The actor is known for roles in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s ‘Still Walking’ and ‘After the Storm’ among others.
Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe is to be honoured with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award at the 16th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong next month.
The actor is known internationally for roles in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Still Walking and After The Storm, and Hideki Takeuchi’s Thermæ Romæ, for which he won his first Japan Academy Film Prize in 2013.
Abe will accept the award at the awards ceremony, which is set to be held in Hong Kong on March 12. The nominations were announced last month.
Japanese actor Hiroshi Abe is to be honoured with the Excellence in Asian Cinema Award at the 16th Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong next month.
The actor is known internationally for roles in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Still Walking and After The Storm, and Hideki Takeuchi’s Thermæ Romæ, for which he won his first Japan Academy Film Prize in 2013.
Abe will accept the award at the awards ceremony, which is set to be held in Hong Kong on March 12. The nominations were announced last month.
- 2/6/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Telling a story about growth or a generational conflict has been done many times. At the same time, considering many storytellers seem to stress the same subjects and conflicts, there is a distinct tendency for repetition within these tales without them actually making a new point, and quite a few of them feeling somewhat redundant in the first place. In the case of Yukiko Mishima’s 2015 feature “a stitch of life”, the focus shifts as the story is firmly placed within the world of fashion, or more precisely, the fascination for fabrics and the joy of making dresses and suits for people. Similar to more recent efforts from the director, such as “Shape of Red”, it is also the story of a contrast of one’s passion and what is expected of you.
a stitch of life is screening at Japan Society
For many years, Ichie Minami (Miki Nakatani) has tailored clothes,...
a stitch of life is screening at Japan Society
For many years, Ichie Minami (Miki Nakatani) has tailored clothes,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Japan Society is pleased to announce its fall lineup for Monthly Classics and Monthly Anime, kicking off on September 2, 2022 with a 35mm screening of Kihachi Okamoto’s satirical chambara, “Kill!”. 2006 anime classic “Tekkonkinkreet” will screen on September 16, featuring a Q&a with screenwriter Anthony Weintraub (“The Animatrix”). For October, Hideo Nakata’s 90s J-horror classic “Ringu” screens on October 7th followed by Mamoru Oshii’s rarely-screened 1985 ethereal masterpiece “Angel’s Egg” on October 14th. Monthly Anime continues on November 4th with a 35mm screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved “My Neighbor Totoro”.
Tickets: 15/12 students and seniors /5 Japan Society members.
Lineup and other details are subject to change.For complete information visit japansociety.org.
Kill!
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114 min, 35mm, b&w. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi.
Kihachi Okamoto’s darkly satirical chambara opens in the midst of a pummeling windstorm on the outskirts...
Tickets: 15/12 students and seniors /5 Japan Society members.
Lineup and other details are subject to change.For complete information visit japansociety.org.
Kill!
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114 min, 35mm, b&w. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi.
Kihachi Okamoto’s darkly satirical chambara opens in the midst of a pummeling windstorm on the outskirts...
- 8/20/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Hot off the back of “Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – Final”, Hayato Kawai returns with his second feature of 2021, “First Gentleman”. An adaptation of Maha Harada’s 2013 novel, the film dives into the world of contemporary Japanese politics with indifferent results. A convoluted comedy of sorts, Kawai’s sanitised feature leaves much to be desired.
“First Gentleman” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
A keen zoologist and bird watcher, Hiyori (Kei Tanaka) comes home from a Hokkaido research trip to find that his wife, Rinko (Miki Nakatani), has become the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Naturally, Rinko’s drastic career move puts Hiyori in the unlikely position of being Japan’s First Gentleman. Not accustomed to the spotlight but desperate for his wife to succeed, Hiyori must fend off troublesome parties on all fronts to protect Rinko and help her to become a force for change in the country.
“First Gentleman” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
A keen zoologist and bird watcher, Hiyori (Kei Tanaka) comes home from a Hokkaido research trip to find that his wife, Rinko (Miki Nakatani), has become the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Naturally, Rinko’s drastic career move puts Hiyori in the unlikely position of being Japan’s First Gentleman. Not accustomed to the spotlight but desperate for his wife to succeed, Hiyori must fend off troublesome parties on all fronts to protect Rinko and help her to become a force for change in the country.
- 6/23/2022
- by Tom Wilmot
- AsianMoviePulse
“Follow your own road and let people talk.”
– Limi Nara
I was browsing through Netflix’s unintuitive search engine the other day and stumbled upon “Followers”, a 2020 Netflix Japanese web series directed by Mika Ninagawa. Who I found out is a superstar photographer known for her pop art photography works by using bright colours and floral imageries. A lot of the photos hanging around in the show are hers, the wall design in Limi’s studio, the cherry blossom photos she’s discussing with her team and also in the montages that started the first episode. The Japanese contemporary pop art movement is always fascinating to me as they took a different approach and is influenced by ukiyo-e paintings, manga/anime aesthetics, ‘flat’ aesthetics to bring out vibrant colours and storytelling in just a single 2-dimensional medium. She had a very distinctive style that I paid more attention when rewatching the series,...
