The film starts slow, but that's the point. We start to know a dedicated Tokyo toilet cleaner who goes through his daily routine, apparently happy with his life. Then a series of minor events cause upheaval: his colleagues, family, and romantic interest remind him of life's missed opportunities. All very subtle reminders that you can be perfectly happy in a bland life following your daily routine, but that life's circumstances are forever changing, and are inviting and challenging you to lead life on a higher, more interesting level. The closing shot reveals a clearly emotional toilet cleaner driving to work: life's new opportunities have unsettled him. The open ending leaves us wondering what's next. A great movie that is largely carried by the phenomenal Koji Yashuko: he superbly carries the story with his facial expressions between the extremely sparse dialogues. The cinematography by Franz Lustig is also incredibly good: the closing scene, the loving lighting of the numerous toilets, etc. I'd rate it higher but the film is vaguely unsatisfying in its sublety: it generates the itch but just barely scratches it. But definitely one of the best films of 2023.
Reviews
19 Reviews
John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
Back in the saddle again
23 March 2023
After a pretty pathetic JW3, this sequel does deliver. JW3 suffered from boring and repetitive fight scenes: it seemed like a video game where headshot quantity was important. I literally fell asleep around 90 min in. JW4 recovers nicely, and is definitely worth seeing. A much better plot, with great and well-choreographed fight scenes. The spice is back. And great, aggressive cinematography, too. Eye candy, with attractive on location shots from Berlin and Paris. Yes, there is the obligatory empowered female fighter, but her role is limited to killing only 10-12 300 lb mercenaries. And the obligatory white male villain, but good news! He's French! So we can despise him regardless of sex or ethnicity. Of course it's not a JW sequel unless the laws of physics are suspended, but if you buy the premise, you'll buy the gag. Worth the watch.
Billy Jack
(1971)
A bit amateurish, but in the end a provocative story
10 January 2023
The movie can be somewhat challenging/cringeworthy to watch nowadays. But in the last 45 minutes it really comes together as a story of a violent anti-hero and his pacifist sweetheart, and how they each in their own way deal with the racial and social injustices that are perpetrated against them. While the fight scenes are really good, it is the final scene - where the pacifist girlfriend convinces Billy Jack that a violent death does not serve his own moral code or interests - that steals the show. She tells him his deathwish destroys what he's been fighting for, and thereby delivers the main message of the movie. Highly original movie.
Once Upon a Time in the West
(1968)
Eye-candy
10 September 2022
It is the western that sets the high standard that none can match. Strap yourself in for 2:30+ hours of unending enjoyment. Just about everything is perfect. Great script, great directing, great casting, great camerawork, beautiful score. Back in the day you could make a movie that spent 5 minutes setting a scene, building suspense, creating authenticity, and telling a story that lasted longer than 90 minutes. Pity about Bronson - even without his stupid moustache. Eastwood would have given the picture a 3d dimension. But Robards, Fonda and Cardinale are picture perfect, and the picture is eye-candy from beginning to end.
Macho Callahan
(1970)
Not your usual western
8 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Typical boy meets girl, boy kills girl's husband, girl upset, boy rapes girl, girl falls in love, Romeo and Juliet story. Well, I guess some women are like that, but it came across as somewhat peculiar. Lots of grit! No woke here! Fairly gruesome and candid shooting. Great acting performances all around, so all is not lost. Eventually the story does settle, and there are possibly some deeper points about anger, forgiveness and redemption that were maybe intended (or perhaps I'm reading between the lines). Pity that Carradine wasn't cast as Macho. I'm also not sure why the civil war is entirely relevant to the story, except for the wholesale slaughter of Yanks and Rebs at tthe beginning that will entertain/anger/sadden all.
Lone Wolf McQuade
(1983)
Pretty dismal
6 September 2022
Wooden acting, poor script, poor casting, comically bad action scenes, lack of continuity between scenes (he's wounded!, he's not!) .... and this was Chuck Norris at his best? You should probably drink several six-packs or ingest some drugs before attempting this one. Painfully bad to watch. I'm left wondering - after all the positive reviews - if I've missed something. Maybe the multiple six-packs. Some positive notes (else, why even a 4?) Barbera Carrera and Robert Beltran are great and the exciting battle and fight scene (despite multiple Carradine and Norris medical issues ) at the end make the movie (finally!) worthwhile to watch . The whole movie however seems 2D and cartoonish and has as direct-to-tv/dvd vibe. Pity, as I really looked forward to liking it.
