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Reviews
Terry Tate, Office Linebacker (2002)
In one office a football player is employed. What is his role?
This film is based on a simple but impressive idea; what happens if there is a threatening football player in an office? In 3 or 4 minutes, the film lets office linebacker 'Terry Tate' run around all over the office. Although our eyes tend to be glued to Terry's powerful movement, if you turn your eyes to the others scolded by him, you may be aware that some of them show rather powerful and funny reactions. Their reactions are also vital elements for the film. As to the film's pace, a scene immediately turns to another scene, and it glues audiences to the screen. Film-makers substantiate the foolish idea with their serious face. For example, the CEO answers the interview seriously, saying that the productivity increases after Terry comes. In addition, other office workers take his running for granted, and they say hello to him even when he is scolding someone loudly. Let's watch Terry's activity.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Darius, an intern in a newspaper company, gets interested in a classified ads, that says 'WANTED: Someone to go back in time with.'
What makes this film different from other films of time-travel, is that emphasis is put on the process to time-travel. In other words, while other time-travel movies begin with getting on time machines, the film starts at a different point and ends with getting on the machine. It is interesting that while the SF element is an important pillar of the movie, non-SF scenes take much longer time than it. The title 'Safety Not Guaranteed' doesn't give off SF color, but in terms of impression of titles, the Japanese title 'Kanojo-ha (She is) part-time-traveler' is different from the English one. Anyway, the story goes on and extends without mentioning the SF element. It may be said that the main part of the story is interaction between characters. What the film describes is not thrilling SF story but thrilling and warm human story. On the other hand, in the final part of the movie, the SF element comes out and it heightens audiences' feeling. Watch it and make sure whether the time-travel is done or not.
Three Days in Kamakura (2012)
In the daily life of childless international couple, there appears a boy who is half-Japanese and half-Western.
First, what is described under the cloudy sky of Kamakura, is a kind of chronic sadness beginning with the person who annoys the couple by doing a little thing. It makes an impressive contrast with the funny and cheerful behavior of the husband when on duty. It also makes a remarkable contrast when the scene turns from the cheerful to the sad one. Suddenly, in the daily life of couple having, there appears a boy, who is half-Japanese and half-Western. The boy gives something like warmth to the couple, and they gradually get back something lost in their life. Their interactions seem to express that. While the domestic atmosphere is getting better, news from radio is giving off threatening air and the anxiety is getting higher. Also in these scenes, some contrasts are created between the threatening situation and the innocent boy. See this film and make sure how the story ends.
Fish Out of Water (2005)
A man goes to work avoiding crowd by rowing, but his comfortable commute is threatened.
What I felt at the beginning of this film is a longing for commuting by boat without being annoyed by congestion. Going to work in this way will be pleasant like bicycle commuting, so it is natural that the time until arriving at the office turns enjoyable and one starts work with refreshed feeling. The audiences may wonder so, and that's why they feel sympathy with the man when he gets worried by the thing which threatens his comfortable boat commuting. One of what I think the most effective elements of the film is a woman who is always sitting around the place where the man gets off of his boat. She usually smiles to him at the time of his arriving, but her reaction changes as the state of his commute changes. It is not only his face but also hers that expresses the change of atmosphere accompanying the changing situation. Can he get back his relaxing commute? The ending will open your eyes.
The Gift (2010)
A mailman with a serious face is carrying a silver box. What is the box?
One thing that entertains me is the mysteries of this film; why is the mailman checked by means of the test on his tongue and what does the box contain? The mystery which remains a mystery made me think about this and that. The story unfolds leaving me behind, and it produces a kind of tension. Coupled with white snow backgrounds in which one won't see something living, the tension continues getting higher, and it glued my eyes to the screen. Other entertaining elements which take me to the other world is, for example, the combination of the present-day houses and the future-like technology seen in some places and scenes. The gap between them brings about unreality, and it seems to increase the mysteries. Although the gap is an effective element, it also seems unnatural; especially, the robot may look too high-technological. It is possible that the unnaturalness leads to funniness and breaks the serious mood on this film. However, I'm sure that the film is one which I can't take my eyes off of.
Whacked (1998)
One day in a city there happens a strange incident that people walking there suddenly fall down one after another.
One day in a city there happens a strange incident that people walking there suddenly fall down one after another. What brought about such circumstance? Poisoned meal? Bio terrorism? Or
? Anyway, the scene cuts to the place where a man is working. This film starts with anxiety or terror of something invisible. The cause of the incident will turn out to be what may seem foolish, but once we become aware of the fact that such a foolish idea can lead to such a serious situation, the anxiety and the terror may come to us again. It can be said that the core of the film is the idea connecting walking people's sudden falling down with a man's working, and the gap between the idea and one's expectation for the situation. Coupled with the man's life with something frightening, the gap knocked me out and will strike you out. This is a kind of comical, but fearful story.
Father and Daughter (2000)
A daughter, who lost her father when she was young, wants to meet him and over and over again goes to the place where they met last.
The element which moved me the most is the transition of seasons and years described by simple lines and light colors. The colors seem to bring about something like nostalgia. At the same time I felt that she feels some lack in her life. Because of the lack, although she gets happiness of life such as family, her mind is sometimes somewhere else. It is expressed also by music going smoothly. Human life in general is never monotonous in that one experiences a variety of events; he/she is raised by his/her parents, goes to a school, works in a company, gets married, and so forth. Though her life is also never monotonous, it seems that life without father for her is just what passes by. The simple and light paintings made such an impression on me. Even if the film was composed of only the transition of the scenery, I could get satisfaction from its beauty. However, it includes more insights and impressed me more than I had expected. I could watch it again and again.