LooyCyphr Reviews

Rails & Ties (2007)

A quiet, sad, subtle drama

[8/10 · 30 April 2010]

Maybe some say this is a typical "woman movie". I'd not say so, but there surely is a tendency towards women more appreciating it than the men. It's not, however, much of a love story, it's a rather bittersweet tale with ASTONISHING ACTORS from A to Z.

It's a movie that makes you feel human. You'll most probably shed some tears and laugh at some of the subtle jokes, some will do so more than others, but all in all it's not a dramatic hell rise like in BREAKING THE WAVES, though Bacon's character surely is a guy you'd like to kick in the butt just to 'wake up' or something. But then, the end comes.

I can recommend that if you're out for a softer, heart-felt DVD experience.

Graveyard of Honor (2002)

Allegory on "Japan's imperfection"

[7/10 · 10 March 2009]

If Japan is "perfect", how does "imperfection" look like? The protagonist in this movie embodies exactly that. Which takes away a lot of the "Scarface"-like thriller elements. There is a story about a guy stepping up in a mafia environment, but his stoic anti-will, the fact he hurts EVERYone - helpers, supporters, lovers and foes - is meant to be allegorically political.

It's stated somewhere and in fact, there's some few scenes that appear very illogical. Not so, if you watch the movies "the right way".

Movie is calm, depressing, melancholic, bloody painful, sometimes crazy (in one scene he shoots at everyone: police, bypassers etc., then going "SORRY, OUTTA AMMO!" and delivers himself).

Good, disturbing, mature Miike-movie. Not as cartoonish as most of his films.

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

Not spectacular enough lead character

[4/10 · 2 December 2008]

What can I say? I feel this is a pretty nice film in the end. It's lighthearted and really nice like a subtle upper-pill. But, that's all it is.

The only 'complaint' I have is a very essential one: the lead character is the focus, her good heart, her constant girlie-happiness, her making-fun, but to be honest, I know such people who are twice as happy/lucky as Poppy, offering more substance for a portray. Meaning: I found her character pretty 'nice', but too boring to make her the focus of this film. It's a portray movie, it should magically make you smile every now and then. It did so to me, but in the end I felt disappointed, all in all, because, honestly, she should be freakier, more interesting.

On the other hand I thought it was very nice to show how your 'be-lucky'-lifestyle will offend the sad people. Also, that thing about her shoes during the driving lessons: she refuses to wear more suitable shoes, that's it. The misunderstanding this leads to I found was very well observed.

But still, I could name you two dozens more interesting people to portray than this Poppy woman. Maybe I was expecting more flesh from the ingenious Mister Leigh. I just adore his work. This one is a nice addition to the whole movie world. There's a lot of frustration and anger and violence in the world. This movie is like a nice little fruit dessert in between the heavier things in life.

Island of the Dead (2000)

Expect the worst and know: it's even worse

[2/10 · 23 August 2007]

Really. I love decaying villages and buildings, wastelands and deserted landscapes. That's what was hoping for, even when I knew the movie itself would be bad. "A ghost town" there is, on that island. Maybe some eerie film footage? Laughable, the whole movie, the story, the mood, everything.

In the "Ghost village" they enter one building. About two minutes later they are back in that cheap house, where they keep returning to half of the movie. The flies... well okay I knew how this aspect would turn out... just horrible. There's rarely any plot, and still there are holes in it that were perplexing at best. Why would the flies "kill" those other people when you get the conclusion? Why is Malcolm's character blowing up something all of a sudden?

Avoid this peace.