Still Walking

Japanese (subtitles)

114 minutes

2008

4 Stars  

How a modern and dysfunctional family copes with the annual gathering to commemorate the death of the number one son and heir. This is a slow movie, intimate, with sadness and humor in about equal amounts. It is by the same director as After Life, and very well done, the reason 4 stars instead of 5? I'm not sure why it was made. The boy drowned saving the life of another, who is invited (and therefore must come) to the annual commemoration of the death, adding to his survivor's guilt, and feeding the mother's hatred. Family dynamics remain the same in most cultures, some more extreme than others, and this is a good look into a dysfunctional family, and how various members cope with their sorrow. It flows beautifully, and there is enough humor it does not become morbid.

Trailer 

The Sea is Watching

The Sea is Watching

Japanese, English Subtitles

2002, 118 minutes

5 Stars

The last screenplay written by Akira Kurosawa, it was directed by Kei Kuwai using Kurosawa's script and notes. It is the story of two women (prostitutes) who live and work in a brothel (not to be confused with Geisha, which they were not). One, O-Shin refuses to accept she is a fallen woman, and falls in love with her customers, hoping one will return that love. The other, Kikuno, has two suitors, one a kind and gentle man the other not. This is a story of sisterhood, of how the women support each other, and what happens when a stranger, Ryosuke, arrives and how he affects the women. It is a gentle movie of love, hope, and survival in a world that doesn't care.

For a trailer, click here.

Shower

Shower

Mandarin, English Subtitles

1999, 94 minutes

5 Stars

A 'feel good' movie about Da Ming who left his small, provincial town to seek his fortune in the big city, who, when he receives a postcard from his developmentally disabled brother Er Ming, returns home thinking his father was ill. Dad and Er Ming run a bathhouse where the local men come to get a bath, right crickets, and enjoy life at a leisurely pace. However, Modernization rears its ugly head, and the neighborhood is to be destroyed to make way for high-rise buildings and shopping malls. There is much humor and the acting is uniformly excellent. This is a film the whole family can enjoy (there is nudity, but not frontal or sexual). Even if you are not a fan of subtitles, these are so well done they seem to disappear. Da Ming realizes the meaning of family.

Third in the Samurai Trilogy by Yoji Yamada, Love and Honor

Love and Honor

Japanese, English subtitles

2006, 121 Minutes

5 Stars

Rainy Day loved Twilight Samurai and Hidden Blade, and when she watched this movie, the third of the samurai trilogy by Yoji Yamada, she was not disappointed. Mimura Shinnojo is a low level samurai, a food taster who dreams of quitting his position and opening his own dojo to teach the sword to any young boys who want to learn. Before he can realize his dream, he tastes poisoned shellfish, and though he survives the poison, he is blind. Though this is part of a samurai trilogy, it is not a martial arts film, it is, rather, a film of love and honor, and how both are met and betrayed and found. Love and Honor is a touching movie, great acting, beautifully photographed, and filled with drama. If you saw the other two, this is a 'must see movie.'

For the trailer, click here.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

English

2011, 120 minutes

3 Stars

Rainy Day read the book years ago and loved it. She read it twice, and avoided the movie for a long time. If you haven't read the book, you will probably like this, but it introduces a whole second story line, and skips between the modern storyline and the old story line. Why didn't 'They' do two movies? Yes, Rainy Day cried at the end—she's a sucker for sad and happy, but she remains totally perplexed as to why someone would take such a beautiful book and screw it up by cutting more than half the story, and then jumping forth and back to modern Shanghai. A bit like going from Puccini to Metalica at somewhat random intervals. Both stories are, well, tender, and in Rainy Day's opinion, both stories deserve their own movie!

For the official trailer, click here. There are more trailers online, merely Google the title.

Snow Flower, review by Dame Judith

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

2011, 120 minutes

3 Stars

Unlike the novel, the movie expanded the basic story line to juxtapose the original story line of two women growing up separately in China circa 1880 against the movie's newly introduced two women growing up in present-day Hong Kong.

Thereby presenting the viewer with flashbacks among four different women's histories, and switchbacks between two sets of women's stories.  Hello? Do we now suspect why the movie reviewers were lukewarm about the movie version? 

Beautifully filmed as only what we Hollywood-fed movie goers term "foreign films" always seem to do.

The film is a blend of English and translated-Chinese captioning.

If feminine friends are key in your life, watch the movie.

I think I'm going to re-read the book. Click here for trailer.

I was intrigued by the historical binding of girls' feet and pacts between "sisters of the heart forever."

 How easily the story now "translated" to me. Have you seen the movie? Read the book? Did you find the translation as easy as I?

As A Poet, Rainy Day Just Had to Watch

Poetry

Korean, English Subtitles

2010, 139 minutes

5 Stars

This is one of the most touching movies Rainy Day has seen. Grandmother Mija is raising her grandson, Wook as his mother lives and works in another city. Wook is a pain, and his story is always in the background. Mija works part-time to make ends meet, and is alone when diagnosed with the beginnings of Alzheimer's Disease. She enrolls in a class to learn to write poetry, a passion with her. This touching drama follows her through her job, her diagnosis, and the writing of her poem. It's a quiet drama, no fights, but understated tension. Spoiler Alert! The ending is open. If you must have everything tied into a neat package, this is not for you. A beautiful and well-told poignant story of the meaning of Love and Life, and how some face their mortal end. A haunting movie.

For the trailer, click here. There are no subtitles on this trailer.

Harakiri

Harakiri

Japanese, English Subtitles

133 minutes, 1962

Won: Cannes Special Jury Prize

5 Stars

Filmed in black and white, which adds to it's intensity and drama, Harakiri is a study in human emotion and is one of the classic samurai, or rather, antisamurai movies. An older ronin goes to a feudal lord's home and requests permission to commit harakiri in the courtyard. Before he does, he tells his story. Rainy Day wasn't sure she would like it but found it fascinating. Harakiri shows the 'true' code of honor of the samurai v. the appearance of honor maintained by the elites. If you want lots of sword fights and action, this is not the movie for you. If you want a superb script, great acting, and the possibility of actually thinking, then this is the movie for you.

Rainy Day says this is not a 'feel good' movie, but is definitely worth the investment of time to watch. Also, there is an interesting introduction, which explains the movie. For a trailer, please click on the title, above.