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Perfect Days (2023)
A Poetry in Motion
This movie is one of the best I've seen in recent times and certainly in 2023. The simplicity yet poignant storyline has almost an "Ozu" like effect. Every aspect of the movie, may it be storyline, soundtrack, cinematography, acting underlines the low tone. The acting particularly that of protagonist played by Kofi Yakusho has very few dialogues. The silent acting with subdued expressions are impactful. The dream sequences are poetries by itself. We are kept in the dark by the protagonist's past, which is appropriate. The character lives in the present and the small bounties of the world and his romanticism with nature are the main aspects of his character. The central theme in the movie is "Now is Now" a phrase used in the film itself. The protagonist is an intellectual by himself in spite of the menial job that he is performing with fullest of professionalism. This is in contrast with the character of Takashi who is completely on the other side of the world. He is leaving in mundane world more worried about wooing his girlfriend; late in his job and lazy. He is not ashamed of taking advantage of the sweet nature of his supervisor and later dumping him perhaps for a better life. In contrast the protagonist finds solace and happiness in his day to day mundane and repetitive chores and in his small world. This amply shows that real happiness is not hard to find if one knows how to look. Going back to his past only thing we know that he has an ailing father, perhaps suffering from some disease like amnesia and he had some unpleasant experiences with him. That is enough for us. It is enough for us to know that he has a sister, who apparently is well off and a loving niece. His sister doesn't discuss about him with others but there is a clear indication that she is still harbouring a soft corner for him. Considering this, the character of niece is perhaps a bit unidimensional.
The editing of the movie is extremely smart. The dream sequences are smartly juxtaposed with the flow, and the dreams change with the "present" experiences. The dreams when he is leaving alone are different from when he briefly lived with his niece and change when he encountered the homeless on his way home.
The songs selected for the movie are completely in line with the tone of the movie. His love for old cassettes and the songs blend with his view of life expertly. Given the madness towards streaming media in the present day world the songs and the use of cassettes along with the music shops is refreshing. Takes us to the world where we used to enjoy these simple things - these were the sources of our happiness.
The cinematography needs a special mention. Moving away from the world of technology and sophisticated camera techniques the simple use of camera underlines the low tone. All shots are direct without too much of low angles, high angles, low shots, high shots, special lenses, etc. But this has perhaps added to the aesthetics of the movie.
There is perhaps not enough praiseworthy words for the acting. This is my first movie acted by Yakusho. I will follow his career from here onwards for sure. Rest of the actors (and there are not too many) have justified their characters to the perfection. The way it should be. The way we can imagine the character to behave. Very apt, nothing extraordinary and over the line. And this is what makes every character so lovable. They all resonate ourselves, irrespective of our language, nationality, religion, cast, creed, etc.
The only place I felt that the film could have done a little better (and for that I've rated it 8/10 instead of a perfect 10 - btw to me nothing is perfect, there is always a small element of improvement area) is shorten the length a bit. It is not that it has devalued the movie in any way, but a smarter production was a possibility.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Too much to digest with vampires as protagonists
I am on a spate of watching Jim Jaramusch's film lately. Watched almost all of his major titles. But this one left me disappointed.
One of the hallmark of Jim Jaramusch's plot is the human relations and their intricacies. The epitome of such a depiction can be viewed in Coffee and Cigarettes, Mystery train. Even his other titles like Dead Man (with its unbound lyricism) and Down by Law speaks about characters and their relationships. "Only Lovers Left Alive" is also essentially a narrative about relationships; but lo not of humans but Vampires! The vampires who live for centuries (even Christopher Marlow, a vampire. Just imagine!) and feast on pure human blood - this is too much to digest. Jim Jaramusch's style and depiction and lyricism are all present here, no mistake of that. But the fantasy is perhaps too wild. Vampires who are gifted musicians and super brilliant and sharpest minds form the essential characters!