– Limi Nara
I was browsing through Netflix’s unintuitive search engine the other day and stumbled upon “Followers”, a 2020 Netflix Japanese web series directed by Mika Ninagawa. Who I found out is a superstar photographer known for her pop art photography works by using bright colours and floral imageries. A lot of the photos hanging around in the show are hers, the wall design in Limi’s studio, the cherry blossom photos she’s discussing with her team and also in the montages that started the first episode. The Japanese contemporary pop art movement is always fascinating to me as they took a different approach and is influenced by ukiyo-e paintings, manga/anime aesthetics, ‘flat’ aesthetics to bring out vibrant colours and storytelling in just a single 2-dimensional medium. She had a very distinctive style that I paid more attention when rewatching the series,...
- 11/11/2020
- by Abdul Rahman Shah
- AsianMoviePulse
I have not seen the two films Ninagawa directed in 2019 but her first two, “Sakuran” and “Helter Skelter” are among my favorite Japanese films of all time, both due to their concept and their intense visual style. Thus, I was quite curious to see how her style would be implemented in a TV series and Netflix’s “Followers” provided the opportunity.
The story revolves around four women. Limi Nara is a very successful photographer, who now feels the need to become a mother, despite the fact that she is single. Natsume Hyakuta has come to Tokyo in order to become an actress, but has not managed to do so at all, and she just does whatever job comes her way waiting for her big break. However, her life changes when she meets Hiraku, a YouTuber who used to be in the movie industry when he was younger, and when Limi...
The story revolves around four women. Limi Nara is a very successful photographer, who now feels the need to become a mother, despite the fact that she is single. Natsume Hyakuta has come to Tokyo in order to become an actress, but has not managed to do so at all, and she just does whatever job comes her way waiting for her big break. However, her life changes when she meets Hiraku, a YouTuber who used to be in the movie industry when he was younger, and when Limi...
- 3/11/2020
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Sneak Peek the new TV series "Followers", focusing on stories of people working, living and playing in Tokyo, Japan, influenced by social media networks, starring Miki Nakatani and Elaiza Ikeda, streaming February 27, 2020 on Netflix:
"...'Rimi Nara' (Nakatani) is a popular photographer.
"'Natsume Hyakuta' (Ikeda) came to Tokyo to achieve her dream of becoming an actress. But it's not so easy for Natsume to achieve her dream..."
Cast also includes Mari Natsuki as 'Eriko', Yuka Itaya as 'Akane', Kom I as 'Sani', Shuhei Uesugi as 'Hiraku', Nobuaki Kaneko as 'Yuruko', Yutaro as 'Nori', Mika Nakashima, Tadanobu Asano, Hidekazu Mashima, Show Kasamatsu, Naomi Watanabe and Tina Tamashiro.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Followers"...
"...'Rimi Nara' (Nakatani) is a popular photographer.
"'Natsume Hyakuta' (Ikeda) came to Tokyo to achieve her dream of becoming an actress. But it's not so easy for Natsume to achieve her dream..."
Cast also includes Mari Natsuki as 'Eriko', Yuka Itaya as 'Akane', Kom I as 'Sani', Shuhei Uesugi as 'Hiraku', Nobuaki Kaneko as 'Yuruko', Yutaro as 'Nori', Mika Nakashima, Tadanobu Asano, Hidekazu Mashima, Show Kasamatsu, Naomi Watanabe and Tina Tamashiro.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Followers"...
- 2/5/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ring (aka Ringu), Hideo Nakata's film has been fully restored and will have a limited run in over 100 theaters in the UK. Continue reading for a full list of theaters. Also in today's Horror Highlights: details on The Final Girls' short film showcase We Are the Weirdos, Dee Wallace and Courtney Gains join the cast of Await the Dawn, and Blu-ray and DVD release details for Piercing.
Ring (aka Ringu) 20th Anniversary UK Screenings: "To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ring, a special restoration of the film will be showing at 100+ cinemas across the UK including the Prince Charles Cinema (21st Feb), and Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase Cinemas from 1st March 2019.
For a full list of showtimes, check out the official Ring website: http://ringfilm.co.uk/showtimes
Synopsis: A group of teenage friends is found dead, their bodies grotesquely contorted,...
Ring (aka Ringu) 20th Anniversary UK Screenings: "To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ring, a special restoration of the film will be showing at 100+ cinemas across the UK including the Prince Charles Cinema (21st Feb), and Vue, Odeon, Cineworld and Showcase Cinemas from 1st March 2019.
For a full list of showtimes, check out the official Ring website: http://ringfilm.co.uk/showtimes
Synopsis: A group of teenage friends is found dead, their bodies grotesquely contorted,...
