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Mark Schilling
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 10, 2022
'Wedding High’: Nuptial chaos delivers big laughs
The ensemble comedy about a wedding gone wrong has some hilarious moments and digs into the ups and downs of Japanese weddings.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Mar 3, 2022
‘Intimate Stranger’: Asuka Kurosawa makes a triumphant return
The actress delivers a layered performance as a desperate yet calculating woman searching for her lost child in Mayu Nakamura's psychological thriller.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 24, 2022
‘Love Nonetheless’: Sexy romp delivers solid laughs
Hideo Jojo's smart comedy attempts to revive the erotic subgenres of the 1970s with mindful updates for modern audiences.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 24, 2022
Hiroshi Okuhara's ‘Hotel Iris’ is a house of mirrors
The director's film adaptation of Yoko Ogawa's novel, in which Masatoshi Nagase plays a dangerously seductive translator, blurs the line between fantasy and reality.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 17, 2022
‘Ribbon’: Non unmasks pandemic frustrations in her first feature
The former “Amachan” actor's film was inspired by the frustration and anger of young people whose lives have come to a standstill because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 10, 2022
‘Just Remembering’: Bittersweet romance rings true
Daigo Matsui's romantic drama seems to draw inspiration from a segment from 'Night on Earth,' the 1991 cult classic by Jim Jarmusch and starring Winona Ryder.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Feb 3, 2022
‘Popran’: Toilet humor with a moral message
Shinichiro Ueda's zany comedy about the comeuppance of a man whose genitals fly the coop doesn't quite match the energy of the director's “One Cut of the Dead.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 28, 2022
Japanese films to look out for in 2022
Hollywood will see strong competition from domestic fare, including Makoto Shinkai's “Suzume no Tojimari” and Naomi Kawase's documentary on the Tokyo Olympics, at the box office this year.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 27, 2022
‘The World of You’: Director returns to the complexities of youth
Akihiko Shiota's drama, which features two former members of idol-pop group Sakura Gakuin as teenagers who develop an intense bond, presents the delicate nature of relationships with nuance.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 20, 2022
‘Prior Convictions’: Probation workers and ex-cons tug at the heartstrings
Yoshiyuki Kishi's film about Japan's parole system is a well-intentioned account of the struggles ex-convicts face in the transition to normal life.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Jan 15, 2022
‘Drive My Car’ won a Golden Globe. Could it also pick up an Oscar?
“Drive My Car,” a film based on a short story by Haruki Murakami and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, has garnered a long list of prizes since premiering last July at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won three awards, including best screenplay.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 13, 2022
‘Noise’: A web of lies imbued with style and pathos
Ryuichi Hiroki's film about three men entangled in a web of lies and murder to protect their island community is a departure from the director's usual romantic dramas and indie fare.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 9, 2022
‘Maniac Driver’: A retro ride with Eros and action
Kurando Mitsutake's thriller pays tribute to classic Italian 'giallo' sex-and-splatter flicks as well as the deranged characters from 'Blue Velvet' and 'Taxi Driver.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jan 1, 2022
‘The End of the Pale Hour’: Love at first sight can be blinding
Takumi Kitamura stands out as one half of an unnamed couple in Hana Matsumoto's drama, which follows a typical movie romance arc until a cleverly devised twist changes everything.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 30, 2021
‘Red Post on Escher Street’: Sion Sono lets loose in his ode to cinema
Shot in eight days with students from his acting workshop, Sion Sono's madcap drama features standout performances by up-and-coming actors.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 16, 2021
‘Struggling Man’: Average Joe doesn’t quite move the needle
Toshio Lee's comedy about a company man who genuinely cares about those around him while harboring insecurities about his work and home life mostly deals in broad humor and cliches.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 10, 2021
2021 saw breakthrough talents in film rise from the shadows
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's two releases shone abroad, Keisuke Yoshida was honored with a Director in Focus section at home and younger filmmakers blazed new paths.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 9, 2021
‘Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy’: A triptych on life and love well worth a spin
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's three-part anthology, which centers on three women whose lives are changed by chance, solidifies his reputation as a director of rare talent and ambition.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Dec 2, 2021
‘Ruined’: Fury fuels a mission for retribution
Minori Hagiwara gives a compelling performance as a young woman who returns to her hometown to get answers and revenge in Taro Miyaoka's “Ruined.”
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Nov 26, 2021
A look behind the scenes with Godzilla, the ‘king of monsters’
Norman England's new book, 'Behind the Kaiju Curtain,' gives an insider's take on Japan's kaiju016b craftsmanship and monster movie-making.

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