★★★★☆ A celebration of cinema's escapist qualities, Daisuke Shimote's mischievous comedy Kuro (2012) received it UK premiere at this year's East End Film Festival after a positive reception at the Tokyo Film Festival. The film's titular protagonist (Daisuke Iijima) dreams of being a baker, yet her reluctance to work as a cashier gets her fired. She meets Gou (Hideo Nakaizumi), a theatre director looking for a new star after his leading actress became tired of his philandering ways. The pair don't exactly get along when they first meet, but after a fairly harmless kidnapping, they find themselves on a road trip heading out of Tokyo.
It's on this excursion that the pair meet Eito (Yu Saitoh), an aspiring photographer who - after a spat with his girlfriend - has decided to visit his uncle's abandoned hotel. Kuro's disenfranchised, Godardian 'Band of Outsiders' are held together by a shared sense of ennui-addled,...
It's on this excursion that the pair meet Eito (Yu Saitoh), an aspiring photographer who - after a spat with his girlfriend - has decided to visit his uncle's abandoned hotel. Kuro's disenfranchised, Godardian 'Band of Outsiders' are held together by a shared sense of ennui-addled,...
- 7/6/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
Anonymous - Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis
In Time - Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Puss in Boots - Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis
The Rum Diary - Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart
Movie of the Week
The Rum Diary
The Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart
The Plot: American journalist Paul Kemp (Depp) takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the ex-patriots who live there.
The Buzz: Where to begin? Have you seen the trailer? There’s a lot to digest in there.
In all honesty, I’d be a lot more excited than I am, (presently my excito-meter is at about a 6/10) if I’d never caught wind of the many negative rumblings about this film (I have a close...
Anonymous - Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis
In Time - Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy
Puss in Boots - Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis
The Rum Diary - Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart
Movie of the Week
The Rum Diary
The Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart
The Plot: American journalist Paul Kemp (Depp) takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1950s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the ex-patriots who live there.
The Buzz: Where to begin? Have you seen the trailer? There’s a lot to digest in there.
In all honesty, I’d be a lot more excited than I am, (presently my excito-meter is at about a 6/10) if I’d never caught wind of the many negative rumblings about this film (I have a close...
- 10/26/2011
- by Aaron Ruffcorn
- The Scorecard Review
Release Date: Oct. 25, 2011
Price: 2-disc DVD $29.95, 2-disc Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Kino
The horrors of the Rape of Nanking are chronicled in The City of Life and Death.
The Chinese epic film The City of Life and Death, a depiction of the Rape of Nanking, is based on the recorded witness testimony from the real-life survivors of the infamous reign of terror conducted by the occupying Japanese army in the Chinese capital of Nanking in 1937.
Directed by Lu Chuan (Mountain Patrol), the strikingly photographed black-and-white film is the first big-budget fiction film by the Chinese to deal with the event.
The City of Life and Death is filled with an ensemble of conflicted characters caught in the crossfire, including Chinese officer Lu (Liu Ye), who leads his men in a hopeless, defiant resistance effort; the German businessman, John Rabe (John Paisley), who establishes a safety zone in an attempt to protect civilians...
Price: 2-disc DVD $29.95, 2-disc Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Kino
The horrors of the Rape of Nanking are chronicled in The City of Life and Death.
The Chinese epic film The City of Life and Death, a depiction of the Rape of Nanking, is based on the recorded witness testimony from the real-life survivors of the infamous reign of terror conducted by the occupying Japanese army in the Chinese capital of Nanking in 1937.
Directed by Lu Chuan (Mountain Patrol), the strikingly photographed black-and-white film is the first big-budget fiction film by the Chinese to deal with the event.
The City of Life and Death is filled with an ensemble of conflicted characters caught in the crossfire, including Chinese officer Lu (Liu Ye), who leads his men in a hopeless, defiant resistance effort; the German businessman, John Rabe (John Paisley), who establishes a safety zone in an attempt to protect civilians...
- 9/30/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
- 6/17/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Jay Antani
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
(June 2011)
Directed/Written by: Lu Chuan
Starring: Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, Jiang Yiyan, Ryu Kohata, Liu Bin, John Paisley, Beverly Peckous, Qin Lan, Sam Voutas, Yao Di and Zhao Yisui
“City of Life and Death” is among the greatest war films ever made. Rich in humanist themes and absolutely unflinching in its depiction of the moral chaos and physical violence of war, Lu Chuan’s film about the Japanese occupation of Nanking in 1937 isn’t merely one of the year’s best films, it’s a powerful work of art and a testament to the expressive essence of pure cinema.
Inevitable comparisons will be made between “City of Life and Death” and Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List” and “Saving Private Ryan.” Lu’s opening battle scenes between the Japanese invaders and a Chinese platoon — led by a stalwart patriot (Liu Ye) — have the complex staging,...
- 6/17/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
'City of Life and Death' is about the Forgotten Holocaust
Cast: Hideo Nakaizumi, Ye Liu, and Yuanyuan Gao
Directed by: Chuan Lu
Rated Nr
City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of 6 weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed with a total of 13 million Chinese dead. The film tells the story of several figures, both historical and fictional, including a Chinese soldier, a schoolteacher, a Japanese soldier, a foreign missionary, and John Rabe, a Nazi businessman who would ultimately save over 200,000 Chinese civilians.
