恶。
　　有点庆幸自己在大学里系统地学习了心理学，否则现在的我对于松子，除了一种对号入座的错觉，一眶饱含同情的眼泪，几通对于“人生无常，现实残酷”的慨叹，恐怕还有几声和很多天真孩子般对于伊无私奉献爱的精神的“赞美”。我想说，松子的遭遇值得同情，但她的许多反应或者说行为并不值得赞美，这也是我为啥觉着那个冗长的，带着落英缤纷与天堂意象，赞美诗一样的结尾是此片的一大败笔。

　     从心理学上来说，这部电影具有解剖学的精确，反映了一个心理学的典型人物——由于恋父情结导致的爱情饥渴症“患者”。不要跟我扯什么高尚不高尚，伟大的奉献神马的，都是屁话！女人要是相信这个就是掉进了男权社会的陷阱！松子行为底层的推动力是一个心智如孩童的女人的情欲。有时男人会赞赏这种女人，就像电影《破浪》里的那个傻女人一样，因为她们最喜欢为坏男人奉献。
　　松子的一生症结在于极端渴望爱，把所有的一生都奉献给爱却永远得不到爱。这种爱的过分的女人一般有以下几个症状：
　　1， 通常来自于一个机能不正常的家庭，在那里，你在感情上的需要没有得到满足。
　　2， 由于你自己很少真正受到爱护，你试图以替代方式把自己变成一个爱的给予者，来填补这种未能满足的需要，特别是那些在某些情况下看来有这种需要的男人。
　　3， 因为你从来没有能把你父母变成你所渴望的和蔼可亲的保护人，你对自己熟悉的，情感上得不到的男人反应敏感，希望再次通过你的爱把他改变。
　　4， 自尊心很低，心灵深处不相信自己应该得到幸福，只相信自己必须努力去赢得享受生活的权力。
　　5， 由于喜欢被有问题的男人所吸引，或陷入混乱、不安和感情痛苦的局面，回避了对自己的责任。
　　6， 由于习惯于缺乏爱的人际关系，愿意等待，期望并更努力的取悦于人
　　7， 在任何相互的关系中，愿意承担远远多于一半的的责任、罪过和非难
　　8， 由于害怕被遗弃，你愿意做出为保持你们俩关系不会解体的任何事情
　　9， 只要能有助于你的男人，对你来说什么都无所谓，哪怕再麻烦，再昂贵，再费时间
　　10， 在恋爱关系中，更多地是梦幻那种关系能够如何，而很少考虑到现实的实际情况。
　　11， 对正常的和蔼的稳重的对你感兴趣的人没有兴趣，觉得这样的好男人令人厌烦
　　12， 由于童年时没有的到足够的安全感，你迫切需要控制与男人的关系。把控制人和控制局势的努力装扮成提供帮助。
　　13， 迷恋男人，特别是花花公子，暴力狂等坏男人，沉溺于感情上的痛苦。
　　14， 在情感上，并常常在生理上易于对毒品、酒精或某些食品，特别是甜食上瘾。
　　15， 容易陷入抑郁的事情，并试图通过不稳定的恋爱关系所带来的刺激以防止抑郁的情绪 。
　　
　　松子的一生，是从来没有得到温暖，悲惨的被情欲控制的外表成熟，内心却是个极端幼稚的小女孩的一生。

《被嫌恶的松子的人生》まげてのばして’Memories of Matsuko‘ (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2006) 【English-subed Trailer】
　　