- 2/12/2019
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
“Why were you the only one saved?”
Although this might sound like an exaggeration, but the way, especially Western audiences view Japanese, or indeed Asian horror fundamentally changed with Hideo Nakata’s “Ring” (1998). For a director who states he does not even like the genre that much, it must have been quite the surprise to suddenly be one of the first to start a wave of Japanese horror movies. Interestingly, films like “Ring”, “Ju-On” or “Pulse” may contain a fair share of outside influences, but overall their tone, their visuals and their general approach to the uncanny can be defined as distinctly Asian, or Japanese. It is precisely this kind of authenticity which labelled titles like the ones mentioned to be prime candidates for Hollywood-ized remakes, but also helped the works of many directors to find international distributors.
In the case of “Ring 2”, one of the first surprises for many...
Although this might sound like an exaggeration, but the way, especially Western audiences view Japanese, or indeed Asian horror fundamentally changed with Hideo Nakata’s “Ring” (1998). For a director who states he does not even like the genre that much, it must have been quite the surprise to suddenly be one of the first to start a wave of Japanese horror movies. Interestingly, films like “Ring”, “Ju-On” or “Pulse” may contain a fair share of outside influences, but overall their tone, their visuals and their general approach to the uncanny can be defined as distinctly Asian, or Japanese. It is precisely this kind of authenticity which labelled titles like the ones mentioned to be prime candidates for Hollywood-ized remakes, but also helped the works of many directors to find international distributors.
In the case of “Ring 2”, one of the first surprises for many...
- 1/5/2019
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Lou Ye’s Blind Massage won best film at the Asian Film Awards in Macau on Tuesday night, while Ann Hui won best director for The Golden Era.
Hui’s biopic of writer Xiao Hong also picked up best supporting actor for Wang Zhiwen’s performance, while Blind Massage also won best cinematography for the work of Zeng Jian.
Liao Fan (pictured at left) was awarded best actor for Diao Yinan’s Black Coal, Thin Ice, which also won best screenwriter for Diao’s script.
Best actress went to Korea’s Bae Doo-na (pictured at right) for A Girl At My Door, while Japan’s Ikewaki Chizuru won best supporting actress for The Light Shines Only There. The best newcomer went to Zhang Huiwen for her role in Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home.
Jiang Wen’s Gone With The Bullets was a multiple winner in the technical categories, picking up best VFX (Rick Sander and Christoph Zollinger...
Hui’s biopic of writer Xiao Hong also picked up best supporting actor for Wang Zhiwen’s performance, while Blind Massage also won best cinematography for the work of Zeng Jian.
Liao Fan (pictured at left) was awarded best actor for Diao Yinan’s Black Coal, Thin Ice, which also won best screenwriter for Diao’s script.
Best actress went to Korea’s Bae Doo-na (pictured at right) for A Girl At My Door, while Japan’s Ikewaki Chizuru won best supporting actress for The Light Shines Only There. The best newcomer went to Zhang Huiwen for her role in Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home.
Jiang Wen’s Gone With The Bullets was a multiple winner in the technical categories, picking up best VFX (Rick Sander and Christoph Zollinger...
- 3/26/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Korean director to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s edition on March 25.
Korean director Im Kwon-taek will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s edition of the Asian Film Awards in Macau on March 25.
Im has directed more than a hundred films across different genres, starting in the 1950s with mainstream projects, and veering into more realistic cinema from his 1973 drama Weeds.
His 1986 Surrogate Mother (1986) won best actress for Kang Soo-yeoun at the Venice film festival, marking Korea’s first ever win in Venice. Chunhyang (2000) was the first Korean film to compete in Cannes and two years later Im’s Chihwaseon (2002) won best director at the festival.
Im is still an active filmmaker today – his most recent film Revivre, about a middle-aged man tending to his dying wife and fantasising about a younger woman, premiered at Venice last year.
Previous Afa Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong director...
Korean director Im Kwon-taek will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s edition of the Asian Film Awards in Macau on March 25.
Im has directed more than a hundred films across different genres, starting in the 1950s with mainstream projects, and veering into more realistic cinema from his 1973 drama Weeds.
His 1986 Surrogate Mother (1986) won best actress for Kang Soo-yeoun at the Venice film festival, marking Korea’s first ever win in Venice. Chunhyang (2000) was the first Korean film to compete in Cannes and two years later Im’s Chihwaseon (2002) won best director at the festival.
Im is still an active filmmaker today – his most recent film Revivre, about a middle-aged man tending to his dying wife and fantasising about a younger woman, premiered at Venice last year.
Previous Afa Lifetime Achievement Award winners include Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, Hong Kong director...
- 3/18/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Latest film from Tetsuya Nakashima is currently in post-production.
