Break Time

Well, another year has come and gone for the Toronto International Film Festival, and from what I can tell, it was a resounding success. I myself only went to six films, but it seems I chose well, as there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. I'll provide reviews for them soon (the one for Kôji Yakusho's Toad's Oil is already posted at the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow), but for now I need to take a much-needed break from writing, running around Toronto and stuff in general.

So in the meantime, and as a nod to my favorite of the films I saw at TIFF, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Micmacs à tire-larigot, here's a link to the great Chanel No. 5 film released this past May that Jeunet made with regular star Audrey Tautou.

Classical French Cinema Triple Bill: Part I

As many have been discovering over the past few weeks, there is much to enjoy in Quentin Tarantino’s latest opus Inglourious Basterds: Christoph Waltz’s wonderful performance as Colonel Hans Landa, the many stylistic flourishes, the exercises in screen suspense that rival Alfred Hitchcock’s finest moments, the outflow of languages and wordplay. Easily among my favorite elements are the many tributes to classical French and German cinema. From the many mentions of Nazi propaganda filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and master auteur G.W. Pabst to the marquee bearing the names of director Henri-Georges Clouzot and his 1943 film Le Corbeau to Mélanie Laurent’s escaped Jew-turned-movie theatre proprietress, the film is chock-a-block full of delicious homages to the elegant world of culture and art Europe produced and enjoyed before and during World War II.

So, in the spirit of Inglourious Basterds’ acknowledgment of that time in history, I myself decided to do a little fishing through the bountiful storehouse of classical French cinema. The following is the first of three pieces (or, hell, maybe even more) I’ll be writing on specific films made in France around World War II. While I’m still pondering potential picks, I’ll be considering and perhaps eventually choosing films from beyond 1945 that still represent and are of that overall time in French cinema. For example, one strong contender is Max Ophuls’ 1952 film Le Plaisir, which features huge French stars of the time like Jean Gabin, Simone Simon and Danielle Darrieux, to whom Laurent’s character is compared at one point in Inglourious Basterds.

Now, without further ado, here is my first entry, which focuses on Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast. Enjoy, and stay tuned for the second and third installments!

Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Director: Jean Cocteau
Country: France


Made by one of the most unique figures not only in cinema, but in art history, the multi-talented, self-proclaimed poet Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film Beauty and the Beast is an enchanting experience. Only the third film by Cocteau (the other two being 1925’s silent short Jean Cocteau fait du cinéma and the quintessential 1930 arthouse film Blood of a Poet), it takes the classic fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and injects it with the artist’s own ideas and sensibilities surrounding myths, magic and the very act of storytelling itself.

Before actually getting started with the narrative, Cocteau presents the viewer with a number of meta-filmic prologues. The first one begins in a room occupied by Cocteau and another man with his back to the camera (I’m going to guess that he’s Jean Marais, the actor who was Cocteau’s friend and lover and appears in the film as the Beast, the Prince he eventually becomes and Avenant, a roguish scoundrel). With a piece of chalk, Cocteau scrawls the first credits for the film on a blackboard, as if to present himself as a professor before a ready and waiting class (us, the viewers), or an artist still literally in the “drawing board” stage of realizing his vision. After the title sequence, an assistant walks on-camera with a clapboard and an offscreen voice says “Action” – a moment which further implies that the audience is invited as witnesses to the goings-on behind the camera before the actual film, the woven fiction of Beauty and the Beast, begins.

But before that happens, there is one more establishing device: a message written in Cocteau’s distinctive handwriting that asks the audience to enter the film while practicing children’s tendency to place faith in simple yet extraordinary things as they give themselves over to stories. It’s an insightful and intriguing request to make at the start of a film; one that says a lot about both it and its maker.

Then, finally, the story begins. We are introduced to Belle (Josette Day), a young woman forced to toil for her wretched sisters (Mila Parély and Nane Germon, who later appeared in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s The City of Lost Children). She also lives with her brother Ludovic (Michel Auclair, who brings a great wit to his scenes, like the early one in which he mimics his sisters’ harpy-like cries for their footmen and feigns smitten adoration as they tromp across their farm dressed in ridiculously lavish gowns) and her merchant father, who is on the verge of losing everything he owns to debt collectors. Also, there is Avenant, who frequently hangs around the farm while trying in vein to draw Belle’s romantic interest. Upon hearing that one of the lost ships containing his fortune has made it to port, the merchant sets out to investigate, only to find it empty. Dejected, he mounts his horse and begins the journey home in the middle of the night. He of course gets lost in the woods and eventually discovers a mysterious castle where he finds a stable for his horse and a grand banquet. As he leaves, he picks a rose for Belle, which provokes the wrath of the castle’s master: the Beast himself. The terrified father makes a deal with him and promises he will send one of his daughters back to the castle or return himself to offer up his own life. Upon learning of this predicament, Belle chooses to go meet the Beast. Once at his castle, she seems to occupy a grey area between prisoner and guest, wandering through the beast’s fortress and grounds wearing beautiful dresses and jewelry while inadvertently tormenting him with desire. Every night, he joins her and poses the same rather forward question: “Will you marry me?” She always refuses him, but gradually she gains a better understanding of his true nature.

