 Japanese Movies : Movies on Japan
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Japanese cinema: Japanese and Japan-related movie reviews, feature articles, interviews and DVD sales.
Tokyo Story, Lost in Translation, The Last Samurai, Kill Bill, Firefly Dreams, The Laborer, The Matrix Reloaded, Zatoichi, Twilight Samurai, Fear And Trembling, The Fog Of War, Memoirs of a Geisha, Tony Takitani, Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball, Heart Beating in the Dark, Starfish Hotel, Letters From Iwo Jima, The Laborer, Black Rain, Cyber City Oedo 808, Yojimbo, Tokyo Godfathers, Castle in the Sky, Ran, Throne of Blood, My Neighbor Totoro, Tales From Earthsea, Grave of the Fireflies, Porco Rosso, Empire of the Sun, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Afro Samurai, Princess Mononoke, Sonatine, The Cat Returns, Tokyo Ga, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Nippon Connection, Godzilla, AKB48, AKB48 Show Must Go On, Norwegian Wood
Vietnamese director Tran Ahn Hung's attempt at a film version of Haruki Murakami's famed novel Noruwei no mori suggests why, apart from the clearly well-founded reticence of Murakami himself, so few of his books have been turned into movies, and even these slow to be English-subtitled. (Tony Takitani, based on the short story of the same name, is the only other attempted to date, and I found that a pretty indifferent work.) In short, not a lot happens in the movie, and what does is desperately titivated and over-dramatised in an attempt to make up for the lack of Murakami's lovelorn narrator.
Norwegian Wood Review by Richard Donovan, June 2012
When I mentioned the world changing in the course of a year, I hadn't anticipated this moment of the opening scenes---AKB48 members look out the window of a bus to the devastation and ruins of houses and towns from the March 11th Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami. The movie begins with the camera following their relief effort visit to the affected areas of the great earthquake that shook the Northeast of Japan in 2011, and is punctuated by interviews with members about how the events of the past year effected them and their dreams.
AKB48 Documentary Review by Joanne G. Yoshida, February 2012
Even though the audience is mostly boys, to me it didn't seem that the girls/ young women, are performing just for them. Rather I had a sense they are discovering themselves through their careers as performers.
What makes their energy exciting is the way their genuine curiosity, dedication, and talent pour out in to tightly choreographed yet expressive performances.
AKB48 Documentary Review by Joanne G. Yoshida, February 2011
Bringing Godzilla Down to Size is a special feature on the DVD release of the 1956 monster classic Rodan/War of the Gargantuas directed by Honda Ishiro, the same man who also directed the first Godzilla.
Monsterland was produced for German / French TV channel ARTE and aired in Europe repeatedly in 2009.
Godzilla Documentaries Review by Johannes Schonherr, January 2010
Nippon Connection Film Festival takes place annually in mid-April and is the largest festival of Japanese cinema worldwide.
Film Festival Review by Johannes Schonherr, September 2009
Fast, loud, and cheap drifting thrills from LA to the smokin' streets of Tokyo.
Film Review by Vance Cross, November 2008
Wim Wender's tribute to Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu and the city of Tokyo.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, March 2008
Directed by Hiroyuki Morita and released in 2002 from the awesome Studio Ghibli.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, March 2008
A violent yet thoughtful gangster drama played out in Okinawa, this 1993 movie remains probably Takeshi Kitano's best.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, March 2008
A powerful and imaginative Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli classic.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, February 2008
Afro Samurai created by Takashi Okazaki and voiced by Samuel L. Jackson the anime is set in a parallel universe, where only two items matter: The Number One headband and the Number Two headband.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, February 2008
Isao Takahata's movie is one of the most original-looking animated features ever made.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, February 2008
Steven Spielberg classic war film with a first film role for a young Christian Bale.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, February 2008
Studio Ghibli's movie about the adventures of an ace pig pilot in the lead up to the Second World War.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, August 2007
Studio Ghibli's Isao Takahata's stirring and moving portrayal of war.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, August 2007
Writer-director son of Hayao Miyazaki, Goro Miyazaki makes a mixed debut.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, August 2007
Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki's animation masterpiece.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, August 2007
Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in the fog and gore of feudal Japan and starring Toshiro Mifune and Isuzu Yamada.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, August 2007
Akira Kurosawa's epic samurai interpretation of Shakespeare's King Lear transferred to 16th century Japan and the "Warring States" period, starring Tatsuya Nakadai and Akira Terao.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, July 2007
Could this 1986 film be one of the greatest animated features of all time? It surely must be in the running. Studio Ghibli, under the auspices of co-founder and brilliant writer-director Hayao Miyazaki, is a force of nature in the world of cinema.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, July 2007
Tokyo Godfathers is heart-warming and entertaining animation set at Christmas time in modern-day Tokyo when a trio of homeless characters discover an abandoned baby.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, July 2007
Yojimbo a classic samurai movie directed by Akira Kurasawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. Yojimbo influenced such Hollywood movies as A Fistful of Dollars and Last Man Standing.