Japan’s Gaga Corporation is launching sales on the upcoming Tetsuya Nakashima film The World of Kanako [pictured] starring Koji Yakusho at the European Film Market.
The hit director of Confessions, Memories of Matsuko and Kamikaze Girls is currently in post-production for the film produced by Gaga and Licri.
Gaga is handling sales for Asian territories while Wild Bunch handles the rest. Gaga plans to release the film this summer in Japan.
Based on a mystery novel by Akio Fukamachi, The World of Kanako follows the search for a missing girl through the eyes of her crazed father who begins to realize through the traces she left how little he knew her and his family.
Debuting actress Nana Komatsu plays the missing daughter while Yakusho (13 Assassins) plays the brutal former police detective father. Satoshi Tsumabuki, Joe Odagiri and Miki Nakatani play supporting roles.
Gaga is also...
Japan’s Gaga Corporation is launching sales on the upcoming Tetsuya Nakashima film The World of Kanako [pictured] starring Koji Yakusho at the European Film Market.
The hit director of Confessions, Memories of Matsuko and Kamikaze Girls is currently in post-production for the film produced by Gaga and Licri.
Gaga is handling sales for Asian territories while Wild Bunch handles the rest. Gaga plans to release the film this summer in Japan.
Based on a mystery novel by Akio Fukamachi, The World of Kanako follows the search for a missing girl through the eyes of her crazed father who begins to realize through the traces she left how little he knew her and his family.
Debuting actress Nana Komatsu plays the missing daughter while Yakusho (13 Assassins) plays the brutal former police detective father. Satoshi Tsumabuki, Joe Odagiri and Miki Nakatani play supporting roles.
Gaga is also...
- 2/6/2014
- by hjnoh2007@gmail.com (Jean Noh)
- ScreenDaily
Takeru Sato and Haruka Ayase are set to star in Rearu kanzennaru kubinagaryu no hi for filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Toyko Sonata). The title of the film translate to ’s sci-fi drama The Day of the Real, Perfect Plesiosaur. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Rokuro Inui [Variety].
Sato will play a neurosurgeon who enters the dreams of his lover (Ayase) – who’s in a coma – to discover why she tried to take her own life. Miki Nakatani, Jo Odagiri, Yutaka Matsushige and Kyoko Koizumi also star.
It’s an intriguing no doubt, made more intriguing by Kurosawa’s involvement. The writer/director made a name for himself over the last 3 decades in Japan, producing everything from pink films in the 80s to the Internet-inspired horror film Pulse to heady, genre-mixing pieces like Toyko Sonata.
As Sonata snagged the Un Certain Regard at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival,...
Sato will play a neurosurgeon who enters the dreams of his lover (Ayase) – who’s in a coma – to discover why she tried to take her own life. Miki Nakatani, Jo Odagiri, Yutaka Matsushige and Kyoko Koizumi also star.
It’s an intriguing no doubt, made more intriguing by Kurosawa’s involvement. The writer/director made a name for himself over the last 3 decades in Japan, producing everything from pink films in the 80s to the Internet-inspired horror film Pulse to heady, genre-mixing pieces like Toyko Sonata.
As Sonata snagged the Un Certain Regard at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival,...
- 7/19/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Ask and you shall receive? Something like that anyway....It was just last month that we openly wondered about what was going on with Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who featured on our What Ever Happened To These 5 Foreign-Language Filmmakers? list, and lo and behold, he's back with a new feature. It has been four long years since "Tokyo Sonata," but going in front of cameras very soon is the fascinatingly titled "The Day Of The Real, Perfect Plesiosaur" ("Rearu kanzennaru kubinagaryu no hi"). No, we don't know what that means either, but the movie itself -- based on the book by Rokuro Inoi -- boasts a typically intriguing premise, telling the story of a neurosurgeon who goes into the subconscious of his coma stricken lover to find out why she attempted suicide. The director's regulars Miki Nakatani, Jo Odagiri, Yutaka Matsushige and Kyoko Koizumi will all feature with Takeru Sato and Haruka Ayase taking the lead roles.
- 7/18/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
A teaser for Emiko Hiramatsu’s upcoming dog movie Himawari to Koinu no Nanokakan has been uploaded to Shochiku’s official channel on YouTube.
Based on a true story, the movie centers around a Shiba Inu dog which is raised by an elderly couple (Isao Natsuyagi and Reiko Kusamura) who abandon it. Possessing a strong survival instinct, the dog manages to stay alive for a week on her own while struggling to protect her three puppies.
Masato Sakai plays an animal welfare center worker and who is raising two children alone since his wife died. When he meets this dog, who risked her own life to protect her puppies, he becomes determined to protect her in kind. The other workers at the center are touched by her motherly instinct too, and name her “Himawari” (Sunflower).
It’s probably worth noting that animal shelters in Japan have an incredibly high euthanasia rate for abandoned dogs,...