That description should sound fairly familiar for those of you who watched Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at some point in your childhood. But what sets this film apart from the animated version and basically every other adaptation of the same story is Jean Cocteau’s spellbinding vision. In a way, the opening scenes introducing Belle, her family, her country household and her father’s sticky financial situation (partly brought about by Ludovic’s bad borrowing habits) could be seen as yet another prologue, as Cocteau’s magic doesn’t really get fired up until the journey through the forest and the subsequent discovery of the Beast’s castle. Both settings are brought to life by a slew of tricks and techniques: disembodied arms that hold candelabras, pull back curtains and pour wine; moving, smoke-breathing statues; slow motion; reversed photography; fog; disembodied voices; superimposed images; bushes, gates and other objects that appear to move by themselves and more. This is magic of the movies in the most literal sense, the strange and surreal quality of these effects plunging the viewer into a super-cinematic world dictated by the efforts of Cocteau and his crew of technicians. Perhaps most notable among his off-screen collaborators is cinematographer Henri Alekan, who would later work on Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire. According to the Internet Movie Database, he had to shoot the film with a variety of different film stocks due to the scarcity of film after the war, thus adding another method of cinematic manipulation to the film – and sure enough, Cocteau said that he felt the consequent inconsistency in the film’s visual quality contributed to the film’s overall poetic effect.

Also to be commended is the film’s decadent production design overseen by Christian Bérard and Lucien Carré. After Belle’s first encounter with the Beast, several statues and carvings of various creatures can be spotted throughout the film, most impressive among them being the massive stone dogs and stags that silently guard the grounds. The interior of the castle is decorated with ornate furniture and a trove of riches: cutlery, goblets, jewelry and furnishings all fit for a king. And then, of course, scowling and presiding over it all is Jean Marais as the Beast, buried under five hours worth of makeup and still turning in a one-of-a-kind performance. Speaking in a scratchy growl, he clearly expresses the menace imposed through his bestial form, transfixed lust for Belle and shame at himself for his appearance and savage tendencies (including the temptation to spill blood, which causes him to give off plumes of smoke). Marais plays the character skillfully, strongly asserting his personality from beneath the layers of makeup and fur that he wears. An everlasting testament to his success is the well-known story of how Greta Garbo (or was it Marlene Dietrich, as Roger Ebert claims?), after witnessing the scene in which the Beast transforms into the Prince at the film’s premiere, cried out at the screen, “Give me back my Beast!”


As seductive and beautiful as the various artificial elements of the film are, and as much as Cocteau asks his viewers to submit to the more unreal qualities of fairy tales, the way he ends the film seems to be contradictorily designed to make one question those very properties. In the quite abrupt turn of events at the end, Ludovic and Avenant scheme to break into the Beast’s pavilion that contains a hefty share of his treasures. While trying to climb through the glass skylight, Avenant is shot in the back with an arrow from a guarding statue. With yet another stunning visual effect, he transforms into the Beast before falling dead to the ground below. Meanwhile, the (original) Beast, who is on the verge of death after having been separated from Belle for a week, suddenly rises to his feet, transformed back into a man. The final scene between Marais’ Prince and Belle is a curious one, as she expresses a certain degree of disappointment towards him and her fate. Her initial reaction to the prince’s resemblance to Avenant is in the negative, and when asked if she is happy, she replies, “I’ll have to get used to it.” Shortly after, the Prince and Belle ascend together to his kingdom, their mingled bodies disappearing behind billowing plumes of smoke. It’s a classic fairy tale ending, but one met with some cynicism, as if to critique the way fairy tales tend to wrap everything up a little too neatly. Like Garbo (or Dietrich), perhaps the viewer was meant to embrace the man while he was still trapped in his beast form and be content with the more truthful relationship between Belle and the Beast in the middle portion of the tale instead of the idealized conclusion. There is a scene that gives a clue towards this point of view: the Beast, stricken with loneliness after having allowed Belle to go back to her father for one week, wanders through his castle, touching his magical possessions in an indifferent sort of way. It is as if to suggest that magic, no matter how wondrous, is a mere contrivance compared to genuine love. Indeed, as marvelous and integral to the film as Cocteau’s cinematic spectacles are, scenes like that make one stop and reconsider what their true worth really is, particularly when held in comparison with more human factors such as the film’s other most crucial element: Jean Marais in his three roles, but most importantly in that of the Beast, who manages to ironically convey more humanity than his other two human characters despite (or in spite of) his non-human form. The film first asks the viewers to accept its artifice, then tells them to look beyond it and consider the truths intermingled with it.

What’s wonderful about this film is that this is just one of many interpretations one can draw from it. I haven’t even gone into other things like the various magical objects of the Beast’s that may, as Philip Glass believes, stand in for the various components of the artistic process, or the more reality-based storyline concerning the merchant’s debts and the subsequent seizure of his furniture as he lies sick in bed while Ludovic and Avenant play chess on a small table before that too is taken away. As with many of Cocteau’s works, there is so much that can be seen and appreciated in his Beauty and the Beast. A film made to both lose oneself in and inspire a reconsideration of the creation of art, it remains to this day an indispensable classic and a treasure of French fantasy cinema.

An Unusual Rant about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"

I recently tagged along with my Dad and little sister to finally catch the latest Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. After seeing it, all three of us agreed that it was, on the whole, a decent movie. A terrible adaptation, argued my Dad who had just re-read the book and spotted the most discrepancies between text and film, but considered on its own, a decent movie (on the technical side, I must say that the true star is cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel, who brought us the dazzling images in Amélie, A Very Long Engagement and Across the Universe). But early on in the film, there was a small scene that stuck around in my head for the rest of the screening; one which quite effectively reminded me of my feelings for the franchise (and franchises in general) in relation to other films and, for better or for worse, affected my perspective on the boy wizard’s latest round of adventures on the silver screen.

