Well, it looks like my plan to stick to a schedule didn’t last too long. But God loves a trier and so I will try again. And in some ways, you’ve all lucked out because you now get three weeks’ worth of film reviews rolled into one. And they may be the most varied group of films I have reviewed all at once. Enjoy!
Late Spring (1949) – Yasujiro Ozu
If there was a Mount Rushmore of Japanese film directors, Yasujiro Ozu would be a shoo-in to be included. He is widely regarded as one the greatest directors of all time, not just in Japan, and his seminal classic Tokyo Story (1953) is often seen as one of the greatest films of all time. However, for me, Late Spring is his true masterpiece. It is definitely not for everyone. As with most of his films, it is really slow-paced and has dialogue heavy and I can see why people might sit down and find it boring. But for me, I think it is a truly beautiful piece of work, both visually and narratively. It is heavily character-focused and tells this heart-breaking yet weirdly heart-warming story of parents and children learning to let go of each other. The performances of the two leads, Setsuko Hara and Chishu Ryu, are pitch-perfect throughout. The level of subtlety from both of them is wonderful and leads to some extremely powerful emotional moments, with the final shot of the film being particularly striking. It is definitely not a film everyone will enjoy but I love it and feel it is well warranted of its ‘masterpiece’ status.
Antiporno (2016) – Sion Sono
If I was to tell you this film is a stylistic art film which includes ‘I love that pussy hound’s cock’ would you get an idea of what this film is like? I feel like I could probably leave the review there, but I will expand on this. The film slots into pinku eiga genre of Japanese films (for those unaware it is effectively softcore porn) pretty fluidly, but also works as this visually striking critique of the very genre it fits within, as well as a broader comment on gender roles in greater Japanese society. It goes about this in a surrealistic way that allows the film to be intriguing narratively and visually but can also lead to moments where I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. That may so more about me than the film, and to be honest it has made me want to watch it again purely to see if I can get more out of it with another viewing. I would also happily watch this again for its visuals alone. There are so many striking frames and sequences throughout, and if nothing else you should watch the film for that. The actual pinku elements of the film could be off-putting for some viewers as it does get quite uncomfortable and mean-spirited at times, but it fits with the narrative and adds to the weird surrealism of the film.
The Garden of Words (2013) – Makoto Shinkai
Makoto Shinkai is one of the outstanding anime directors working today, and he exploded into western consciousness with his 2016 film Your Name. His visual style is instantly recognisable and is often one of the standout aspects of his film. In the case of The Garden of Words, this couldn’t be more true. I want to start by discussing the narrative because it has its problems. It starts off decently well, focusing on a growing friendship between two strangers who seem to work in being a motivation for the other to improve their general selves. However, one of them is a 15-year-old boy and the other is a 27-year-old woman. This isn’t inherently bad, but the film does take this ‘romantic’ turn towards the end which is very odd. It can be read as maybe more problematic than the film is aiming for, but that in itself is an issue. Aside from this, the film is a visual dream. The animation and animation style are gorgeous. There are a few times when it will just cut between these images of rain falling in a garden, or on a pond and they are genuinely beautiful. Mix this with a sound design that is also an AMSR dream, and you have a film that feels so warm and comfortable in these moments. Honestly, if there was a supercut of this film which just focuses on these environmental moments, with the sound design of rain and wind it would be an ambient dream and I would play it as a way to relax. As it is there is a narrative that gets in the way. But overall, I still feel like this is worth a watch, especially if you saw and enjoyed Your Name.
Late Spring is available to watch on BFI Player.
Antiporno is available to watch on MUBI.
The Garden of Words is available on Netflix.
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