        松子并不是一个拥有高度自觉性的女人，她对生命的热情来源于本身的直觉而非感悟。她渴望爱人也被人爱，渴望身边的世界能一团和气。小时候是父亲和妹妹，工作了是同事和学生，之后是男人们。她用尽心机让对方高兴、希望能让一切麻烦消失，更希望人们能主动将麻烦跳过，换取快乐的人生。最明显的例子是她承认盗窃只是因为她想快点结束这一切，好去洗一个澡。
　　
　　看到后来我痛哭是因为这样的人生比起闪亮的人生更靠近我们每一个人，曾被此片撼动过的人不知是否或多或少地有一丝害怕：如果我的人生也是这样，如果我的以后也是这样，那该怎么办。的确在童话中成长的每一个女孩子，都不曾动摇地认为自己长大会是人群中最闪亮的那一个人，会遇见心仪的王子，留下水晶鞋，从此以后幸福快乐地生活在一起。没有人会认为自己可能是白雪公主中的歹毒的后母，没有人认为自己可能是灰姑娘那两个虚荣自私的姐姐，没有人会认为自己可能是看着窗外烤鸭飘香自己却在雪花掩盖下死去的卖火柴的小女孩。我们一直理所当然地，想到了世间的美好，然而时间教晓我们的，是遗憾与困惑将会陪伴我们的一生，而且没有仙女和魔法可以改变和逆转。这就是人生。
　　
　　我们只有这一次的人生，要么幸福，要么平庸，要么一败涂地。松子的一生，其实是最后一个。无论松子多么热情地生活，多么无畏地投入爱情（其实这种热情和无畏更多时候是一种逃避）这样的人生也是我们不想要的。所以我们其实是不歌颂松子的。我们歌颂的是她的精神，那个让松子能够活下去的，最具韧力的理由。之所以说她那种向上的精神是一种逃避，是因为她一个人无法生活下去。她选择了一个又一个的男人去爱，去付出，哪怕是伤痕累累也好，都不曾后退，皆因那是她能给自己所找的、关于这个世界美好一面的理由。
　　
　　世界对松子是毫不热情、甚至是冷酷的，但是松子作为人的本能是要活下去。社会和群体、甚至家庭不给她融入的缝隙，她便自己去制造缝隙，去爱一个人吧，总比孤独一个好，吵架和打斗也比一个人发霉的好。松子的一生并没有崇高的理想、没有任何地方需要她活下去并且活得勇敢。但是千疮百孔的爱情可以。松子的每一个男人都处于社会的中下层（潦倒的尚未发迹的才华作家、才华不甚高的有妇之夫、忠厚老实却缺乏深情的理发店老板、小混混学生），性格有着明显的缺陷（脾气暴躁、背叛妻子、愚鲁、莽撞），都是一般女人所不会接近的，然而他们却构成了松子每次渡过难关时唯一的最重要的理由。她暗示自己，自己活下去不为自己，而是那个她深爱的人。是那些男人，让她每次在觉得人生完结的时候，继续找到了呼吸的理由。
　　
　　就算到最后她成为了一个邋遢、发臭的猪一样的女人，她仍然能被清秀的少年偶像所激发起生命的热情，并且像一个初恋的少女般写下热烈的情信——虽然无非是自己一生的介绍，这是松子每次恋爱都会重复的事情，信任一个人，就告诉他自己的全部。不知是幸是不幸，这样毫无光彩的生命却赋予了这样光彩的爱人的本领，她对生命的热情是与生俱来的，也许她并不理解，但是她的性格却帮助她好好地活了下去。
　　
　　被嫌弃的松子，这样的女子如果真的生活在你身边，也许她就是你的女友，也许你也不会像电影的阿笙那般，想见她一面。她性格中的确埋藏中让人难以忍受的因子（不经大脑的思考、盲目的生存、乃至毫无保留的偶尔神经质的爱），她的光亮是要在旁观她一生之后才能感觉到的。
　　
　　不，或者，如果你瞥见过她的眼泪，她也许不是我所想的那样对生命不自觉。在她看见父亲留下的日记的时刻，在她回到家乡与年幼阿笙相见的时刻、在她面对那条和家乡一样的河流痛哭的时刻，我有理由相信，那一刻的她，清醒、冷静、而且无比尖锐地看见了自己身上发生的悲剧。只是她已经习惯了拿鬼脸、哄人开心的鬼脸去面对这个世界，于是我们就罔顾了她的努力让人开心，而是记住了这个女子的怪异。
　　
　　我们都热爱童年，童年时候镶着金边，我们幻想以后的人生是那么的舒展。当影片最后，每一个处于自己世界的人都唱起那首共同的歌曲时——“伸出双臂，踮起脚尖，就能够够到蓝色的天空……大伙们，再见了，明天再见吧……肚子饿了快回家吧”——哭成催泪弹也不可惜。拉着父母的衫尾不需要自己照顾自己是多久以前的事了？像叮当里的伙伴们那样玩耍是多久以前的事了？生命不能倒着播放，孩子不一定成长为万众瞩目的人物，保护一个人不受生命的伤害和侵蚀，是父母都做不到的事，如果你有想守护的人，请好好陪伴在她身旁，还请上天赐与她、坚韧的自我保护的性格。

　　接下来几天里，一直沉浸在听松子一片里的原声，那合唱是脆嫩的童声，被剪辑了MV里找不到一丝悲凉的气息，仅留下色彩斑斓的童话一样的画面，宛如人年少时候的梦境。人生无常，我想到这句话，“善恶终有报”很多时候只是人们的一厢情愿，因为善良本来与幸福无关，这个无关，一方面是指“好人不一定一生平安”，另一方面是说“真正的好人，不是为了自己的幸福才去行善的”。就像鲁迅说的：“真的勇士，敢于直面惨淡的人生，敢于正视淋漓的鲜血”。这么想来，松子她其实是一个勇士，她试图用自己的热情和意志去对抗人生的无常。她不仅是一个勇士，也是一个战士，她毫无选择地一生投入到爱坏男人的事业，因为她本能地以为在这些爱情中，她会重新获得父亲的爱，得到美满的童年，达到幸福的伊甸园。和所有人一样，她在全心全意地追求着幸福。但毫无技巧，毫无头脑，也，毫无退缩。她是我们每个人身上的最初的爱欲，那么热情，那么纯真美好，那么强的意志力，渴望在人世间造出天堂。

　　但她失败了，因为人生无常，并不以她的意志为转移。

　　她撞得头破血流，一败涂地，她的热情，宛如她在雪地里等待刑满释放的洋一之时，手里捧的那束红玫瑰，那束红玫瑰被洋一一拳打落在雪地上，那种极具冲击感的颜色对比，与她被洋一打出了血的脸庞一样给人一种淋漓的痛感。