On the positive aspects of this film - Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston have done full justice to their cast. I cannot imagine anyone playing these characters better. Musical scores are soothing to the ears. But on the whole the movie is too much into fantasy and that too with vampires which is hard to fathom.
Hitori musuko (1936)
Simplicity at its best
Like any other Ozu movie Hitori Musuko's appeal is in its simplicity and universality. There is no element of surprise in the movie. Perhaps every scene and sequence in the narrative is predictable. Why? Because the same scenes, in almost the same sequence are repeated in our day to day lives. The characters in Ozu's movies can be seen all around us. This is irrespective of any age, country, religion, cast, creed, color or to say simply this transcends any human boundary. This is the beauty of Ozu. It's universality. Doesn't this movie or Tokyo Story (1953) tell the same story? The story of life. The humanity. There is no good or bad in his movies. No heroes or villains. No character in black and white. Everyone is born with weaknesses and strengths. These are the aspects that form the basis of Ozu's movie. All can recognize the characters from their daily lives.
I am also enraptured by his style, use of camera, music. So subtle, poetic that it merely mimics this simplicity. I feel that Ozu's movies will have appeal as long as there will be life on earth. Because he portrays the universal truth through his camera, narrative, musical scores. And that truth is nothing but humanity.
Seppuku (1962)
A slap on Bushida code of conduct or similar ethical codes of bravery
Harakiri. By Kobayasahi is undoubtedly one of the best movies on Samurai genre The way it deviates from the other movies is that instead of showing the valour and values of a Samurai warrior it shows the futility of this valour and code of conduct and emptiness of its values. Although this is a period movie from 1630, the universality of the theme can never be missed. This questions the present days' idea of honour that is expected from the soldiers and civilians alike and unfaltering loyalty towards the codes of conduct that bind them together. This movie challenges this very idea.
The cinematography, set design, actings, musical scores are excellent. But these aspects do not make this movie special. The story and the boldness to voice it through such a beautiful and heartbreaking narrative are the sources of greatness of this movie. This will no doubt hold a very high place in the eons of world movie.
CODA (2021)
An emotional drama touching on sensitive subject
The film deserves a good rating because of the sensitive and very relevant topic discussed. Many who are born of deaf parents would be able to relate themselves and with the challenges the protagonist experienced. However remaining storyline of the movie is an ordinary drama with a happy and too predictable ending that is expected to make the watcher feel good. The actings have been good. The musical scores are pleasing to ears. Cinematography is also ok. Direction is decent. On the whole I would have rated the movie easily 8 or 9 for the topic and the score. The rest does not deserve more than 6 though. Hence the overall rating averages out to 7.
Hotaru no haka (1988)
An unparalleled surreal experience
I came across the name of this movie while reading the book on Great Movies by Roger Ebert. When I watched the movie the experience was like a beautiful dream. Has there been any more lyrical with hard realism portrayed before? This can very easily claim its position amongst the greatest movies ever presented to the likes of All Quiet on the Western Front or Pather Panchali (Song of the Road). The fact that it has not really amazes me. Is it because it's an anime? Or perhaps it's from a country which has not been known beyond Kurosawa, Ozu or Mizoguchi or likes of them?
The beauty of Hora no haka does not lie in the fact that it shows realism. Nor in that it shows the effects of war on common man and thus humane in nature. Nor because it's simplicity as if viewing through the POV of two kids - one in his early teens and his sister who is barely perhaps 5 years old. It's about all of these told in a most poetic way.
The director Isao Takahata's masterstroke is to create an anime instead of a feature film. He perhaps couldn't have depicted the wide range of emotions of the characters, particularly the two children in a better way had it been anything else. The anime has provided the director the complete liberty to portray the feelings in a most telling way, stripped off completely from the physical presence of actors of sets or even the nature itself which can be sometimes distracting.
I have stopped short of giving it a perfect score perhaps because of this only. But through this I have been part of the director's and story teller's imagination, shared the emotions with its players, lamented at their losses, hardships and agony, enthralled by the beauty and openness of the nature; absorbed within the sweetness of its tune.