Based on a true story, the movie centers around a Shiba Inu dog which is raised by an elderly couple (Isao Natsuyagi and Reiko Kusamura) who abandon it. Possessing a strong survival instinct, the dog manages to stay alive for a week on her own while struggling to protect her three puppies.
Masato Sakai plays an animal welfare center worker and who is raising two children alone since his wife died. When he meets this dog, who risked her own life to protect her puppies, he becomes determined to protect her in kind. The other workers at the center are touched by her motherly instinct too, and name her “Himawari” (Sunflower).
It’s probably worth noting that animal shelters in Japan have an incredibly high euthanasia rate for abandoned dogs,...
- 6/22/2012
- Nippon Cinema
We won't waste too much time on the American box office today as it's the usual stories: an animated film tops the charts (don't make me say the name), Bridesmaid barely dipped and Midnight in Paris is zooming up the "all time Woody Allen lists". On this last bit I wish we had "adjusted for inflation" charts at the ready. Those inevitable stories about it passing Hannah and Her Sisters at the box office are going to be annoying because $40 million in 1986 is a helluva lot more ticket-buying action than $41 million in 2011, you know? I'm guessing that Annie Hall, which really captured mainstream attention, would reign supreme if you adjusted for inflation. [updated: yep, Annie Hall is #1]
And yes I normally do a new drawing for the box office but I hate drawing cars and the only picture I'd like to conjure in that realm is Cars 2's "Mater" squished flat in a compactor.
And yes I normally do a new drawing for the box office but I hate drawing cars and the only picture I'd like to conjure in that realm is Cars 2's "Mater" squished flat in a compactor.
- 6/27/2011
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Eita plays a lazy student, Sho Kawajiri, who discovers that he has a recently deceased aunt named Matsuko (Miki Nakatani). Matsuko has been murdered and her body found near to her flat. Sho looks through the detritus left in her flat and gradually, through a series of flashbacks, her story and everything that has led to this point is revealed.
Matsuko struggles as a child with the feeling that her father cares more for her sick sister Kumi than he does for her and she therefore retreats inwards, relying heavily on trying to make him smile by pulling a silly face. She even gets to the point where she can’t stop pulling the face, putting her in tricky and tense situations.
Growing into a beautiful woman Matsuko becomes a teacher but after trying to protect a student she is fired and her world begins to collapse. The remainder of...
Matsuko struggles as a child with the feeling that her father cares more for her sick sister Kumi than he does for her and she therefore retreats inwards, relying heavily on trying to make him smile by pulling a silly face. She even gets to the point where she can’t stop pulling the face, putting her in tricky and tense situations.
Growing into a beautiful woman Matsuko becomes a teacher but after trying to protect a student she is fired and her world begins to collapse. The remainder of...
- 2/18/2011
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
On Thursday, an official website for Yoshishige Miyake’s upcoming film Hankyu Densha was launched with a teaser and full trailer.
Based on a novel by Hiro Arikawa which sold over 240,000 copies, the film uses the 15-minute, one-way Hankyu Imazu Line as the backdrop for several characters dealing with various issues in their lives. Miki Nakatani stars as an office worker in her 30s whose fiance is stolen away by a younger co-worker while Erika Toda plays a young college student with a good-for-nothing boyfriend. Other cast members include Nobuko Miyamoto, Mana Ashida, Kaho Minami, Mitsuki Tanimura, Kasumi Arimura, Ryo Katsuji, Tetsuji Tamayama, Yu Koyanagi, and Saki Aibu.
Toho will be releasing “Hankyu Densha” in Japan on April 23, 2011.
Based on a novel by Hiro Arikawa which sold over 240,000 copies, the film uses the 15-minute, one-way Hankyu Imazu Line as the backdrop for several characters dealing with various issues in their lives. Miki Nakatani stars as an office worker in her 30s whose fiance is stolen away by a younger co-worker while Erika Toda plays a young college student with a good-for-nothing boyfriend. Other cast members include Nobuko Miyamoto, Mana Ashida, Kaho Minami, Mitsuki Tanimura, Kasumi Arimura, Ryo Katsuji, Tetsuji Tamayama, Yu Koyanagi, and Saki Aibu.
Toho will be releasing “Hankyu Densha” in Japan on April 23, 2011.
- 2/11/2011
- Nippon Cinema
One of the wonderful things about independent home video labels is that they are able to champion individual filmmakers in a way that major studios have no interest in doing. Arrow Video has taken an interest in giving Argento, Romero, and Fulci their due; while Severin Films had their sights set on making the films of Jess Franco, Walerian Borowcyzk, and Joe D'Amato the credit they deserve. Third Window Films is also determined to help bring some of their favorite directors some exposure, even if the Western world hasn't yet discovered them. When I spoke to Third Window's Adam Torel, he gave me three names of filmmakers/auteurs that he really stood behind with his label, and those three are Tetsuya Nakashima, Sion Sono, and Miki Satoshi. The first two should be names not unfamiliar to many Twitch readers, Nakashima's Kamikaze Girls and Sono's Love Exposure, among others, are some...