　　某种程度上说，松子的一生没有脱离过童年，这是幸福还是不幸福呢？离开童年，不再做一个孩子，意味着接受“世事无常，有人力做不到的事”的事实，知道什么可能改变的，什么是不可能改变的，知道在现实的范围内去达成欲望，知道。。。。现实永远不可能变成伊甸园和天堂，也知道，那种伊甸园和天堂的完美幸福，永远也没有梯子可以到达。意味着永远永远永远离开伊甸园。

　　这些，松子都不知道。在影片最后，她唱着儿歌，踩着梦想中的梯子一步步向上，美丽的小星星在她身旁闪烁。。。。

　　我想，她的墓志铭应该是：想到达天堂的理想，是她生活在地狱的阶梯。

　　爱是松子一生所追求的。只是，她的世界，是建筑给别人的照顾和别人对自己的认可之上的。她对自我存在价值的极度自卑是她追求理想的另一大动力，可她和当今许多“不怎么自信，却完全凭着自己极强的自尊心拼到最后”的女强人不一样。她的自我贬低深入灵魂，她不知道，在没有人在乎你的时候，更要自爱，自宠，这样才有可能再去赢得别人对自己的尊重与宠爱。幸福永远只可能建立在自己身上。
　　
　     最后，我想自己到目前为止看过的最好的关于“爱”的教科书还是《山楂树之恋》。和其他感人的作品一样，这个故事也在传递着人类历史上经久不衰的关于“爱”的价值观，而这些和时代无关。

People tend to remember the families they grew up with, and thoughts of holidays past, especially when they only saw them once a year, so even if their memories are realistic, they are often coloured by a holiday perspective.

Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)
Dir: Yamazaki Takashi (Based on the comic Always: San-chome no Yuuhi by Saigan Ryohei)

… is a pleasant neighbourhood drama set in a 50′s Tokyo neighbourhood.

It’s 1958. Mutsuko is a teenaged girl from Aomori going to her first job. She‘s the #6 kid in her very poor family. She arrives in Tokyo by train from up north just as the Tokyo Tower is being built. She thinks she’s going to be a secretary for the president of Suzuki Auto – a big car conglomerates, but soon discovers she’s going to be working as a repair mechanic for a tiny car repair shop owned by a Mr Suzuki. The boss is a short tempered lout given to dramatic bursts of anger. But she vows to work hard and learn the trade, and moves in with the small, nuclear family (there are no extended families in this movie; just friends and neighbours).

Meanwhile, across the street, an aspiring novelist, who was disowned by his upper class family and who runs a little candy stand, makes his living as a writer. He wants to be the next Akutagawa but in the meantime he writes boys adventure stories for pulp magazines. He agrees to take care of a kid, a stranger, Junnosuke, who’s an orphanned, depressed kid. He does it partly to impress a local bar girl. But soon these three lonely disparate people begin to form a sort of a family.

This movie is a good view of urban Tokyo in the 50’s, when the occupation and post-war period was over, but the booming economy of the 60’s had yet to take place. The scene rarely leaves that street where people rejoice in the first TV, or the first electric fridge…

Based on a comic book, the story is a little bit predictable, and the characters typical, but it’s a cute, nicely sentimental and not unrealistic story.The Characters are sometimes comic-like (the repair-shop owner, Suzuki, literally shakes with anger and destroys doors when he’s furious.)

And though definitely nostalgic in it’s view of the good old days where neighbours all knew and cared for one another, I wouldn’t exactly call it sugar-coated; it does show poverty and struggle, war deaths, geishas, alcoholism and snobbery. And this movie has a very distinctive look to it; shot with a strange retro feel, in colour, but with the appearance of a tinted black and white movie that has faded over the past half century. They appear to have used old B&W footage for some city backdrops giving it a neat feel.

(check listings: www.bloorcinema.com )

Another Japanese movie has a very different take on the past.

Memories of Matsuko (2006)
Dir: Nakashima Testsuya

Sho is a young, failed musician who goes to his aunt Matsuko’s home to pack stuff up after she dies. He had never met her, but by going through the piles of trash she left in her apartment he gradually pieces together her life.

Matsuko is shown as a tragic herione, with all her sadness, beauty and drama.

As her past is gradually revealed—the earnest schoolteacher, the bedazzled mistress, the sex trade worker, the accused murderess, the lover, the prisoner – she becomes not a miserable loner but a really interesting person. Most of the movie is narrated by her in a sort of a memoir she left behind.

At the start she’s an idealistic teacher who defends Ryu, one of her students, when he’s accused of stealing money on a school trip. When it’s blamed on her she loses her job and her father says she’s dead to him, and her life begins a slow downward spiral into hellish degradation. She’s saved at one point only by the image of Kohji Uchiumi of the 80′s teen pop group Hikaru Genji, known mainly for its roller skating teenager singers.