The scene in question is the one that introduces our titular hero, eschewing yet another Dursley-centered exposition and zeroing in on Mr. Potter as he reads a newspaper in a small subway diner. He is interrupted by an alluring waitress (played by an actress named Elarica Gallacher) who, noticing his name all over the paper, innocently asks who Harry Potter is. The two strike up a small conversation that ends with her promptly telling him before he asks that she gets off work at eleven. It’s a nice little scene that’s shot and acted in a relatively natural style, allowing the two actors to establish both their respective characters and the slightest touch of attraction between them – a glimmer of potential that could lead to so much more. But then, after the waitress has gone, Harry looks out the window at the passing trains and sees, appearing out of nowhere in true wizard fashion…Dumbledore. Like an obedient dog who sees his master, Harry goes to join the headmaster’s side. After some words of greeting, Harry casts a longing glance at the diner where waitress has just exited. She looks around, searching for him. But alas, their rendezvous is not to be, and soon enough Dumbledore whisks Harry off to his next magical adventure.

Now, these two scenes inspired thoughts of protestation in me and slightly soured the remainder of the movie that followed them. The reason for this was simple: undoubtedly like Harry himself, I wanted him to ignore or dismiss Michael Gambon’s bearded wizard and go with the waitress instead. A completely pointless wish, I know – especially since I had read the book, was familiar with what lay in store for young (or not-so-young-any-more) Harry and knew all too well that the waitress’ scene wasn’t even in the book and was invented solely for the movie, meaning it’s highly unlikely that Ms. Gallacher will ever be seen again in the Potter-verse (contrary to Roger Ebert’s own hopes expressed in his review). But regardless, I wallowed in my feelings of futile hope and bitter disappointment all the same. The effect was similar to having had a juicy steak dangled in front of you, only to see it yanked out of sight and replaced with a bowl of tasteless grey gruel. Not that the remainder of the film was as unpleasant as eating gruel, but after having seen such a good, simple scene that hinged on a moment of genuine feeling and emotional subtlety instead of a similar moment intruded upon by a magical quest or CGI beastie, it might as well have been.

My feelings about this scene are no doubt similar to Daniel Radcliffe’s (and his costars’) own impatience with being chained to Warner Brothers and the remaining Potter films. He has recently made relatively successful ventures into non-Potter projects such as December Boys and My Boy Jack, the most famous one being the Broadway play Equus, which required him to perform nude onstage and paid off with a flurry of reviews commending his performance. Indeed, Radcliffe has improved as an actor, and it shows quite often in Half-Blood Prince. But to have to continually walk away from “real” acting jobs to fulfill an obligation to the series of children’s films he began at the tender age of eleven as well as its legions of fans must be annoying at the very least. Granted, seeing this particular responsibility through to the end is, all things considered, the right thing to do, and definitely preferable to having some other actor stepping in with only two or three films left to go. But still, it’s easier than ever to imagine just how eager Radcliffe must be to finish up the series so he can move on to bigger and better things.

In a recent online interview for guardian.co.uk, Radcliffe made the following observation about the Potter films: “You know what I take pride in more than anything else about these films? They’re the only films since Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel series that have featured one character going from about the age of 11 to 20. To be in Truffaut’s company, I’m happy with that.” That quote alone seems to contain in a nutshell Radcliffe’s sharp taste and intelligence and illustrates how, by now, both are visibly clashing with the Harry Potter franchise – or, heck, the whole notion of big budget, big studio franchises in general. While it is indeed refreshing to pick up on the similarities between the two characters’ onscreen exploits (including the freeze-frame at the end of Alfonso Cuarón’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is almost definitely an homage to the famous one at the end of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows), the simple truth is that, outside of the focus on young people, these are two very different animals. While all five of François Truffaut’s films to feature his alter ego played by Jean-Pierre Léaud (being The 400 Blows, the short Antoine and Colette, Stolen Kisses, Bed and Board and Love on the Run) are, in adherence to the filmmaker’s recognizable style, devoted to the simple wonders of everyday life and fittingly crafted with light-hearted compassion and naturalism, the Potter films for the most part remain primarily focused on two things: keeping the plot rolling and providing the spectacle of Harry’s magical world. There is still some attention to stuff like character development and moments of emotional significance (there would have to be in order for the films to, like the books, have any resonance with audiences), but such elements have to be packed in along with Quidditch matches, house elves, magic classes, spell casting and the inevitable, race-against-the-clock rush to stop the Dark Lord and/or his servants. Add to that the usual lack of style found among the franchise’s veteran mainstream directors Chris Columbus, Mike Newell and David Yates (Azkaban’s Cuarón being a notable – and noticeable – exception as a rare interloper from the world of art cinema), and what you have is a collection of films designed to be slick, glossy and easily consumed by the masses instead of the more interesting and personal expressions created by filmmakers such as Truffaut.

That’s what makes the diner scene such a gem within Half-Blood Prince – it’s something that Truffaut could have made. And just think about the film that would have resulted if Harry had told Dumbledore to find some other Chosen One and went off with the waitress! No Ron, no Hermione, no owls, no Voldemort – just, to borrow an analogy pricelessly used in Stolen Kisses, two people navigating through the minefield of young love. Plus, while Radcliffe has some nice, natural acting moments in Half-Blood Prince (like when he is comically “drunk” on the Felix Felicis potion), just think of the possibilities if he had the chance to show such bits of humor and subtlety in an entire film. I’m sure he’d be a match for Léaud at his most awkward and likeable.