Few other films have achieved this and few will be able to provide such an immersive and beautiful experience.
Metropolis (1927)
A prophetical movie made more than 80 years ago
I recently watched the 2010 restored version of the movie (153 minutes in length). Compared to the present day productions perhaps the movie is no match. But what impressed me are mainly two things - one the tremendous innovation and skill that have been employed to create the special effects for this first every Sc-fi. Secondly the symbolism and the message that it tried to portray is so apt for the present day dystopian world we live in.
For the first point the lack of modern day technology has been very well compensated by innovative ideas and skill to create the visual effects during the sequence of creation of Iron Maria, sequence of Moloch, etc. The set design for the Metropolis skyline, underground worker's colony, the factory itself show an artist's mind and ultimate expressionism.
The film shows the elements of capitalism through the grotesque city skyline where there is not a trace of beauty and nature anywhere. The cityscape depicted an ugly juxtaposition of sky reaching buildings and bridges and fast moving highways powered by machines which are so common in any modern day city today. There is not a semblance of nature anywhere in the entire film, not a tree donning any scene apart from the pleasure garden which is only in the reach of the city's upper class. This so much symbolises the present day world where we have banished the nature with rampant exploitation of the environment for the growth of modern cities and technology.
Now about the prophetical nature of the movie. The film made in 1927 during the Weimar Germany had perhaps foretold where the world would come to in future. We today can realise how true the prophecy was.
The social message of the film is equally potent. Reflecting Marx's communist ideaology the film perhaps hopes that the middle class (symbolised as "Heart") will be instrumental in bring the gap between the upper class capitalists ("Head") and the proletariat or the working class ("Hand"). But the ultimate outcome of the alliance has not been touched upon in the movie. It does not attempt to show any material change either in the condition os the working class or the upper-class industrialists. All it says that the lower and upper classes need to be brought together by eliminating the cronies (symbolised by the evil scientist Rotwang) and that can be achieved only by middle class bourgeois (symbolised by Freder and human Maria) and that bourgeois will be an upper-class anomaly. This is where the movie falls short of the expectations; stating only the means but not ultimate conclusion.
How the West Was Won (1962)
Disappointing to no end
The movie started with a lot of promise, but ended in a dud. It is just a collage of some haphazard events from a book on American history without any real continuity (other than someone from Prescott and Rawlings family being part of every story). Not sure how Civil War figures in the storyline though, in context of the settlement in the West. Too many great actors totally wasted with screen time for each (excepting perhaps Debbie Reynolds and the commentary from the great Spencer Tracy) lasting not more than 15 minutes. The idea of making such a movie was perhaps to generate a sense of pride amongst the settlers and pioneers of the West. But with such a drab script and storyline I doubt if anyone can take anything out of it.
The only silver lining of the movie is the cinematography and wide angle shots which truly gave it an epic feeing. The second in the race is perhaps the score. No one will miss much from the rest.
Passage to Marseille (1944)
Love in the time of war
That's how I would like to title the review. That is the essence of the movie in the backdrop of WWII.
The narrative is very unique with multiple intertwined flashbacks. Actings are superb and so is cinematography. However the script is perhaps too idealistic and contrived. Hard to think a bomber flying over his family abode in a little French hamlet just for wishing his son a Happy Birthday. Does an army ever allow that?
But nonetheless, it will perhaps give you a nationalistic feeling irrespective of your country and a good feeling that you get after a good movie.
However, it's neither a war nor a love story but a bits and pieces of both strung together.
Zodiac (2007)
A riveting movie
This is perhaps better than any of the run-of-the-mill thrillers. The end keeps everyone guessing. Only thing that puzzles me is about the fact that eye witnesses were never used except till the end. But this hardly takes away the credit from the screenplay that has the capacity of holding the audience to the edge for 2.5 hours.