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, June 2007
Cyber City Oedo 808 a fantastic new cyber-punk anime created by Yoshiaki Kawajiri (a talent that was respected enough to contribute to The Animatrix). This is a review of the first three files (or episodes).
Film Review by Hemanth Kissoon, June 2007
Rodosha (The Laborer) is a short film set in Japan that is a cautionary tale about defining your life by your work. Tetsuya is already working consecutive nights of overtime when his friend drags him along to a party to meet some girls.
Film Review by Richard Donovan, April 2007
Letters From Iwo Jima - veteran director Clint Eastwood goes behind "enemy" lines to portray the inner lives of the Japanese soldiers defending a tiny island in the Pacific.
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, March 2007
Starfish Hotel is a film of alternate and alternative worlds, and as such it could be otherly titled Arisu in Darkland.
Film Review by Richard Donovan, December 2006
Heart, Beating in the Dark A young couple are on the run after killing their baby.
Heart, Beating in the Dark is a uniquely disturbing film, it is not the horrific crimes of the past which catch up with the protagonists, but a guilty future.
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, November 2006
Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball is a insightful look at Japan's summer baseball tournament.
Film Review by C. Ogawa, July 2006
Tony Takitani Skewed a few degrees away from reality, this is a trancelike film.
Tony Takitani based on the book by Haruki Murakami and directed by Jun Ichikawa, starring Issey Ogata and Rie Miyazawa.
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, June 2006
Memoirs of a Geisha based on the book by Arthur Golden and directed by Rob Marshall, starring Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li.
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, Feb 2006
Memoirs of a Geisha based on the book by Arthur Golden and directed by Rob Marshall, starring Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li.
Film Review by Richard Donovan, Dec 2005
Fear And Trembling written and directed by Alain Corneau; starring Sylvie Testud, Kaori Tsuji, Taro Suwa
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, Sept 2004
The Fog Of War Director Errol Morris Academy Award Winning Documentary
The Fog Of War 2004 Oscar winning domunentary directed by Errol Morris; based on interviews with former US Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara.
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, Sept 2004
Twilight Samurai Director Yoji Yamada's Gritty Samurai Tale
Twilight Samurai written and directed by Yoji Yamada; starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, May 2004
Zatoichi Director Kitano Takeshi's Stylish Samurai Masterpiece
Zatoichi written and directed by Takeshi Kitano; starring Takeshi Kitano, Takanobu Asano
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, April 2004
Tokyo Story Director Yasujiro Ozu's Masterpiece
Tokyo Story written and directed by Ozu Yasujiro; starring Chishu Ryu; 2003 DVD re-release
Film Review by Joe Sinclair, March 2004
Lost in Translation written and directed by Sofia Coppola; 2003 release
Film Review by Owen Grieb, October 2003
The Last Samurai directed by Edward Zwick, produced by Tom Cruise; 2003 release
Film Review by Owen Grieb, December 2003
Kill Bill Explodes on the Screen
Kill Bill directed by Quentin Tarantino; 2003 release
Film Review by Owen Grieb, October 2003
Firefly Dreams directed by John Williams; 2001 release
Prizes include: 2001 Hawaii International Film Festival, International Competition: Prize for Excellence 2001 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, International Competition: NETPAC Prize
Film Review by Richard Donovan, October 2003
The Matrix Reloaded written & directed by Larry & Andy Wachowski; 2003 release
Film Review by Richard Donovan, June 2003
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