But again, this is all kind of pointless, since, as I have said before and will say again, I shouldn’t be walking into a tofu shop looking for a steak. The sixth Harry Potter flick is finished, and there are only two more films to go (both comprising the events of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). They will be what they are meant to be, and then Radcliffe can move on to other, hopefully different things. It looks like the first one on his list will be a portrayal of Dan Eldon, the young photojournalist who was beaten to death in Somalia in 1993 in the upcoming film The Journey is the Destination (promising premise, but the title leaves something to be desired). There’s really no telling where he might go from there, but maybe, just maybe, could he do a New Wave-ish character-based film shot on the streets and in ordinary locations? I don’t think it’s too much to wish for.

Oh yes, and let’s also hope Elarica Gallacher pops up in a bigger role in something tasteful sooner rather than later.

The First Shinsedai Cinema Festival – Report

The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre

All good things must come to an end, and August 23rd, 2009, marked the end of the Shinsedai Cinema Festival. It can certainly be said that the event, which was co-curated by Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow founder Chris MaGee and Midnight Eye co-founder and author of the new book Beyond the Pink Curtain Jasper Sharp and hosted at the impressive Japanese Canadian Cultural Center, was a notable success, especially for a film festival that was a) in its first year, and b) featuring independent films that had beforehand received little attention in North America. Indeed, Shinsedai offered a range of interesting films that one most likely wouldn’t find at such genre-focused festivals as Toronto After Dark, and in doing so provided a rich experience for adventurous viewers hoping to learn more about Japanese cinema and culture. Toronto now has a new resource that will enable many to expand their knowledge and appreciation of Japanese culture while showcasing the talents of independent filmmakers. I already can’t wait to see what next year will bring.

Chris MaGee, "Thunderfish" actress Junko Kimoto and Jasper
Sharp at the opening reception for the festival

While I didn’t catch all of the films that were shown at the festival, I certainly made an effort to see most of them – and am very glad I did. Here’s what I thought of the films I saw:

Weiner Waust (Maya Yonesho, 2006)

Shot throughout Vienna, Austria, this five-minute short was a colorful and imaginative delight. Using stop-motion animation, it mainly consists of abstract patterns and shapes dancing on index cards carried throughout different parts of the city, at time mimicking the sights seen in the streets. The enchanting concept and light tone of the film (partly contributed by an accordion score) make it a fun demonstration of cinematic experimentation.

Naked of Defenses (Masahide Ichii, 2008)

The first feature film shown at Shinsedai turned out to be a notable success, drawing a large audience and favorable reactions from virtually everyone who saw it (who I spoke to afterwards, at least). Focusing on the precarious relationship between two female factory workers (one being eight months pregnant, the other having suffered a miscarriage), it is a still, contemplative drama about past traumas and unspoken resentment. The story takes place in the eerily quiet countryside and urban spaces of Toyama Prefecture, providing a sharp contrast to the loud din of the plastics factory where the women work. Lead actresses Ayako Moriya and Sanae Konno both give superb performances, and writer/director Ichii delivers a very well-made film that adequately accommodates both of them.

Suzuki & Co. (Kazuo Kono, 2008)

This is a great comedic short about a desperate job seeker who joins the one-man team behind the titular internet auction company. Both funny and wise, it reveals hidden truths about the business of providing (seemingly) useless stuff and a philosophical perspective on consumer culture.

Inside Kobayashi Hall, where all of the films were screened

Freeter’s Distress (Hiroki Iwabuchi, 2007)

I was really looking forward to seeing this film, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Freeter’s Distress is an onscreen account of Iwabuchi’s experiences as a part-time worker at a Canon plant who is trapped in a state of near poverty. Filming with his handheld camcorder, he talks to friends and acquaintances about the challenges of finding full-time employment and making progress in the world and at certain points addresses the larger political and social dimensions of his situation. For the most part, though, his film remains fairly intimate as it gives the first-person documentation of a life constantly spent striving for survival. We see what Iwabuchi sees as he rides his bike, journeys to Tokyo, tries to find places to sleep in the city until morning (at one point, waiting until noon, when he gets paid) and, in the final portion of the film, walks and stays awake through a night of pouring rain until he reaches the ocean. The film ends abruptly, but there is good reason for this: Iwabuchi himself is left facing a void of uncertainty at that point in his life, so why shouldn’t the audience share that experience? Such an ending is a better and more logical choice than a summative epilogue (as so many documentaries bear), and makes it clear that Freeter’s Distress is a slice of (a) life in the purest sense. If nothing else, it’ll make you want to know how Iwabuchi has fared beyond the film’s events.

emerger (Aki Sato, 2008)

Telling the story of a woman adorned with casts on her neck and leg who is looking for casual sex and a recently spurned gay man, the 42 minute-long emerger displays a rough, raw quality that suits its two emotionally damaged main characters.

Bunny in Hovel (Mayumi Yabe)

This dark, moody film dwells on a destructive family living in the Japanese backwoods. Returning to the house after three years, the mother’s son at first offers the possibility of hope, but isn’t the crusading hero that some viewers may mistake him for – the film is, to its credit, too deeply set in grim reality for a contrivance like that.

Csikspost (Yumiko Beppu, 2009)

Csikspost is a fun, sometimes downright goofy short about the simple pleasures of summer and childhood alike. The main character is the eight year-old Mina (charmingly played by Marina Kawamura), who strives to convince a young fruit vendor to marry her single Dad. Maintaining a great sense of humor, the film contains a few touches that certainly suggest a Wes Anderson influence.

Arungaku (Tomohisa Takashi, 2009)

This concert film was shown with four short works by its subject, the video artist and composer Takagi Masakatsu. Seen together, they certainly convinced me that he is quite the talented individual. His films are unfathomably beautiful spectacles of shape, color and motion that often simulate the texture of paintings. Then there’s the documentary, which showcases his aurally mesmerizing musical work and, simply, the creative process of making music. In the brief segments outside of the concert, Masakatsu is shown as a cheerful, animated person who takes genuine pleasure in what he does and strives to share that joy in all of his art. Thanks to this film, I’ll definitely be hunting for some of his albums over the next few weeks.