The movie resembles the movies of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (who directed MicMacs, and Amelie) but with a much brighter, day-glo, candy-coloured style to it, with a didtinctly Japanese not French style to it. It jumps from TV commercials, music videos, fantasies, and comic book tableaux, to intense and violebnt drama.

I was a bit disturbed by how much violence there was, almost always by the various men in Matsuko’s life — a philanderer, a pimp, a yakuza hood — who repeatedly slap her, punch her, and throw her to the ground, like in an old-scholl exploitation flick. But I think the movie does this to make Matsuko a sympathetic, (and at times vengeful) heroine. The more she suffers, the more she purseveres. Memories of Matsuko is classic female tragedy with a rich story, and a decidedly un-nostalgic tone.

These two movies are playing for free this weekend at the Bloor Cinema in Toronto, sponsored by the Japan Foundation.

Also opening this weekend is the winner of this year’s People’s Choice award at TIFF10 and a likely nominee for various Academy Awards:

“The King’s Speech”
Dir: Tom Hooper

Lionel (Geoffrey Rush) is an Australian speech therapist who invented techniques for returned soldiers from WWII. He’s hired, in great secrecy, to help a man (Colin Firth) – known to his friends as Bertie, and who later becomes King George VI — because he has a terrible stutter. With the advent of radio, he needs to fix his speech to stop freezing up whenever he’s asked to make an announcement. The meeting is arranged by his wife. Elizabeth.

But Lionel is a commoner, the first Bertie has ever met, and he is used to being addressed as his “Royal Highness”, or just “Sir”. Lionel works in a dirty, broken-down basement while Bertie lives in a palace. But Lionel insists they talk to each other as regular people do. He decides Berties problems are psychological – he’s intimidated by his father the King, and his brother, the Prince of Wales. So through the use of his experimental and amusing methods, he tries to get him comfortable pronouncing words without a stammer.

Now this is based on a true story, and Canadians I’ve talked to who lived through that era all remember that the King did indeed have a stutter. So it’s interesting to watch his speech improve. And the acting was all credible, with Derek Jacobi (I Claudius) as the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the frowzy, redoubtable actress with the double-barrelled name, Helena Bonham Carter, as the future Queen Elizabeth, mother of the current Queen.

But… this movie rubbed me the wrong way. Everything is so homogenized that the accents of the working-class Aussie therapist and the King aren’t really that different. And the history had such a story-book feel to it: Here’s Winston Churchill harrumphing about this, and there’s Wallis Simpson, whingeing about tha

The whole movie felt like an American TV-view of what England should be like. It was even visibly tiresome, with its constant, awful use of a wide-angle lens (where characters lean forward into the camera at a distorted angle, like in a bad 80’s TV commercial) giving the whole movie a geddit? geddit? tone.

I can tell this movie’s going to be popular, but it didn’t do much for me. It’s enjoyable, but it had such a sucky feeling — like the whole movie was there only to pander to nostalgic, royal-obsessed, faux-anglophilic Americans in order to secure some Oscars — that it just left me feeling vaguely annoyed.

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So, it’s the 43rd episode in 9 weeks and we’ve arrived at the season finale.  In a perfect bookend to how the series began, we finally saw Paul telling Laura how he felt about her.

There were only 3 episodes this week and the previous two had rounded off the Sophie and Jake & Amy plots.  The Sophie episode was especially strong, as always, and we got to meet her villainous father, who, by the the end of the episode, ended up as human as everybody else.  Mia Wasikowska has been the stand-out star of the season and is going on to bigger, if not better, things.  The conclusion for Jake & Amy was much less satisfying, but, given the nature of their relationship, this made it all the more believable.

This all begged the question: what sort of ending would Paul get?

Fittingly, he got the messiest conclusion of all.  As I’ve said before, it’s never entirely been made clear quite why Paul has fell so head over heels for Laura.  Worse, than that, it’s not really ever rung true.  We started the episode with the good doctor telling Kate, his wife, that he was going out to see Laura.  Just like that.  Was this a cowardly way of ending his own marriage without actually saying it?  We then proceeded to a scene in Laura’s house which was agonisingly awkward.  Frankly, it’s hard to know what to make of it all.  Paul declared his love for Laura – even though it makes no sense, and was unconvincing – she didn’t believe him – so she leads him to her bedroom and strips off – we then fade to black.

When we fade back up we’re at Gina’s, and Paul confesses that he didn’t do anything with Laura as he had a panic attack.  Gabriel Byrne’s acting was superb here as Paul completely unravelled before our eyes.  Considering that he has guided many of his patients to some kind of self-knowledge, it was incredible to see him with no grasp of his own feelings and actions.  It became clear that the ambiguous nature of his feelings for Laura were certainly intentional.

Just as Dr Weston appears to be on the brink, Gina reaches her conclusion.  He needs more therapy.

Memories of Matsuko: Film4 (R 17th Nov W 3rd Dec)

This was another mental film from Japan, which had the same director as Kamikaze Girls, and had the same exciting visual style.  The plot revolved around a young man who slowly learns about his murdered aunt’s troubled life, through a series of flashbacks.