- 12/24/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Memories of Matsuko
Starring Miki Natkatani, Eita, Yusuke Iseya
Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima
Not Rated
If Kaleidoscopes could talk- (and sing)- they’d be the offbeat and quirky tragicomedy, Memories of Matsuko. This swiftly paced, jump-cutting musical film seems in, the first few scenes, like a head-long dive through the mind of an emotionally detached, music-video addicted adolescent. Instead, the film elicits torn feelings of contempt, irritation and wonder as it arrives, singing and dancing, at the core of tragedy, and all the blood spattered, rainbow-hued redemption therein. The Japanese film is based on a the novel of the same name by Muneki Yamada . Worth watching, Memories of Matsuko induces a kind of critical bi-polar state as it shifts between styles, genres and points of view.
Memories of Matsuko recounts the heatbreaking life of an innocent and idealistic former junior high school teacher, Matsuko Kawajiri (Miki Nakatani), as it...
Starring Miki Natkatani, Eita, Yusuke Iseya
Directed by Tetsuya Nakashima
Not Rated
If Kaleidoscopes could talk- (and sing)- they’d be the offbeat and quirky tragicomedy, Memories of Matsuko. This swiftly paced, jump-cutting musical film seems in, the first few scenes, like a head-long dive through the mind of an emotionally detached, music-video addicted adolescent. Instead, the film elicits torn feelings of contempt, irritation and wonder as it arrives, singing and dancing, at the core of tragedy, and all the blood spattered, rainbow-hued redemption therein. The Japanese film is based on a the novel of the same name by Muneki Yamada . Worth watching, Memories of Matsuko induces a kind of critical bi-polar state as it shifts between styles, genres and points of view.
Memories of Matsuko recounts the heatbreaking life of an innocent and idealistic former junior high school teacher, Matsuko Kawajiri (Miki Nakatani), as it...
- 10/23/2010
- by Melanee Murray
- GetTheBigPicture.net
... and that will be Hitoshi Yazaki's Sweet Little Lies starring Miki Nakatani (Memories of Matsuko)
So if you're on this side of the world - one of the longest running film festivals in Singapore, the Japanese Film Festival, is slated to begin this Thursday August 19th to 29th. Presented by The Embassy of Japan and the Singapore Film Society, this edition will comprise of more than 30 Singapore premieres of groundbreaking Japanese classics, independent cinema and award winning titles that offer a rare glimpse into the Japanese film history, its culture and its filmmakers' commentaries on the joys and perils of Youth, the festival's theme this year.
Related Links
Official Festival Website with information about ticket sales, films, schedules and other Festival news and updates
FaceBook
Twitter
YouTube...
So if you're on this side of the world - one of the longest running film festivals in Singapore, the Japanese Film Festival, is slated to begin this Thursday August 19th to 29th. Presented by The Embassy of Japan and the Singapore Film Society, this edition will comprise of more than 30 Singapore premieres of groundbreaking Japanese classics, independent cinema and award winning titles that offer a rare glimpse into the Japanese film history, its culture and its filmmakers' commentaries on the joys and perils of Youth, the festival's theme this year.
Related Links
Official Festival Website with information about ticket sales, films, schedules and other Festival news and updates
YouTube...
- 8/16/2010
- Screen Anarchy
[Our thanks to Chris Bourne for this review.]
"Whether you're together or alone, it's lonely." This line delivered by an elderly woman (Akiko Kazami) could also have been spoken by any of the other characters of Hitoshi Yazaki's Sweet Little Lies, as ruthless a dissection of marriage as Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage. The film's title expresses the deceptions necessary to keep up appearances for the outside world, especially when it comes to intimate relationships. The title also refers to the deceptions within these relationships, avoiding the painful truths that, if spoken aloud, can destroy cherished illusions.
To all outside observers, Ruriko (Miki Nakatani), a teddy bear designer/gallery artist, and Satoshi (Nao Omori), an It professional, is a happy, serenely blissful couple. But peer a little closer, and that illusion quickly shatters. They live basically separate lives, only meeting for breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. When they are home, Satoshi...
"Whether you're together or alone, it's lonely." This line delivered by an elderly woman (Akiko Kazami) could also have been spoken by any of the other characters of Hitoshi Yazaki's Sweet Little Lies, as ruthless a dissection of marriage as Ingmar Bergman's Scenes from a Marriage. The film's title expresses the deceptions necessary to keep up appearances for the outside world, especially when it comes to intimate relationships. The title also refers to the deceptions within these relationships, avoiding the painful truths that, if spoken aloud, can destroy cherished illusions.