Here is Girls, one of his videos (with his own music):



Maledict Car (Kosai Sekine, 2008)

This music video for the band Jemapur consists of a kaleidoscopic stream of imagery reminiscent of Michel Gondry’s work. Here's the entire video:



Thunderfish (Touru Hano, 2005)

With hints of horror and noir, Thunderfish was easily the most genre-influenced film to be shown at Shinsedai. While telling the story of a photojournalist who investigates the prostitution trade and rural legends of Cantella Island, the film also sets out to explore themes such as traditional beliefs and how they clash with contemporary culture (it is set in the 1950s, but the island’s inhabitants more closely adhere to a 1930s way of living). Thunderfish maintains a great atmospheric quality throughout its duration that is primarily owed to Tetsushiro Kato’s cinematography, which perfectly evokes the stifling humidity of the island and uses a vivid palette of saturated greens and blues.

Me with "Thunderfish" actress Junko Kimoto

Vortex & Others (Yoshihiro Ito, 2001-2008)

This is a marvelous collection of short films that truly revel in visual and narrative creativity. Right from the first moments of the first film, Wife’s Knife (in which a man is stricken with horror and fear towards his meek, seemingly harmless wife), it’s clear that Ito is unafraid to venture into the realm of the bizarre – in fact, it’s more than likely that he knows that’s where the best ideas often lie in hiding. All five of these films (being Wife’s Knife, Imaginary Lines, Non-Intervention Game, Plum Double Suicide and Vortex) have something different to offer, and can be described in three adjectives: fascinating, fun and funny.

Jasper Sharp (left) with Yoshihiro Ito (right) in the Q&A discussion for "Vortex & Others"

Now I… (Yasutomo Chikuma, 2007)

Now I… is the first feature film by Yasutomo Chikuma, who maxed out his credit card and served as producer, writer, director and lead actor. He stars as Satoru, an incredibly withdrawn young man who is pushed to interact with the outside world after he is given a job at a winery. The film uses a minimal approach to clearly reflect the claustrophobic viewpoint of the antisocial Satoru. Besides being a capable filmmaker, Chikuma also proves his talent as an actor, especially since he was present for discussions after the screening and, thankfully, turned out to be a much more communicative and cheerful guy than his on-screen protagonist.

The Rule of Dreams (Naoyuki Tsuji, 1995)

Evocative of Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon and made with low-tech means (charcoal sketches that leave shadow-like trails as they “move” across their paper backdrops), this animated short is mystifying in its surreal images and the imaginative way in which they are created onscreen.

The Trains (Takahiro Hirata, 2005)

A fun and inventive short that will certainly make me think differently about passing trains.

Girl Sparks (Yuya Ishii, 2007)

I couldn’t imagine a more well-chosen pick for the closing film for Shinsedai than this one, which drew plenty of laughs from beginning to end. It provides an account of the strange and frustrating life of teenager Saeko who must contend with her cross-dressing father (who, he explains, also wants to be a mother to her), the assortment of odd boarders he takes into their home, the isolated rural town in which she lives and the rockets that constantly soar through the sky above her.

For more reports on the Shinsedai Cinema Festival, please visit the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow here, here and here.

Five Films I'll Be Catching at the Shinsedai Cinema Festival

With both the Toronto After Dark Film Festival and, of course, the Toronto International Film Festival, the end of summer/start of fall period has always been a busy one for film lovers whether they already live in Toronto or are willing to make the trip to sate their cinematic appetites. Well, now there's one more attraction that looks like it's going to be a real treat for those same adventurous viewers: the Shinsedai Cinema Festival, which is being curated by Midnight Eye co-founder Jasper Sharp and my friend Chris MaGee, founder of the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow. The Shinsedai Festival will be taking place from August 21st to 23rd at the Canadian Japanese Culture Centre and focusing exclusively on a diverse selection of new films from emerging Japanese filmmakers (some of whom will be in attendance to present and discuss their films; see the full list of attendees here and here).

A look through the list of films will tell you that the festival will be featuring quite an intriguing mix to choose from. While I'll be setting out to catch most (if not all) of the featured films, here's a quick "Top Five" list of the ones that I'm the most curious about.

1) Freeter's Distress (Hiroki Iwabuchi, 2007)

This film provides a first-person account of the life and trials of the 23 year-old Hiroki Iwabuchi's life as a "freeter" - an educated young person who is trapped in the world of part-time employment. While it looks like an informative watch, Freeter's Distress is sure to be so much more, especially because of its "confessional" quality (acting as both director and subject, Iwabuchi simply picked up a camcorder and recorded the details of his day-to-day life - and ended up with an entire 67-minute film!).

Read the review here.

2) Now, I... (Yasutomo Chikuma, 2007)

Right off the heels of Freeter's Distress, here's a fictional film that's sure to have its share of similarities and differences with Iwabuchi's film alike. Starring director Chikuma (who made the film on a shoestring budget that sent him into the all-too familiar territory of independent filmmakers: credit card debt), it details the experiences of a young man who must make his way through the world without proper education, work experience or his mother, whose death initiates a new chapter in his life.

3) Thunderfish (Raigyo) (Touru Hano, 2005)

While this film looks like the most genre-influenced selection in the Shinsedai Festival, even it sounds like a refreshingly unique work to get lost in. Touru Hano's film plunges a journalist into a mystery involving Cantella Island, a missing photographer, a local brothel and an old legend surrounding a giant fish known as the raigyo. Color me curious!