Like all the best Japanese films, I had no idea what it was all about.  Scenes flicked wantonly between twee fantastical sequences, that used animation and musical numbers, and disturbing domestic violence, squalor and sexual degradation. Yes, it’s as weird a mix as it sounds.  A prison sequence transformed into a pop video was particularly weird.

Was it any good?  Well it certainly kept my attention – it was simultaneously ridiculous yet moving; brutal yet sickly sweet.  The ending was the most saccharine, overly sentimental thing I’ve ever seen on screen – and yet it was totally fitting to the movie.

Was it any good?  You’d have to judge for yourself.

Black Book: More4 (R 20th Nov W 4th Dec)

You come to expect European-made World War 2 dramas to be fascinating, incredibly worthy and slightly depressing affairs.  Black Book was directed by Paul Verhoeven though, so this was a good, old-fashioned roller coaster ride of a thriller.  It is also the most successful Dutch film ever.

It’s starts in 1944 and follows the woes of  Rachel, a Jew who is being hidden in a farmhouse.  Through a series of tragic events her cover is blown, her family are viciously murdered and she finds her self part of the Dutch resistance.  Things only get worse as she is forced to infiltrate the local Nazis by sleeping with one of the ranking officers.  Things certainly don’t get any easier for her, but I won’t say any more in case I spoil it.  Suffice to say, it twists and turns right to the end.

It annoys me that nobody seems capable of making a 90 minute movie any more.  Luckily, although this was nearly two and a half hours long, the time flew by.  It’s not very often that you can say that.

Apart from being an exciting, well made film, what elevates this above the average thriller are the shades of grey in the characters.  There is virtually no one who is entirely good or entirely bad, and this helps you to keep guessing until the end.

This World: Stalin’s Back: BBC2 (R 2nd Dec W 5th Dec)

A fascinating documentary from journalist John Sweeney about the rehabilitation of Stalin’s reputation in Russia.  Sweeney travelled to Georgia where he followed a Stalin look-a-like around a market, where he was virtually mobbed by well-wishers.  It wasn’t just the outreaches of the old empire that felt this way and even prime minister Putin himself believes in ‘positive history’, which could be easily translated to ‘propaganda’.  This  has led, amongst other things, to an incredibly inaccurate history text book for schools, where Stalin’s crimes have been completely omitted.  Sweeney grilled the author on some of the missing facts and his best defence was to mumble and look embarrassed.

Stalin is possibly the worst mass murderer in history and yet, frighteningly, he still has lots of support throughout the old Soviet Union.  There is even a Stalin museum that sells lots of tat with his face on it.  It almost seems funny until you imagine a similar shop in Germany selling Hitler mugs.

Live at the Apollo: BBC HD (R 4th Dec W 5th Dec)

I’ll start by stating that I’m not one of these people who hate comedians who become successful and\or do observational material.  With that understood, I feel the need to ask the following quetion: does Michael McIntyre really need to be on Live at the Apollo again?

For instance, take the moe phenomenon.

Moe is one of the new millenium’s big anime buzzwords. It’s used to express a strong interest, verging on or tipping into fetish, in a particular type of character in anime, manga or games. The character is usually female and younger, the fetishist usually male, but the overall consensus is that moe is not sexual in nature. It’s described by most commentators as a pure, protective feeling, akin to the love of a big brother or father.

As with many slang terms, its origins are debated: Japanese psychologist Tamaki Saito, whose 1998 study of socially alienated fans, Shataiteki Hikikomori (Social Withdrawal), provided another millenial buzzword, thinks it comes from the Japanese word for ‘budding’, as in the young shoots of plants, while American fan John Oppliger, a webceleb thanks to his Ask John column on his employer’s website AnimeNation,  traces it to the names of anime and manga heroines of the 1990s. The link between moe and hikikomori is stronger than simple proximity in Saito’s bibliography. Young men who choose to cut themselves off from mainstream society, whose main areas of activity and interest are the carefully crafted, controllable worlds of entertainment, seem to be strongly drawn to these artificial dream-babies. They buy in to a powerful fantasy of acceptance and adoration by a perpetually dependent, unchangingly adorable, sexually undemanding creature whose world will forever revolve around them.

Moe is bound up with visual image (there is an interesting analysis and discussion of this aspect on the Heisei Democracy blog)  but not restricted by it. Character and story function are more powerful. The ‘budding’ aspect of the term requires that a character attracting moe should be in an emergent or transitional state, hence younger and less powerful even than the one the audience identifies with. The character’s potential is undefined, although hints of some past mystery, enormous potential power or talent are often present. But whatever gifts the beautiful infant may possess, its entire life will be defined and determined by its relationships, and its protective father or big brother, though quite possibly insignificant in every other way, will thus be the central figure in its story. (Tetsuya Nakashima’s insanely powerful  movie Memories of Matsuko can be read as a study of the negative effects of moe on other relationships.)

Commentators with a wider historical perspective than the latest fan favourites are aware that moe goes back much further than the millenium. Rooted in fetish, some of its imagery derives from porn anime like the Cream Lemon series, which appeared as a result of the emergence of home video in 1984. (Interestingly, Cream Lemon‘s longest-running single strand was the saga of an older brother’s incestuous fixation on his sister.) Anime blog Colony Drop picks up on 1986 porn parody anime Cosmos Pink Shock. Tezuka had already been there, and had already filtered out the sex and replaced it with romantic and protective longing.