Depending on your beliefs of what really happened you'll have different reactions when watching this movie. The Japanese government has refused to apologize...
Cast: Hideo Nakaizumi, Ye Liu, and Yuanyuan Gao
Directed by: Chuan Lu
Rated Nr
City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of 6 weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed with a total of 13 million Chinese dead. The film tells the story of several figures, both historical and fictional, including a Chinese soldier, a schoolteacher, a Japanese soldier, a foreign missionary, and John Rabe, a Nazi businessman who would ultimately save over 200,000 Chinese civilians.
Depending on your beliefs of what really happened you'll have different reactions when watching this movie. The Japanese government has refused to apologize...
- 5/21/2011
- by Jack Thompson
- GetTheBigPicture.net
When Lu Chuan’s City of Life and Death won the top prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival two years ago, it was a testament not only to the emotional resonance and technical mastery of his widescreen black-and-white epic, which dramatizes the infamous 1937 Nanjing massacre at the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, but a tacit acknowledgment of the film’s daring revisionist ambitions. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, Lu had previously directed a small-scale crime thriller, Missing Gun, and the critically well received Kekexili, Mountain Patrol, a rural drama about efforts to stop antelope poachers that screened at Sundance and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Tokyo Film Festival. But the latest film by this talented 40-year-old writer-director, the result of years of research and toil, has a depth of feeling that far surpasses his previous efforts.
While previous homegrown films about the massacre (Dont...
While previous homegrown films about the massacre (Dont...
- 5/11/2011
- by Damon Smith
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Tackling a heavy subject matter, such as the rape of Nanking on film, is not an easy task. In City of Life and Death, director Lu Chuan (Mountain Patrol: Kekexili) does a skillful balancing act in this narrative treatment of the infamous event in history. It's not a nationalistic, didactic film by any means, but rather an uncompromising account of life and death in wartime. Shot in stark black and white and with many hand-held scenes, the film recreates what it must've been like in Nanking, the former capital of China under siege by Japanese aggressors, in 1937-38. The film starts with a young, learned Japanese Lt. Kadokawa (Hideo Nakaizumi) exhausted and dazed from the constant march, far away from home, looking at the...
- 5/9/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Chinese Director Lu Chuan’s third feature film, City of Life and Death will be one of the film to be featured at the San Francisco International Asian American Film festival this coming March. City of Life and Death was released in 2009 and it is about the aftermath of 2nd Sino-Japanese War (also known as the “The Rape of Nanking”). The movie stars Liu Ye, Gao Yuanyuan, Fan Wei and Hideo Nakaizumi. It stirs controversy upon its released in Mainland China due to the plot sympathetic portrayal of a Japanese soldier named Kadokawa.Despite criticism, the film was a success. It was also shown at the San Sebastian film festival and won the top prize in 2009.
- 2/24/2010
- by admin
- AsianMoviePulse
- #17. City Of Life And Death Director: Lu Chuan Cast:Liu Ye, Hideo Nakaizumi, Fan Wei, John Paisley, Gao Yuanyuan, Yuko MiyamotoDistributor: National Geographic Films. Buzz: Those who've seen Kekexili: Mountain Patrol won't need an introduction to the filmmaker, but for the rest of yous, he is one of the better Chinese filmmakers around. Epic scaled film should receive one of the top 5 nomination spots for the Best Foreign picture. The Gist: Filmed in B&W, this is about the 1937 massacre of Nanking by the Japanese army. Tiff Schedule: Click here for screening times ...
- 9/2/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
National Geographic Entertainment has acquired North American rights to "City of Life and Death," produced, written and directed by Lu Chuan.
Set during the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, China, in 1937, "City" will screen at September's Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in April in China, where it has grossed nearly $26 million.
The film's cast includes Liu Ye, Fan Wei, Hideo Nakaizumi, Gao Yuanyuan, Qin Lan and Jiang Yiyan, and co-stars Ryuichi Kohata, Yao Di, Zhao Yisui and Yuko Miyamoto.
The acquisition reunites Lu with National Geographic, which co-distributed his "Moutain Patrol: Kekexili" with Samuel Goldwyn Films in 2006.
Nge will coordinate marketing of "City" with Idg China Media Fund, part of International Data Group, a U.S. venture capital company. The film will be released late this year or in early 2010.
"City" was produced by Han Sanping, Qin Hong, Zhou Li, John Chong and Andy Zhang, with Lu serving as exec producer.
Set during the Japanese occupation of Nanjing, China, in 1937, "City" will screen at September's Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in April in China, where it has grossed nearly $26 million.
The film's cast includes Liu Ye, Fan Wei, Hideo Nakaizumi, Gao Yuanyuan, Qin Lan and Jiang Yiyan, and co-stars Ryuichi Kohata, Yao Di, Zhao Yisui and Yuko Miyamoto.
The acquisition reunites Lu with National Geographic, which co-distributed his "Moutain Patrol: Kekexili" with Samuel Goldwyn Films in 2006.
Nge will coordinate marketing of "City" with Idg China Media Fund, part of International Data Group, a U.S. venture capital company. The film will be released late this year or in early 2010.
"City" was produced by Han Sanping, Qin Hong, Zhou Li, John Chong and Andy Zhang, with Lu serving as exec producer.
- 8/14/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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