The Japanese Film Festival (previously known as EIGASAI) return in 2022 with a program of 20 films that depicts Japanese culture and art.
The festival will run from February 14 until the 27th and you can catch these films for free here: https://watch.jff.jpf.go.jp/
The film festival's lineup this year includes films from a variety of genres, including drama, comedy, animation, documentaries, and thrillers. The following are 10 capsule reviews that are part of the program:
Fans of dystopian futures will lose their minds over this story about a princess and a young boy who live in the same world but are separated by different gravitational forces.
"Patema Inverted" follows Patema (Yukiyo Fujii), a curious young girl who finds herself in a world with an upside-down gravity. There, she meets Eiji (Nobuhiko Okamoto), a young student who saves her from falling to the sky.
Despite their different upbringings, the two became friends. And together, they shared the same desire to discover a world unknown to them.
Meanwhile, Patema's presence threatens the government run by the cruel Izamura (Takaya Hashi). He believes that "inverts" like Patema have an impure soul and a threat to society. So he ordered his militia to apprehend her.
This forces Eiji to go meet Patema’s people to help her escape captivity.
"Patema Inverted" has its ups and downs.
The movie is a treat for the eyes with those sublime stars and fields, dingy machines, and underground tunnels. But the film is beyond eye candy. The image itself tells a story that we can understand without much context. We can already perceive the world in which the characters live just by looking at the environment they walk in. And their backdrop is an important part of the story since it is one of the motivators that drives them to explore and dream.
However, the film falls into many lackluster narrative trappings. The story just drifted. Maybe it’s because the story is familiar? What's the point of making a film about unlikely and mismatched heroes when there's already a plethora of them? What’s new? Or maybe it's because we can expect more from the film's conflict and stakes? It settles on this heist-like story, overshadowing the premise of hatred and disdain towards people that are different.
Needless to say, Yasuhiro Yoshiura's sci-fi feature falls short of being a truly remarkable and unique anime.
3/5
Yasuhiro Yoshiura’s second feature in the festival is a poignant futuristic film that's about the relationship between humans and their robot servants.
In the course of investigating a glitch in the coding of his house droid, Sammy (Rie Tanaka), high school student Rikuo Sakisaka (Jun Fukuyama) and his friend Masakazu Masaki (Kenji Nojima) discover a coffee shop called The Time of Eve.
Rikuo and Masakazu notice that the cafe is filled with either robots or humans, and that it is impossible to tell the difference between the two groups. So, in order to gain a thorough understanding of why robots purposefully spend their time in the shop, they frequently visit it to observe their behaviors. Along the way, they made new friends like Akiko (Yukana), Nagi (Rina Sato), Rina (Miki Ito), Shimei (Motomu Kiyokawa), and Chie (Miyuki Sawashiro), all of whom had profound reasons for staying in the coffee shop.
As the two spend their time in the Time of Eve, they start to question their relationship with robots and the fear that people have of them.
Japanese filmmaker Yasuhiro Yoshiura is well-known for his fascination with the future. Take, for example, "Pale Cocoon" and "Patema Inverted," two of his best-known films.
Because of his vision of the future, his movies are interesting to look at. Most of them show not only a look into the future, but also a look into human nature. Such as the case with "Time of EVE: The Movie", which ponders the question of whether or not humans are superior to robots.
Like many of Yoshiura’s oeuvres, "Time of EVE: The Movie" is slow and philosophical in nature. If you stick with it for the entire 106-minute runtime, you'll come across some brilliant dissertations on the subject matter.
Nonetheless, it is understandable that this will not be everyone's cup of tea. While the movie version of this story is well-made and carefully constructed, it is too dull and meandering to keep the audience engaged. It should stay as an anime series instead.
2/5
This 1950’s Akira Kurosawa masterpiece is an action-packed thesis on truth and justice.
"Rashomon" opens with a strong thunderstorm. A woodcutter (Takashi Shimura) and a priest (Minoru Chiaki) are sitting beneath the Rashōmon city gate, when a commoner (Kichijiro Ueda) joins them. Soon, the three discuss a disturbing story about a rape and a murder that neither the woodcutter nor the priest understands.
