Film Feb 18, 2021
'Under the Open Sky' depicts what lies between good and evil
by Mark Schilling
Director Miwa Nishikawa’s latest film stars Koji Yakusho as a hardened ex-con trying to restart his life after spending 13 years behind bars.
Film / Reviews Feb 10, 2021
‘Under the Open Sky’: Harsh realities about ex-cons hit home
by Mark Schilling
Koji Yakusho delivers a captivating performance as a former yakuza thug struggling to adjust to life after leaving prison in Miwa Nishikawa’s drama.
Film Jan 7, 2021
Japanese films you won't want to miss in 2021
by Mark Schilling
This year’s release lineup is stacked with domestic films that have little competition for audiences as many Hollywood films have been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Film Oct 22, 2020
Veteran Koji Yakusho brings his movie star clout to the Tokyo International Film Festival
by James Hadfield
This year’s TIFF ambassador discusses the festival experience, the effects of COVID-19 on the film industry, and discovering his inner Marie Kondo.
Film / Reviews May 9, 2018
'The Blood of Wolves': Old-school yakuza thrills are back
by Mark Schilling
The yakuza movie used to bestride the Japanese film industry like a colossus, but now clings to its margins. A well-known director occasionally essays the genre, as Takeshi Kitano did last year with "Outrage Coda," but a true revival has yet to come. Director Kazuya ...
Film Jan 3, 2018
Koji Yakusho reveals what makes a good director and how it feels to play 'dirty'
by Mark Schilling
With a career spanning four decades, Koji Yakusho has been both a star overseas ("Memoirs of a Geisha," "Babel") and an award-winner at home, most notably for his 1996 breakthrough "Shall We Dance?" But through it all he has maintained a Tom Hanks-esque nice ...
Film / Reviews Sep 6, 2017
by Mark Schilling
Murder mysteries are popular film and television fodder in Japan, but most revolve around puzzle plots that hold as much real-world probability as the cases of Sherlock Holmes. Hirokazu Koreeda's "The Third Murder" also presents a puzzle, but it's in the form of twice-convicted killer ...
Film Aug 5, 2015
A more complex portrayal of Emperor Hirohito
by Mark Schilling
Emperor Hirohito, who is posthumously known as Emperor Showa, had a procession of public images during his long reign from 1926 to 1989 — though none were quite accurate. There was the pre-1945 Emperor — stern and remote on his white horse — who was ...
Film / Reviews Oct 1, 2014
Death-row samurai spills ink, not blood
by Mark Schilling
Why have samurai movies become so middle-aged and sedate? Starting in the silent days and continuing through their 1950s peak, period films with top-knotted heroes typically featured a big one-against-many finale with flashing swords and the occasional firearm. Especially in the early days, both ...