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Reviews
Zenzen daijobu (2008)
The latest gem from Japan...
FINE, TOTALLY FINE (also known as ZENZEN DAIJOBU) is the debut film from writer and director Fujita Yosuke. After revisiting memorable scenes days after my initial viewing, I've decided that this very well may be one of my favorite live-action films from Japan.
Arakawa YosiYosi, whom you may recognize from small roles in Japanese movies and dramas (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, "TIGER AND DRAGON"), finally gets a deserving starring role. His character is Teruo, the son of a struggling used bookstore owner. Obsessed with scaring people and collecting horror memorabilia--including monster figurines with his frighteningly accurate head on them--his dream is to build a truly terrifying haunted house. Although his thirtieth birthday is approaching soon, it doesn't show one bit.
Teruo's brother, Hisanobu (Okada Yoshinori), on the other hand, does a better job of acting his age. He always tries to please everyone at the hospital that employs him, but he's hopelessly single and ultimately bored with himself. He immediately falls for Akari (Kimura Yoshino), the attractive, introverted star-of-the-show who's so clumsy it's almost unbelievable. We first meet her as she spies on an eccentric homeless woman who builds colorful statues from garbage and scotch tape. Armed with binoculars in one hand and fish sausage in the other--which she has a sweet tooth for--she peers at her from behind a rock. When she returns home to her small apartment, she plays a cassette of rain sounds, makes expressive portraits of the woman with oil pastels, and hangs them around the room for only herself to enjoy.
After a short period of time, Akari leaves her job at the hospital, where she once worked alongside Hisanobu, and instead finds work at the bookstore. It doesn't take long for Teruo to take interest in her, which is where the love triangle begins. ZENZEN doesn't exactly have a typical, defined plot line, but it does present a engaging, hilarious character study. Judging by the laughter I heard throughout the movie at its North American premiere, I would venture to say that the audience didn't mind this element.
I cannot stress how well-crafted the humor is, particularly from someone new to the business. While ZENZEN can come off as quirky and unusual, it's presented in a fairly realistic manner. That's not to say the dialogue is sparse, but, for the most part, the pacing is more comparable to that of a drama than a comedy. Others may find this to be the film's weakness, but I would argue that it's the key to making it soar.
How anyone could not fall in love with this charming underdog of a film is beyond my comprehension. I dare you not to laugh.
*A note to IMDbers: I don't give out 10 stars too often, so don't take my score too lightly. Also, it supposedly won the Audience Award at the New York Asian Film Festival.
Tenkôsei (1982)
Tenkousei
Because I watched this raw, I had to look up words and phrases every now and then, but because of the somewhat cliché storyline (two high school students switch bodies) and surplus of physical humor, I never found myself confused. Although, I'm sure it would have been funnier with English subtitles.
Kobayashi Satomi is absolutely hilarious as she pretends to be the opposite sex. She perfectly changes her voice, posture, speech, and body movements to match that of a teenage boy, but she does it in such an honest way that, at some points, I believe she is an actual boy. The male lead, Omi Toshinori, is equally as successful in his portrayal of a school girl trapped in a boy's body. His insecurity, the way he held his bag, covering his chest while wearing a swimsuit, his high-pitched voice--all the little things came together to create a performance that could not be more perfect.
Obviously, the film is predictable and occasionally lacks depth, but there are few filmmakers in the world who would be able to produce a quality film with a similar plot. This is a wonderful example of simplistic Japanese cinema and a classic in my book.
Orenji deizu (2004)
Possibly the most impressive Japanese dramas of the decade
Possibly the most impressive Japanese drama of the decade, "Orange Days" is sure to be a classic years from now. It's a story of a group of friends in college dealing with life, particularly love and work.
Shibasaki Kou ("Good Luck!!", "Galileo") is incredibly charming as Sae, a beautiful and grouchy violinist who has difficulty accepting her recent loss of hearing. She's set to go on a date with the painfully single Keita (Eita), but he backs out and asks Kai (Tsumabuki Satoshi) to go in his place. It turns out that Kai knows sign language because of his major (how convenient!), and since he isn't as patronizing as some others at school who are fluent in sign language, he and Sae begin to spend more and more time together. Narimiya Hiroki and Shiraishi Miho also co-star as two seemingly different people who are attracted to one another.
The friendship of the five friends is not one of this drama's greatest attributes, surprisingly, as there are plenty of other dramas that surpass it in that category. Rather, the bond--romantic, friendly, and otherwise--between Sae and Kai is what touches the viewers' hearts. Shibasaki does a wonderful job of making her audience care for her character like they would for a real-life friend. This, combined with quality direction and writing (as far as dramas go), make "Orange Days" a beautiful drama. I highly recommend it.