4) Peaches (Bunny in Hovel, emerger & Csikspost)

The very notion of the Peaches filmmaking collective has me very interested in what they have to offer, since they promote and practice both do-it-yourself filmmaking (controlling such aspects of their films as distribution and screenings) and women getting behind the cameras themselves (Peaches is currently comprised of nine young female directors). Shinsedai will be featuring three of the group's films: Mayumi Yabe's Bunny in Hovel (2009), about a young son's return to an abusive household, Aki Sato's emerger (2008), about two kindred spirits and their (mis)adventures in love, and Yumiko Beppu's Csikspost (2009), a summertime tale about a little girl, a single father and one black hole.

Read a review of emerger here.

5) Vortex & Others: Five Short Films by Yoshihiro Ito (2001-2008)

This series of shorts looks like a treasure trove of some of the stuff that makes Japanese cinema so appealing: unconventional stories, off-the-wall inventiveness, an eccentric, elusive mix of horror and humor. Written, shot and directed by Yoshihiro Ito, these five films are sure to remind many of the works of such directors as David Lynch and Seijun Suzuki and offer a surreal and exciting diversion from what one usually expects from the mainstream.

Read a review of the five Ito films to be featured here.

John Hughes 1950-2009

I remember two years ago when, during my stay at a cottage my family rented in Northern Ontario, I heard on the radio that Ingmar Bergman had passed away. Then, a few days later, I had gotten back home only to find out that another legendary filmmaker, Michelangelo Antonioni, had died within twenty-four hours of Bergman. Well, this year I received a similar shock: on the same day I got home from my family's latest cottage excursion, I read the news that John Hughes unexpectedly died from a heart attack at the age of fifty-nine.

Now, it goes without saying that John Hughes wasn't exactly the same kind of filmmaker as Bergman or Antonioni - he wasn't what you'd typically call an art house director, nor a "visionary" filmmaker. Instead, he shared the same ranks as Woody Allen - he had a distinctive voice that he used, through his films, to tell insightful, resonant stories that truly affected generations of people. As the many other online obits are saying, Hughes helped define the 1980s and pave the way for a new representation and understanding of teenagers in the movies. By simply looking at the handful of films he directed alone, you can easily get a measure of how drastically he changed the concept of the teen movie. I can safely say that he is the person most responsible for making the teen movie what it is today, and it's difficult if not impossible to not see the signs of his influence in others' work in the same area.


The first Hughes film I remember seeing is Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which my cousin Pierre showed me one afternoon at his place. It certainly was an excellent introduction to his work, not only because it contains his trademark sharp humor and great writing, but also because it's just so damn good. Around the same time (or possibly before? - my memory is hazy), Uncle Buck became a favorite of my family's, one that we'd revisit many, many times over the years. I'd later see other classic Hughes films such as The Breakfast Club and Planes, Trains and Automobiles and come to regard him with the same measure of respect and appreciation that so many have already bestowed, and that he so rightfully deserves.


And there is no more apt a time to renew that respect and appreciation than now - and no better way than by revisiting one (or a few) of his many classics. I myself plan to rewatch Ferris Bueller's Day Off as soon as I can on one of my days off from work (because, of course, you can't watch a movie like this one on a day you have to work or go to school!), probably followed up by The Breakfast Club.

Rest in peace, Mr. Hughes.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet Fans Rejoice - A Slew of MICMACS Teasers Hit the Interwebs!

Bliss! Since 2004's A Very Long Engagement (which I found to be a fantastic, beautifully layered and stylized romantic mystery in the vein of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's novels), French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet (best known for Amélie) has been on something of a hiatus - but no more! I've been hearing a fair bit about Micmacs à tire-larigot, his upcoming war comedy, for some time now, but the first actual glimpses of the film have been released onto the web. And not only are we getting a short teaser - we're getting eight! Each one is dedicated to a specific character and provides a tantalizing glimpse of what looks like yet another unique delight from Monsieur Jeunet. Many are already drawing comparisons between Delicatessen and Amélie - which seem warranted and, given the high quality of those two films, certainly worth hoping for!

The teasers can all be found over at Twitch. Here's hoping this one gets a North American release date sooner than later! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go rewatch all of the Jeunet films in my possession - erm, maybe with the exception of Alien: Ressurection.

Happy Canada Day!

July 1st marks the birth of our country here in Canada, and we're celebrating with a well-deserved holiday! For this day, I thought I'd get into the spirit by sharing some Canadian cinema-related material.


Now, any Canadian film fan who's worth their salt will know that one of the most celebrated Canadian films ever made is Claude Jutra's Mon Oncle Antoine (1971), which is about a Quebec boy's coming of age experiences in his asbestos mining town during Christmas. I recently re-watched Claude Jutra: An Unfinished Story, a fascinating documentary about the filmmaker included on the film's Criterion DVD that explores his childhood, early love for cinema (which he pursued to the point of bluffing his way with a bunch of friends into a hotel room for an impromptu interview with Federico Fellini and Giulieta Masina), steady rise in his career, later troubles with finding support for his projects (forcing him to go to English Canada to find work) and his struggle with Alzheimer's disease that led to his suicide in 1986. It's especially admirable for the way it provides a ton of information about its subject while also containing a great deal of emotional resonance.

It's too bad that more of Jutra's films aren't available on Region 1 DVD, but at least we have Mon Oncle Antoine, which is surely a Canadian classic. Attached below is the trailer for the film as well as A Chairy Tale, a stop-motion short co-directed by Jutra and Canadian animation wizard Norman McLaren and starring Jutra himself.