At the police station, the woodcutter reported a crime about the killing of a samurai (Masayuki Mori). The priest then further added more information about the dead man. All he knows is that he’s not alone but was accompanied by his wife (Machiko Kyō) on horseback with a veiled face. Along the way, they meet the bandit, Tajōmaru (Toshiro Mifune), who took a liking to the woman. Everything that happens afterward is a mystery.
Until, one by one, the parties involved in the crime came to give their side of the story. However, all three versions are different, and all of them claim that they committed the murder.
"Rashomon" faithfully follows the 1922 short story by Rynosuke Akutagawa, "In a Grove," but with a few additions. Kurosawa’s film ended with a surprising twist. In retrospect, the message of self-interest was pushed through with that ending. Even more, the last sequence shows that the truth can be subjective and that justice can't be served by discerning it from contradictory perspectives.
Akira Kurosawa’s masterful direction shows in how he uses movement, characters, and environments to tell his story. Most of the time, filmmakers rely on exposition or narration to move the film forward. However, Kurosawa uses everything in his frame very carefully to move the story along.
As for the acting, all seven actors played believable, albeit exaggerated, versions of the characters they were playing. Even if you play the movie on mute, all of them can show a vivid range of emotions.
The story is well-crafted. It’s actually very fluid. It’s hard to notice that there are cuts and splices in this film since it was able to take the story from point a to point b without losing its cohesion.
Overall, "Rashomon" excels at storytelling, filmmaking, and defining the nature of truth and justice. It’s a well-made and truly outstanding work of art.
5/5
Ryota Nakano’s award-winning film is about a mother and the family she decided to rebuild.
One of the most prominent aspects of Nakano's second feature is that the plot evolves until it touches on all aspects of being a woman and a mother.
It begins with the introduction of Futaba (Rie Miyazawa), a single mother taking care of her daughter, Azumi (Hana Sugisaki). But after finding out she had terminal cancer, she chose to tie up any loose ends with her spouse (Joe Odagiri) and open herself up to the idea of rebuilding her family.
Despite its dismal premise, "Her Love Boils Bathwater" is not a melodrama in the traditional sense. It’s rather funny and inspiring at times. And it's at its best when it avoids gloomy sequences. The film’s humor allows us to see the interpersonal relationship between each of them. The comedy helps the viewers understand, empathize with, and invest in Futaba and her family.
Another noticeable aspect of "Her Love Boils Bathwater" is the fact that women are in charge of the story. They're the ones who steer the narrative, with the males sitting on the sidelines. It's very suitable, given that the film's central theme is love. And there is no greater love than that of a mother.
Rie Miyazawa carried the film with her acting. She was able to transition from melodrama to comedy with ease. She’s also believable as a mother, a friend, and a partner. Her presence is reassuring and warm, making her journey all the more affecting and moving to the viewers.
All in all, "Her Love Boils Bathwater" could easily be everyone’s favorite because of its warmth and message. It has brilliant performances and a story unlike any other. A must watch!
5/5
Entertaining, enchanting, and heartwarming, Takafumi Hatano’s film is about a new employee who finds a family in her coworkers.
"Oz Land" opens with Kurumi Namihiro’s (Haru) declaration of her love for her hometown. But in a whirlwind of events, her company sent her to an amusement park far from Tokyo. The theme park is called Greenland, and it was headed by the fun-loving goofball, Yoshiko Ozuka (Hidetoshi Nishijima).
Ozuka has been with the park for a long time, and he has built a good relationship with everyone. However, Namihiro cannot understand why they loved him so much and how he does his job of leading the team so well with his childlike behavior.
"Oz Land" is a lighthearted tale of appreciation, passion, and love. And it will definitely make you happy with the characters genuinely supporting and motivating each other and persevering toward a common goal. It's the type of movie you can turn to when you're having a terrible day or need a reminder that mankind is capable of kindness.
The leads in the film are likable and endearing. In "Drive My Car," Hidetoshi Nishijima is silent and austere, but in this film, he emanates enthusiasm and warmth. His opposite is the reliable actress, Haru. As someone who has done a lot of movies, it's not surprising that she was able to do a good job as Namihiro.
Its tenderness and wholesomeness are quite rare in today’s cinema. So, if there's one film at the festival that I'd like to see again, it's definitely "Oz Land." And that's all because I love the sensation and vibes it gives off. It reassures me that everything will be okay.