Lunn Flies Into The Wind was a 24-minute anime completed in April 1985, though it would not be released until July 1989, six months after Tezuka’s death. The original story first appeared as a complete manga in Monthly Shonen Jump in April 1979. It tells the story of a shy teenager who falls in love with a girl on a poster, treasuring and protecting the image and building a dream-relationship with it. In typical Tezuka fashion, the story moves out of moe territory when the hero acknowledges and acts on his longing to take the relationship into real adult life, despite his fears and self-doubts. Even more typically, there is a strong maternal influence in the final resolution. But the outlines of 21st-century moe are there, waiting to be riffed (or rifled) by subsequent generations.

Lunn Flies Into The Wind was screened at London’s Barbican Cinema in September 2008 as part of a tribute season for the 80th anniversary of Tezuka’s birth. There were a handful of screenings in Australia and the USA in 2007 as part of another Tezuka tribute, but it was and remains largely unknown in the English-speaking world. This is common with Tezuka’s work – he was incredibly prolific in both animation and manga, and the vast majority of the material he  created has not been translated into English. The more you experience Tezuka’s work, the more you realise how astonishingly prescient he was.

He first nailed moe, not in 1979, but in 1948, in Lost World.

He was almost twenty years old and a superstar in the postwar Osaka comic market, churning out page after page of comics alongside his medical studies. Many of his early works reflect these pressures, cobbling together influences and ideas from his wide reading and the store of drafts and doodles he’d amassed since childhood. Lost World is a patchwork of ideas, but looming over all is the shadow of Osaka’s war and its aftermath. Like most teenagers Tezuka had been pressed into war work, had watched his father go to war, had seen the piles of corpses after firebombs hit the city. During the Occupation he travelled between Osaka and Tokyo, seeing at first hand the shortages and starvation, the orphans and homeless elders, the Japanese girls selling themselves to Allied soldiers, and the Japanese black marketeers and industrialists exploiting their own people. Tezuka had a powerful and well-fed imagination, but real life is at least as influential as science fiction.

One of the scientists in Lost World has developed a method of genetically engineering females from plants. Naturally, like every savvy manufacturer, he makes his prototypes Ayame and Momiji attractive to possible buyers. He fully intends to exploit their sexual potential himself, but he sees them mainly as a cheap workforce.

When Ayame is molested by another character, heroic teenage scientist Kenichi Shikishima comes to her aid and beats off the cowardly groper. “Don’t be afraid, Ayame, I won’t let anyone harm you.” As he leaves the scene, she muses that if he were her big brother, she wouldn’t have anything to fear.

Later, the pair are stranded on a prehistoric planet, the only humans for millions of miles. Kenichi proposes that they should live as brother and sister, and Ayame is overjoyed.

This is essential moe – an innocent, literally budding, girl, a geeky young man with the heart of a hero and protective instincts to do any father proud, and a completely non-sexual relationship. It may have blossomed in 1948, but it budded before then, in a bullied geek’s passions for science and science fiction, and a young man’s revulsion at the way he saw women and children treated in war and its aftermath.

Tezuka made it into entertainment, but gave it a dark undertow that urges us to question our own attitudes and relationships. For all the ‘development’ of moe into its own self-consciously postmodern industry, I don’t think many current practicioners have even begun to approach his depth and  daring.

นานนับเดือนที่หนังเรื่อง เส้นทางฝันแห่งมัตสึโกะ วางอยู่บนโตีะส่วนตัวของผม ด้วยเหตุผลที่ไม่รู้จะเอาความคิดอะไรมาเขียน ผมแทบไม่อยากเอ่ยถึงผู้หญิงคนนี้ หากเพราะเธอทำให้ผมน้ำตาไหลออกมาถึง 2และ 3 ครั้ง  มัตสึโกะคือใคร ทำไมเธอจึงลาออกจากโรงเรียน ถูกตัดขาดจากครอบครัว ถูกคนรักทิ้ง ต้องไปทำงานในอาบอบนวด เป็นฆาตกรและต้องติดคุก เหตุผลแค่นี้พอจะทำให้คุณอยากรู้จักผู้หญิงคนนี้หรือยัง

หากเราเข้าใจและมองไปที่สังคมหนึ่ง เราจะเห็นความฝันของผู้คนทั้งหลาย แต่มีเพียงหยิบมือเดียวที่ทำความฝันของตัวเองให้เป็นจริง บางคนก็บอกกับตัวเองว่า ชีวิตช่างไร้ค่า  แต่มัตสึโกะกลับมองเรื่องความรัก ความเข้าใจจากครอบครัวเป็นสิ่งสำคัญกว่า นั่นคือความรักมาก่อนความฝัน เธอมีรักจึงมีฝัน แต่ฝันนั้นเธอทำเพื่อใคร?

ความลับจากศพก็ถูกเปิดขึ้น?