On top of that, here's Neighbours (1952), one of McLaren's most famous shorts:

Hiroshi Shimizu: A Perfect Summer Treat

Last winter, the other writers for the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow and I were very excited when the Criterion Collection's Eclipse line announced it would be releasing four films from filmmaker Hiroshi Shimizu. They hit the streets this past March, but I didn't pick up my set until May...and it's a good thing I waited until then to do so.

The four films that come in the box set (appropriately titled Travels with Hiroshi Shimizu) seem ideally appropriate for the relaxing summer season, what with their mostly light, lyrical tone and cross-country exploration of Japanese culture that are so evocative of vacation excursions (sometimes directly so). Two of the films - The Masseurs and a Woman (1938) and Ornamental Hairpin (1941) - are even set at resorts, following the intersecting paths of its visitors and the relationships that form between them before they are inevitably broken off (providing achingly bittersweet moments in both films).

According to the DVDs' liner notes (written by Michael Koresky), Shimizu usually preferred to work with notes and outlines instead of strictly following a script. This method and its benefits can easily be seen in his films, as they largely consist of separate episodes and multiple storylines that are definitely more driven by character than plot. The earliest film in the set is the silent Japanese Girls at the Harbor (1933), which follows a fairly melodramatic storyline centered around two best friends and the man they both love. In my opinion, it is the weakest of the four films because of this soap opera-like story, even though it provides a solid frame around which Shimizu deploys a number of creative poetic flourishes (including dissolves, several of his trademark tracking shots and striking editing techniques).



My personal favorite of the bunch is 1936's Mr. Thank You. In contrast to Japanese Girls, its story of a kind bus driver and his passengers flows along effortlessly, showing how ideally suited Shimizu's casual approach is to the road movie structure. The film is one of the earliest examples of the road movie as we know it today and, in my books, one of the most effective. As the driver (and title character, known for his shouts of gratitude to the pedestrians who move aside for his bus) takes his passengers to Tokyo, their personalities, quirks and backstories are gradually revealed in a friendly and comfortable manner while the journey brings them into contact with a variety of people who occupy different areas of the social ladder. Simply, the film invites you along for the ride as one of Mr. Thank You's patrons, and Shimizu does his part to ensure the trip is an enjoyable one.

All of the films in this set feel to some degree like refreshing escapes that you can indulge in whenever you wish. And the best part - all of them are short and sweet, the longest only clocking in at 76 minutes. So, for those curious about this newly-released set, Shimizu-san himself or the golden age of Japanese film, take my word for it: now's the best time in the year to check out some of these recovered treasures.

Revision; Oshima

Hello all,

As some of you might have noticed over the past few months, I've been somewhat/extremely lax regarding the number of posts I do for this blog. While, yes, overall laxness had a part in this recent famine, I must also honestly say that certain other responsibilities that I regularly tend to contributed as well, basically leaving my poor blog to get lost in the shuffle.

So, I've decided to change to overall aims and style of Subtitle Literate. From now on, it won't be focused on rounded-out reviews only, partly because I already do plenty of those regularly for the wonderful Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow. Instead, this site will become lighter, more casual, and more...well, blog-like. My attention will still mainly be dedicated to world cinema, but my contributions here will be more along the lines of thoughts, remarks, observations and shared links/material. I'll still put in a full film review every now and then, but definitely not with every post.

So that's pretty much how the big change-of-course will go, and from this point on, I'll be sure to get a whole lot more postings out there more often.

With that said, let me move on to my first post-revision topic: the Japanese filmmaker Nagisa Oshima.


About a week ago, after having read so much about this legendary iconoclast and his work, I picked up what is possibly his most famous film: 1976's In the Realm of the Senses. Mainly known for its highly explicit (and unsimulated) sexuality, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect.

Ultimately, I was quite pleasantly surprised. The film was much richer than I originally expected, seeing as how its premise, surrounding an overpowering sexual obsession shared between a man and woman in 1930s Japan, is fairly simplistic. Also, refreshingly, it confirmed Oshima's reputation as a talented and highly intelligent artist, and made me extremely curious to see more of his films.

As a result, I'm kicking myself for not having taken advantage of the great Oshima retrospective the Cinematheque Ontario held last fall, especially considering how few of his films are available in North America. Still, there's the newly released Criterion DVD of Empire of Passion (considered to be a companion piece for In the Realm) for me to seek out, and I can still continue to learn more about Oshima and hope that, before too long, more of his films will find exposure to Western audiences.

Attached below are the trailers for 1969's Boy and his final film (which he made after suffering a stroke), 1999's Gohatto (and yes, that is Takeshi Kitano in the latter trailer; he got his first dramatic part in Oshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence starring David Bowie).





This post is part of the Japanese Cinema Blog-a-thon hosted by Wildgrounds.

Shinsedai Cinema Festival

Ladies and gents, there is a new film festival in Toronto.



My good friend Chris MaGee, founder of the Toronto J-Film Pow-Wow (to which I contribute on a regular basis), has just announced the Shinsedai Cinema Festival, which will run from August 21st-23rd. Co-programmed with Jasper Sharp of Midnight Eye, the festival will feature a slew of new films from Japan (many of which making their Canadian premieres here) screened at the Japanese Canadian Culture Centre in their brand new Kobayashi Hall, which can seat 450.


Those curious about the lineup can check it out here. It looks like quite a diverse bunch of fascinating new films to check out, and the fest is a great way to catch a first peek at the upcoming wave of talent fresh from Japan's shores (shinsedai translates as "new generation").