Young Billy Young
(1969)
How to make a movie with a single line story ...
29 August 2022
... dad wants revenge. Great actors, shame about the (lack of ) plot or story. Mitchum, Dickinson, Carradine: yum! Unfortunately, fairly boring despite good performances. And a strange opening scene where the pro/antagonists slaughter a Mexican general for no good reason. Seems like the whole crew was high on something, so maybe that's a prerequisite for viewers too. ... dad wants revenge. Great actors, shame about the (lack of ) plot or story. Mitchum, Dickinson, Carradine: yum! Unfortunately, fairly boring despite good performances. And a strange opening scene where the pro/antagonists slaughter a Mexican general for no good reason. Seems like the whole crew was high on something, so maybe that's a prerequisite for viewers too.
The Mechanic
(2011)
Fairly predictable but good fun
22 August 2022
Yes, the film is predictable, and you're often telling your screen "Don't fall for it, it's a trick!" and the acting in wooden, etc. But the action scenes are great, and you're never left wondering how long til the end.
Love Story
(1970)
A timeless classic
20 August 2022
One of those movies you put on your bucket list, but never really get around to seeing. Mainly because it both scares and entices. There's a lot to like and dislike in both the acting and the script, but the ultimate result makes an impact. The endless sorrow of a doomed relationship strikes a true chord even if the witty repartee often does not. "Love means never having to say sorry" is an incredible yet infinitely flawed (ever been in a relationship?) line, but that shouldn't prevent anyone from enjoying a tale of tragic love.
Ad Astra
(2019)
Strong story and good acting
15 August 2022
Entertaining SF movie with very good special effects. Subplots are the relationship between an absent father and his son, as well as how you have to be kinda nuts to want to go on a long space voyage. I would have rated higher but the father-son dynamic was missing something (or maybe that was the point), and I was left wondering if I had missed an important scene.
Wander
(I) (2020)
Confusing and incoherent
14 August 2022
And woke to boot. All the women are hot and competent and all the men are evil idiots and conspiracy nutters. A truly incoherent tale full of "huh?" moments. Just put your logic on "Pause" for better enjoyment. But Tommy Lee Jones so not all bad.
Hang 'Em High
(1968)
Better than most
11 August 2022
The movie starts off with the hangin' of the lead character (not!), and never suffers from predictability from there on. Just when you think it's a bout something (revenge, justice, empathy, romance, etc.) it lurches in another direction. Eventually it becomes clear the movie is about a hanging judge who learns pragmatism, and a revengeful cowboy who learns about what life's priorities. Very subtle, very unpredictable, and worth a viewin'
The Comeback Trail
(2020)
Finally something entertaining
10 August 2022
Though in all honesty probably more a 7, but definitely not 5.6. The movie is definitely entertaining and funny, which is more than the most films released in 2021 can say. Great hammy performances by the veteran crew of de Niro, Freeman, and Jones. It feels like a (good) remake of the Producers, with de Niro subbing Mel Brooks. What's not to like? It does feel like a movie-about-Hollywood-made-for-Hollywood, but I enjoyed it. And laughed!
Baby Doll
(1956)
Anti-woke antidote to whatever ails you
9 August 2022
Pretty good movie, Tennessee Williams, good script, and fairly gritty tale of a South that doesn't exist anymore (if ever). Quite a few racial slurs, so caveat emptor. Karl Malden and Eli Wallach. Pretty fun to see Karl - in love with a high-maintenance Baby Doll - getting laughed at by all races. (Native Americans still missing though).
Eye of the Tiger
(1986)
Just about what you'd expect
9 August 2022
Typical 70's-80's revenge movie (Death Wish, etc.) with some nice twists (stick of dynamite where the sun don't shine, kickass Dodge truck, etc.) Worth a watch unless you're one of those people who like their movies realistic. Get some beer & buddies and watch.
Fargo
(2014–2024)
Woooooooooke
1 July 2022
If you cut out the woke bits its ok-ish. The holes in the plot are enormous, mainly in order to let African-Americans, lesbians, etc have their day in the 1950's. Except they didn't. They were heavily discriminated against, so the whole plot feels like an alternate universe fantasy about how America could have been. The first 3 Fargo series were woke but not too. This one crosses the line.
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