วันที่ 10 กรกฏาคม ปี 2001 มีคนพบศพหญิงวัย 53 ปี เธอคือ คาวาจิริ มัตสึโกะ อันเป็นชนวนสำคัญที่ทำให้ชีวิตของหญิงผู้หนึ่งเปิดฉากออกมา กาลเวลาพาเราย้อนกลับไปตอนที่ มัตสึโกะวัย 7 ปีชอบทำปากจู๋ใส่คุณพ่อ เพียงเพื่อต้องการความรัก เมื่อวัย 23 ปี เธอเป็นครูมัธยม ร้องเพลงเพราะมาก ในระหว่างที่พาเด็กไปทัศนศึกษา มีเด็กขโมยเงินในร้านค้า 12,000 เยน มัตสึโกะรับผิดแทนเพราะคิดว่านี่คือสิ่งที่ต้องรับผิดชอบ จึงถูกไล่ออกจากโรงเรียน เธอเริ่มชีวิตคู่กับผู้ชายคนแล้วคนเล่า จนครั้งหนึ่งต้องไปทำงานในอาบอบนวด เป็นฆาตกรฆ่าคน ติดคุกและผันไปเ้ป็นช่างตัดผมอาชีพสุดท้าย ก่อนที่ความรักจะทำให้ชีวิตเธอพังทลาย ตลอดชีวิตของมัตสึโกะมีผู้คนเข้ามาเกี่ยวข้องมากมาย ทุกคนล้วนมีความเกี่ยวพันในช่วงเวลาที่ต่างกัน มัตสึโกะจึงเป็นผู้ทุ่มเททุกอย่างเพื่อความรัก ยอมเจ็บตัว ยอมเป็นเมียยากูซ่า หากเพราะไม่มีความรักใดเข้ามาหาเธออย่างจริงจัง เธอจึงเลือกกำหนดชีวิตและเดินบนเส้นทางแห่งความเจ็บปวด

ใครเกี่ยวข้องกับ มัตสึโกะ?

1. คุมิ น้องสาวผู้อ่อนแอ และทำให้มัตสึโกะเข้าใจผิดมาตลอดว่า พ่อรักคุมิมากกว่า
2. ครูซาชิกิ คือผู้ชายคนแรกที่มัตสึโกะหลงรัก เขาเป็นคนซื่อ แสดงอะไรแบบตรงๆ ชอบใส่กางเกงเหนือสะดือ ยิ้มกว้างฟันเป็นประกาย
3. เท็ตสึยะ เป็นคนรักคนแรกของมัตสึโกะ เขาเป็นนักเขียนมือทอง มักคิดว่าตัวเองเป็นดาไซโอซามุ นักประพันธ์ชื่อดังกลับชาติมาเกิด เป็นคนอารมณ์เกรี้ยวกราด ชอบทำร้ายมัตสึโกะ
4. โอคาโนะซัง เป็นนักเขียนคู่แข่งของเท็ตสึยะ เขาพยายามแย่งทุกอย่าง รวมทั้งเป็นเจ้าของมัตสึโกะ เพียงเพื่ออยากเอาชนะ อยากเหนือกว่า
5. โอโนะเดระ เป็นแมงดาเหลี่ยมจัด เขากับมัตสึโกะช่วยกันทำมาหากิน สุดท้ายเขาก็ทรยศนอกใจ จึงถูกมัตสึโกะฆ่าตาย
6. ชิมาสึ เคนจิ ช่างตัดผมผู้แสนดี เขาตัดผมทรงใหม่ให้มัตสึโกะ และอยู่กินแบบสามีภรรยา  มัตสึโกะเป็นผู้ช่วยช่างตัดผมที่ร้านของเขา
7. ซาวามุระ เมงุมิ เพื่อนรักในสมัยที่เคยติดคุกร่วมกับมัตสึโกะ ต่อมาผันมาเล่นหนังเอวี และแต่งงาน จนก้าวขึ้นเป็นประธานบริษัทผลิตสื่อเอวี
8. ริว โยอิจิ ยากูซ่า อดีตลูกศิษย์ผู้ชอบใช้กำลัง ที่เป็นต้นเหตุทำให้ชีวิตของมััตสึโกะเปลี่ยนไป เขาเป็นชายคนสุดท้ายของมัตสึโกะ และมองความรักเปรียบดั่งแสงสว่างที่มากเกินไป
9. โชคุง หลานชายแท้ๆ ผู้ที่ไขปริศนาเรื่องราวของมัตสึโกะจนรู้ความจริงหมดทุกอย่าง เขาเป็นคนหนึ่งที่มองว่าชีวิตไร้ค่า และชื่นชอบหนังเอวีที่ เมงุมิ เล่นเป็นนางเอก