To all outside observers, Ruriko (Miki Nakatani), a teddy bear designer/gallery artist, and Satoshi (Nao Omori), an It professional, is a happy, serenely blissful couple. But peer a little closer, and that illusion quickly shatters. They live basically separate lives, only meeting for breakfast in the morning and dinner in the evening. When they are home, Satoshi...
- 7/17/2010
- Screen Anarchy
I remember watching the 1961 black and white version of Zero Focus a long time ago thinking, 'this needs an update.' The Hitchcockian premise was very intriguing: a man disappears during his business trip leaving his young wife distressed and confused. She travels to the snow country up north to find the missing husband and digs up some ugly past while dead bodies turning up around her. But it was visually bland and lacked any kind of suspense. So it was a nice surprise to see the remake on this year's Japan Cuts line-up.
The film is an epic. It begins with stock footage of the destroyed post-war Japan, then seamlessly moves into the economic-boom era of the 50s with impeccable periodic detail. Director Isshin Inudo here crafted a sumptuous picture of the bygone era Japan seldom seen in contemporary films.
The year is 1957. A naïve, young wife Teiko (Ryoko Hirosue...
The film is an epic. It begins with stock footage of the destroyed post-war Japan, then seamlessly moves into the economic-boom era of the 50s with impeccable periodic detail. Director Isshin Inudo here crafted a sumptuous picture of the bygone era Japan seldom seen in contemporary films.
The year is 1957. A naïve, young wife Teiko (Ryoko Hirosue...
- 7/11/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Tokyo fest rolls out red carpet
TOKYO -- The 20th annual Tokyo International Film Festival kicks off with an opening reception today and begins in earnest Saturday night with a red-carpet event that officially launches the nine-day event.
The opening film, the premiere of Shochiku/Universal Japan co-production "Midnight Eagle", tells the story of a stealth bomber that goes missing in the mountains of northern Japan. Directed by Izuru Narushim and starring Takao Osawa, Yuko Takeuchi and Hiroshi Tamaki, it was made with the help of the Japanese military.
The closing film, "Silk", is a collaborative venture of Japan, Italy and Canada. Directed by Francois Girard, "Silk" is the story of a married silk trader who is drawn to a mysterious Japanese woman from a nobleman's court. Set in Japan and based on a novel by Alessandro Baricco, it stars Keira Knightley, Michael Pitt, Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho.
A jury of six, led by Alan Ladd Jr., will select the winner of the festival's main competition, the $50,000 Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix, as well as a $20,000 Special Jury Prize.
The opening film, the premiere of Shochiku/Universal Japan co-production "Midnight Eagle", tells the story of a stealth bomber that goes missing in the mountains of northern Japan. Directed by Izuru Narushim and starring Takao Osawa, Yuko Takeuchi and Hiroshi Tamaki, it was made with the help of the Japanese military.
The closing film, "Silk", is a collaborative venture of Japan, Italy and Canada. Directed by Francois Girard, "Silk" is the story of a married silk trader who is drawn to a mysterious Japanese woman from a nobleman's court. Set in Japan and based on a novel by Alessandro Baricco, it stars Keira Knightley, Michael Pitt, Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho.
A jury of six, led by Alan Ladd Jr., will select the winner of the festival's main competition, the $50,000 Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix, as well as a $20,000 Special Jury Prize.
- 10/19/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
'Silk' set to close Tokyo fest
TOKYO - Continuing its theme of emphasizing joint productions, the Tokyo International Film Festival will close with the three-nation collaboration "Silk".
Directed by Quebec's Francois Girard and starring Keira Knightly, Michael Pitt, Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho, "Silk" is an adaptation of the novel by Alessandro Baricco. Set in 19th-century Japan, it is the tale of a married silk trader who is drawn to a mysterious Japanese woman from a nobleman's court.
"We decided this film would be the best choice for the closing screening of this year's festival because it's on such a larger scale than other films, and it's gorgeous," said Ryoko Koyama, a spokeswoman for the festival.
"One of the key themes for this year's TIFF is collaboration, which this film demonstrates as a joint work between Japan, Italy and Canada," she said.
This year's festival runs October 20th and 28th, and opens with another joint project, the action title "Midnight Eagle", which brings together Shochiku and Universal Japan.
Directed by Quebec's Francois Girard and starring Keira Knightly, Michael Pitt, Miki Nakatani and Koji Yakusho, "Silk" is an adaptation of the novel by Alessandro Baricco. Set in 19th-century Japan, it is the tale of a married silk trader who is drawn to a mysterious Japanese woman from a nobleman's court.
"We decided this film would be the best choice for the closing screening of this year's festival because it's on such a larger scale than other films, and it's gorgeous," said Ryoko Koyama, a spokeswoman for the festival.
"One of the key themes for this year's TIFF is collaboration, which this film demonstrates as a joint work between Japan, Italy and Canada," she said.