Be sure to give this fest a look come August!

Volver (2006)

Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Country: Spain

The news that Broken Embraces, the latest film from Spanish auteur Almodóvar, was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in this year's Cannes Film Festival inspired me to revisit Volver, his previous film. Seeing it again reminded me of the filmmaker's great talent for weaving together stories made especially for women. They have remained an extremely significant motif throughout his career, and Volver is a stellar example of how admirably he uses them.

Penélope Cruz gives an excellent performance as Raimunda, a strong-willed woman who lives with Paula (Yohana Cobo), her teenage daughter, and Paco (Antonio de la Torre), her good-for-nothing husband. She also keeps in close touch with Sole (Lola Dueñas), her sister, and Agustina (Blanca Portillo), a friend of the family. In the first act, Raimunda must contend with two deaths: her Aunt Paula's, and, after he attempts to sexually assault his daughter, Paco's after he is stabbed with a kitchen knife. Additionally, she and her sister begin hearing and noticing strange things that suggest that the ghost of their mother, who is believed to have died in a fire, is lingering around them. Along with these events, Raimunda takes over a friend's restaurant and helps feed a visiting film crew, enlisting the help of her neighbors while managing both business affairs and the escalating developments surrounding Sole, Agustina, events of the past and the mysterious presence of her mother.


Volver is quite interesting partly because of the way it overturns certain expectations that some viewers may have going into it. Specifically, there are quite a few elements presented that would be right at home in a murder thriller or a ghost story - being namely Paco's body, which is temporarily hidden in the restaurant's freezer under many peoples' noses, and the appearance of Irene, Raimunda and Sole's mother (played by veteran Almodóvar actress Carmen Maura), who is at first suspected of being a restless spirit. However, these various things, though at first intriguing, eventually turn out to be red herrings, as the real theme of the film becomes and steadily remains focused on the bonds of family.

Then again, it should be no surprise that Volver doesn't dissolve into a simplistic genre flick since it thoroughly and undeniably remains an Almodóvar film throughout its entirety, meaning that it has a specific look and feel to it that is simply part of his signature as a filmmaker. Indeed, there is little doubt that Almodóvar is one of the most successful auteurs working in world cinema today, and Volver further continues the practice of his unique style. Thanks to the cinematography of José Luis Alcaine, the film is bright and lush, making marvelous use of primary colors - especially red. Consequently, the atmosphere remains consistently good-spirited, and even though some of the events are dramatic and even tragic at times, Volver never plunges to the gloomy level of, say, a Lars von Trier film (at the beginning of the film, Raimunda is seen working a number of lower-end jobs to make ends meet, but have no fear: Dancer in the Dark this ain't). Overall, one comes away from the film with an uplifting sensation, due to both the rewarding course of the narrative and the simple pleasure of seeing, both in front of the camera and behind it, work well done.


Overall, it was quite satisfying to see Volver again, and if anything, it will serve as a reminder for me to seek out more of Almodóvar's work in the future - and to root for him and Broken Embraces at Cannes this May!

The Lives of Others (2006)

Director: Florian Henckel von Dannersmarck
Country: Germany

Like many, I was mildly surprised when the Oscar for 2006's Best Foreign Language Film went not to Guillermo del Toro's spellbinding masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth, but instead to this German-made thriller. However, after having finally seen it, the so-called upset is not so hard to believe after all. Combining historical significance with ample doses of suspense and character development, The Lives of Others is irrefutably one finely made film.

The story begins, quite appropriately, in 1984 within the socialist regime of East Berlin. A celebrated playright, Georg Dreyman, is chosen as the target of a surveillance operation by the much-feared Ministry of State Security (Stasi for short). Weisler, a diligent Stasi agent, carries it out, bugging the apartment where Dreyman lives with his longtime girlfriend Christa-Maria and listening in on their lives in the attic above them. However, when he discovers that the mission is meant to aid a despicable minister's goals, Weisler begins to have second thoughts and eventually develops feelings of genuine admiration for the couple. Matters are further complicated when Dreyman becomes more involved in suspicious activities while under the false impression that he is safe from the Stasi.

The Lives of Others is a genuine pleasure to watch for both its design and execution. The storyline is tautly crafted, providing a perpetual air of tension surrounding the people living under the malevolent, Big Brother-like gaze of the Stasi. Suspense is created not only through the main storyline surrounding Dreyman and whether he will be caught, but also a number of other subplots that act as seperately burning fuses, hinting at potential disaster at any moment. Matching the film's superb structure are its fascinating characters, all impressively acted. Sebastian Koch is suitably excellent as Dreyman, the artist struggling to maintain both his safety and a clean conscience, and Martina Gedeck does a fine job portraying the complex Christa-Maria. Ulrich Tukur makes a strong impression as a friend and superior to Weisler (especially in the tense scene that takes place in the cafeteria), but if there is any one actor to admire the most in the film, it would have to be Ulrich Mühe as Weisler himself. Ultimately, the film is telling his story, being that of someone who is at first a cold-hearted bloodhound for the Stasi, then experiences an awakening of sorts, gradually realizing the harm and consequences of his actions and doing his best to make compensation. Sadly, Mühe passed away from cancer in July of 2007, but The Lives of Others stands as a tribute to his remarkable talent - particularly in the film's eerily fitting final freeze-framed shot.

Recreating life in a fascinating yet terrible era of Germany's history, The Lives of Others is informative while never faltering in its devotion to narrative and character. Quite simply, it is a great story told in exactly the right way, hooking its audience and keeping them riveted on every twist and turn that unfolds before them. Without a doubt, I highly, highly, highly reccomend this one.