มัตสึโกะ เปรียบดั่งไดอารี่เล่มหนึ่ง แต่กว่าจะรวมเล่มให้จบบริบูรณ์ได้ก็ยากเย็นนัก เรื่องนี้จึงดำเนินไปกับการเล่าสู่กันฟัง เป็นเรื่องราวที่สืบจากศพ บางตอนก็มีละครเพลงสอดแทรก หัวใจของมัตสึโกะแท้จริงแล้วมันสั้นนัก เธอต้องการกลับบ้านอยู่กับครอบครัว แต่คงเป็นเพราะวิบากกรรมนำพาให้สาวผู้นี้ เตลิดไปพบโลกที่กว้างและท้าทายบนเส้นทางที่ยาวนาน จนทำให้คุณตะลึง  ผมเชื่อว่าหนังเรื่องนี้จะทำให้คุณเข้าใจชีวิต ที่มีจุดเริ่มต้น มีความฟัน ฟู่ฟ่า  ท้าทาย เจ็บปวด การฆ่าตัวตาย จนที่สุดคือการจากไปอย่างแท้จริง เหลือเพียงคุณค่าที่จุดประกายให้ข้อคิดว่า เส้นทางฝันแห่งมัตสึโกะ ไม่มีกลีบกุหลาบโปรยแม้เพียงเสี้ยววินาทีเดียว

เพลง/คลิปที่เกี่ยวข้อง?

Anna Tsuchiya and AI are working together on a new single titled “Crazy World.” The song goes on sale June 11.

The two singers both had minor roles as prisoners in the 2006 film “Memories of Matsuko” (directed by Tetsuya Nakashima). They became friends after that, and Tsuchiya came up with the offer to do a collaboration. This is her first time working with another artist on one of her own songs.

Extract: Memories of Matsuko

Source

Yesterday night I finally watched Kiiroi Namida yesterday. It was really good!!! It’s about these five young men living in Tokyo (more info here) trying to make it in what they aspire to do. The main characters are these 4 of these men. One is a manga artist, Muraoke Eisuke (Ninomiya Kazunari); one is a painter, Shimokawa Kei (Ohno Satoshi); a novelist, Mukai Ryuzo (Sakurai Sho); and a pop singer, Inoue Shoichi (Aiba Masaki); the other is a delivery man that works in a grocery store, Katsumada Yuji (Matsumoto Jun). They are the members of Arashi, a japanese pop group. Some people might think that because they are members of a japanese boyband this movie would be filled of beauty shot of them, well THEY ARE WRONG! This movie is GREAT! It shows you that sometimes you can’t always get what you want. TT^TT

I like movies like this. It’s very nostalgic in a sense that the story took place in the midst of the Showa era in Japan. I have watched similar film like this and I liked them all. My favorite one was ALWAYS: Sanchome no Yuuhi (=Sunset on 3rd Street). I just can’t tell you how great this movie is. All of the characters in the 3rd street are just so real. People are still recovering from the war. But they still have hope for the future since the war was already over. The character I like in ALWAYS was of course Furuyuki Junnosuke, the abandoned boy. I really like the scene where he’s very happy with tears running down his eyes eventhough when Chagawa Ryunosuke, the writer, had betrayed him and plagiarized his story. There were happy moments and there were sad moments. I think this is what they called amai setsunai TT^TT.

Another movie I like that sorta features the Showa era, is Memories of Matsuko. THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE! starring Nakatani Miki as Kawajiri Matsuko! This movie tells a story about the life of Matsuko, put together as pieces of puzzles from those that knew her. At the beginning of the movie Matsuko was found dead near the river. Her nephew, Sho (Eita), starts to wonder if she had live a meaningless life all this time as he puts the puzzle pieces together one by one.

Matsuko life seemed enchanted in her early years of childhood. Having a sick sister, she always had to fight for her father’s love. Matsuko grew up to be a very popular junior high school teacher at the age of 23. But at a school trip her life was ruined when one of her student, Ryu (Yusuke Iseya), stole money from a shop and blamed her for it. She loss her job and was later disowned by her own family.

The movie follows Matsuko’s journey to find love even though the love that she gave was returned with physical abuse and later on leaves her. Matsuko survived through being a sex worker, prison inmate and still keep holding on strong to find true love. When she was abandoned by her last lover, Ryu, who was also her student back in junior high, Matsuko started to crumble. Until finally one day she died.

I picked up this movie because I noticed that Tetsuya Nakashima (Shimotsuma Monogatari aka Kamikaze Girls) was directing this movie. Like on Kamikaze Girls, I like Nakashima’s play on colors and light in this movie. His direction is just brilliant in making the tragic wonderland of Matsuko. I would really suggest you to find see this movie.

And so, I’m looking for more movies that emphasize the Showa era. As you can see in this article, the Japanese have this Showa nostalgia boom. Hmm, naru hodo. This article about the Showa era is pretty new. When I saw the cigarette shop in Kiiroi Namida with the old shopkeeper lady. It felt really touching. Doraemon was made in the Showa era too! I remember they have this tabako shop in the corner with with the very old lady watching the shop. Probably looked like this (the third picture-japanese only). In Crayon Shin-chan ‘s 9th movie. I think wanted to go back to that period also (haven’t watch the movie in full but lots of people said that it was the best Shin-chan movie. See the review here. If you look-up 昭和(Showa) in Google image you will find a lot of nostalgic Showa related pictures.