This year's festival runs October 20th and 28th, and opens with another joint project, the action title "Midnight Eagle", which brings together Shochiku and Universal Japan.
- 9/4/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chaos
Opens Friday, March 7
New York
A convoluted, time-twisting, sexually tinged thriller that owes more than a small debt to "Vertigo", Hideo Nakata's "Chaos" is the sort of intellectual cinematic parlor game that will best appeal to those who like their mysteries as complicated as possible. Resembling "Memento" in its intricacies if not its elegance, the film has already been slotted for an American remake directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Robert De Niro and Benicio Del Toro. No doubt, the complexities of its plot will be somewhat smoothed out for domestic consumption. The film is currently playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Cinema Village.
The story begins simply enough, with the kidnapping of the wife of a successful Japanese businessman after the two have had lunch together in a restaurant. We soon learn, however, that the kidnapping is a ruse, staged by Satomi (Miki Nakatani), the wife, with the aid of her handyman Takayuki (Ken Mitsuishi) to better test the fidelity of her husband Goro (Masato Hagiwara). Showing up at Takayuki's house after the "abduction," she willingly submits to his suggestion that he tie her up, with the inevitable kinky sex resulting. But even here, things are not quite what they seem, with the plot further evolving into a nearly indecipherable morass of twists, double-crosses and illusions.
Complicating matters even further, the story is told in nonchronological fashion, providing only the subtlest of hints to clue us in as to the sudden shifts in time. The results demand the closest of attention, with even the most attentive viewers likely to become lost at some point, though the numerous homages to "Vertigo" provide handy reference points.
Ultimately, the willful obfuscation becomes more frustrating than entertaining, and director Nakata ("Ringu" and "Ringu 2") fails to provide enough of a visual style or sustained mood to sustain interest. Not helping matters are the inexpressive performances by the male leads. The beautiful Nakatani, however, demonstrates that she has what it takes to be a femme fatale in the best noir tradition.
CHAOS
A Kino International release
Tidepoint Pictures/Viz Films and Kino International
Credits:
Director: Hideo Nakata
Screenwriter: Hisashi Saito
Producers: Takeo Kodero, Satoshi Kanno, Kimio Hara
Executive producer: Naoki Kai
Director of photography: Tokusho Kikimura
Music: Kenji Kawai
Cast:
Goro Kuroda: Masato Hagiwara
Satomi Tsushima: Miki Nakatani
Takayuki Komiyama: Ken Mitsuishi
Detective Hamaguchi: Jun Kunimura
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating...
New York
A convoluted, time-twisting, sexually tinged thriller that owes more than a small debt to "Vertigo", Hideo Nakata's "Chaos" is the sort of intellectual cinematic parlor game that will best appeal to those who like their mysteries as complicated as possible. Resembling "Memento" in its intricacies if not its elegance, the film has already been slotted for an American remake directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Robert De Niro and Benicio Del Toro. No doubt, the complexities of its plot will be somewhat smoothed out for domestic consumption. The film is currently playing an exclusive theatrical engagement at New York's Cinema Village.
The story begins simply enough, with the kidnapping of the wife of a successful Japanese businessman after the two have had lunch together in a restaurant. We soon learn, however, that the kidnapping is a ruse, staged by Satomi (Miki Nakatani), the wife, with the aid of her handyman Takayuki (Ken Mitsuishi) to better test the fidelity of her husband Goro (Masato Hagiwara). Showing up at Takayuki's house after the "abduction," she willingly submits to his suggestion that he tie her up, with the inevitable kinky sex resulting. But even here, things are not quite what they seem, with the plot further evolving into a nearly indecipherable morass of twists, double-crosses and illusions.
Complicating matters even further, the story is told in nonchronological fashion, providing only the subtlest of hints to clue us in as to the sudden shifts in time. The results demand the closest of attention, with even the most attentive viewers likely to become lost at some point, though the numerous homages to "Vertigo" provide handy reference points.
Ultimately, the willful obfuscation becomes more frustrating than entertaining, and director Nakata ("Ringu" and "Ringu 2") fails to provide enough of a visual style or sustained mood to sustain interest. Not helping matters are the inexpressive performances by the male leads. The beautiful Nakatani, however, demonstrates that she has what it takes to be a femme fatale in the best noir tradition.
CHAOS
A Kino International release
Tidepoint Pictures/Viz Films and Kino International
Credits:
Director: Hideo Nakata
Screenwriter: Hisashi Saito
Producers: Takeo Kodero, Satoshi Kanno, Kimio Hara
Executive producer: Naoki Kai
Director of photography: Tokusho Kikimura
Music: Kenji Kawai
Cast:
Goro Kuroda: Masato Hagiwara
Satomi Tsushima: Miki Nakatani
Takayuki Komiyama: Ken Mitsuishi
Detective Hamaguchi: Jun Kunimura
Running time -- 104 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 3/7/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.