Film / Reviews Sep 3, 2020
‘The Brightest Roof in the Universe’: Looks nice, lacks sparkle
by James Hadfield
Michihito Fujii changes pace but can’t quite find the right tempo on this lightweight follow-up to gritty award winner “The Journalist.”
Film / Reviews Jul 2, 2020
‘I Never Shot Anyone’: This nostalgic neo-noir misses its mark
by James Hadfield
Junji Sakamoto's neo-noir film about a writer leading a shadowy double life has a cast laden with heavyweight talents, but it doesn’t quite hit the spot.
Film | Wide Angle Aug 17, 2016
Prize-winning short 'Oh Lucy' brings humor to the classroom
by Giovanni Fazio
Given the potential global audience available on digital film platforms, it is surprising how few Japanese filmmakers have invested in foreign-language subtitles to get their films out there. Thus, it was a pleasant surprise to find director Atsuko Hirayanagi's short comedy "Oh Lucy" up ...
Film Aug 3, 2016
Momoi is on fire in her new indie film 'Hee'
by Mark Schilling
In her four-decade acting career Kaori Momoi has always been a free-spirited stand-out, indifferent to convention. But beneath her easygoing attitude and signature drawling delivery (which used to make me wonder what she had been ingesting before the cameras started rolling) was a thorough ...
Film | Wide Angle Oct 21, 2015
The foreign element at the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival
by Mark Schilling
While covering the recently ended second edition of the Kyoto International Film and Art Festival, I again realized that being a non-native isn't always such a bad deal in a country that prides itself on its omotenashi (hospitality) to outsiders. Sponsored by Yoshimoto Kogyo, an ...