4/5
In Shuichi Okita’s "The Chef of the South Pole," a group of expeditionists form a strong bond through delicious meals during their year-long seclusion in the South Pole.
Chef Jun Nishimura (Masato Sakai) is not supposedly on the expedition to the South Pole. But due to an accident, he becomes the one and only choice to join the ragtag crew.
As all seven of them cope with the isolation and unforgiving temperature, Nishimura goes to work in the kitchen, whipping up delectable meals for the squad. Despite the group’s high demand and the limited ingredients, he tries his best to be resourceful and creative.
Mealtime eventually becomes a time for everyone to bond and an escape from their mundane work.
There’s a certain sadness in Shuichi Okita’s quiet film. It's most likely due to the film's theme of homesickness and loneliness. But even though there are poignant moments, they never overpower the camaraderie that the characters enjoy on a daily basis. They discover ways to build affinity and create harmony through a game of baseball, pre-recorded fitness DVDs, and hot meals, even if they have little in common.
"The Chef of South Polar" is interesting because it focuses on an expedition team, which is rarely featured in comedy films. The film works since the setting allows us to notice the little details that we would otherwise ignore. Like how we work together during difficult times, how food has the ability to bring people together, and how much effort goes into making people happy.
All in all, "The Chef of South Polar" is a gentle and fun movie. It can be slow at times, but it has its heart in the right place.
3/5
3/5
"Under the Open Sky" is a film that reassures everyone that even the most heinous of people can change.
Mikami (Kôji Yakusho) is a former Yakuza member with a bad temper. He was finally set free after 13 years in prison. However, freedom brings with it new challenges.
People treat him as if he were an outcast. They deny him the opportunity to work and rent a place of his own. But, despite the fact that everyone is looking down at him, he has some old and new friends who keep him afloat.
Yakuza films aren’t usually dramatic. They're high-octane and occasionally chaotic. That's why "Under the Open Sky" is a breath of fresh air, reminding us that they're still people.
The film examines their way of life outside of their comfort zone and puts it vis-à-vis in today's world. Violence was Mikami's answer to everything. And it's a constant struggle for him to find the right solution for each situation. It didn't help that no matter how hard he tried to follow the rules of society and be decent, life always threw him a curveball, tempting him to commit the mistakes he has done before.
At it's core, "Under the Open Sky" is about change. Change is an opportunity to re-evaluate life and ensure harmony and peace. However, the movie implies that this is possible, albeit difficult. This is due to the fact that the cost of change is our current level of comfort and security. And for convicts, life's comfort and security are a need they find difficult to attain.
Digging deeper into its narrative, we can say that Mikami is not truly free. He’s still confined to the world as a prisoner of his past life. The film provides us with this profound feeling of confinement and incarceration. The sad truth is that life after prison is still a prison and an extended sentence.
"Under the Open Sky" occasionally takes us to a dark place. But not to the point of being hopeless and depressed. Mikami holds hope for every challenge and struggle he faced. Even more so, he’s determined to turn a new leaf. Something that all people can connect and sympathize with.
4/5
This 2020 thriller-mystery film tackles the dark side of humanity in the name of money and pride.
At a former psychiatric hospital, Shugo Hayami (Kentarô Sakaguchi) was asked to fill in for his senior on the night shift. However, that night turns sour when a masked criminal seizes control of the nursing hospital.
He demands that they operate on Hitomi Kawasaki (Mei Nagano), a university student who he shot on his way out of the convenience store he robbed. He eventually stayed in the hospital after finding out that there was money hidden in there.
"Masked Ward" follows the formula of all effective mystery-thrillers. Director Hisashi Kimura certainly knows how to create a tense and claustrophobic film with the use of sound, quick edits, blocking, and story structuring. But the film’s ultimate weapon is a story that keeps the audience guessing with numerous turns and twists.
Multiple mysteries are revealed throughout the story. And, to be honest, some of them work, while others leave you scratching your head. The filler mysteries, as well as the unexpected flashbacks, can feel like a waste of runtime at times. The plot could have centered on man's corruption as a result of money, as well as the moral dilemma of killing to save others.
For me, "Masked Ward" is a decent watch. There’s nothing really spectacular about its narrative. But if you’re looking for a true mystery-thriller film, this could be one of your best options.
2/5