The Musical May Not Be Back, But Japan Is

Is it just me, or are there a lot of movies coming out about Japan lately? Not since Lost in Translation have I heard so much about that Asian country that's not China, in the film world. In only the last two weeks, 3 films with Tokyo or Japan in the title have caught my eye, and now I'm finding out that the films might even be worth seeing. So Japan is back people! Or at least, back as the new trendy thing to make a movie about.

TOKYO!
Beyond his recent news headlines as the new director slated to take over The Green Hornet, Michel Gondry is also one of the three directors to contribute to Tokyo!, a triptych of stories set in the overwhelming megalopolis that is Tokyo. I think a quote from the Tokyo! website says it best. "Tokyo! addresses the timeless question of whether we shape cities, or if cities shape us - in the process revealing the rich humanity at the heart of modern 

life." If you watch the trailer below, you'll see how imaginative, drastically far apart, and yet surprisingly similar these three stories are. Directors Leos Carax, Joon-ho Bong and Michel Gondry each look like they spent some serious think-tank time before ultimately deciding on what short story they would like to tell, and after all of that it is in no way surprising that Gondry would choose to portray a lazy woman turning into a chair. From what I gather Carax's piece will follow a sewer monster man making his way through the city, and Bong's piece will express a man's humble life within the confines of his apartment. I'm very excited to see what TOKYO! can do.  

Tokyo Sonata

Tokyo Sonata is set to follow a contemporary Japanese family of four. From the outset the family appears to be normal with a husband, wife and two sons, but then the slow unraveling begins when the father unexpectedly loses his job. Unwilling to bring this burden onto his family, he becomes part of the secretly unemployed workforce. While his family thinks he's trotting off to work, in fact he is spending his days sitting in libraries and walking through parks. Parallel to the father, The younger son, Kenji is forbidden by his mother to take piano lessons, but manages to take them anyway using his lunch money to pay. Like father, like son. Coming from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, a Japanese director

 known for his thriller and suspense films, is said to bring his sense of tension and fear into this quietly paced suburban Japan nightmare. But what do I know, I haven't seen it yet. Mike Harvey from Nylon magazine called it, "Odd, austere, wry, subtle, explosive, poignant, and gorgeous." It sounds to me like we have a beautifully composed, subtly acted, work of art that no one will see on our hands. I'm actually dying to see it, on a hunch that it will be wonderful, and I only hope I get the chance before it hits DVD status. It will start running a limited release in the U.S. on March 13th, so this may be one of those "pay $12 to see a movie in NYC" films. 

Big Man Japan

If you watch the trailer, then you'll understand why I don't know yet what to make of Big Man Japan.

 The plot is said to follow an approx. 40 year old man who lives in a run down house in Tokyo, alone. Sounds normal so far. He periodically transforms into a giant as tall as skyscrapers, and defends Japan from similarly giant monsters. I'm sorry what??? I mean I'm intrigued, but what? From reviews already in, it's said to be pretty funny with an obvious absurdity that just makes you love it. It's unlikely to ever come to a theater near you, but just in case it's said to start running a limited release in the U.S. in mid May. The giants, monsters, and baby (?) are all done in CG, but in such a way that you understand the creator wants you to know it's digital. I can't even begin to imagine what was running through creator Hitoshi Matsumoto's mind while creating Big Man Japan. Probably something along the lines of, "this is going to rock everyone's socks, Japan style." Even just from the trailer, I'm inclined to agree.  

Flashback to 3-Iron

3-Iron (Bin-iip), a South Korean film, came out back in 2004, but I'm not sure how many people know of it or have watched. It's absolutley phenomenal in all arenas. The cinematography is outstanding, the story is original, and the acting is perfect. It follows a young drifter or squatter, who makes himself at home in people's houses while they are away on vacation. He accidentally runs into a beautiful woman unhappy in her marriage, and I'm sure you can guess what happens next... sort of. See it. It's just so damn good.

I have a crush on you, is that ok?

Back from Boston, and I have to thank Brian (don't know your last name) for providing the post title. You made my Valentine's day entertaining to say the least. And please, never try to lick any girl you just met, ever again. 

While away I experienced many things, none of which for the first time. I was stuck on a broken down Amtrak train, I saw a really bad movie, and I nearly died in a cab. But, on the plus side, I was with my college besties and had a rockin' time!! Missing Boston already (but not the T, silly green line).

But now I'm back, and as you can see by the barrage of trailers below, I am making up for my short absence. Check these out, and report back with your thoughts. I picked each of these specifically because I'm on the fence on each of them. Let's call this, Hit or Miss? (how unoriginal). 

Mermaid - Could definitely be interesting, but as with most foreign trailers, it's hard to decipher what the hell it's about. I'm diggin' the green hair and the magical powers, but did anyone else think that the girl looked way to young to be making out with that guy? If it's at all like Amelie though, I'm sure I'll like it. So hit or Miss?

I Love You, Man - The ultimate Bromance (following Pineapple Express that is), seems like it couldn't be coming at a more perfect time. Bromance is nothing new in terms of movie plots, but now that it has a name, it feels like falling in love all over again. This looks pretty great to me. Paul Rudd & Jason Segel, how can you go wrong? BUT, it could be that the trailer is a compilation of all the movie's funniest moments... I hate when they do that. But, I have my fingers crossed for this one. It's about time that bro flicks came out in the open. Hit or Miss?

500 Days of Summer - If you manage to overlook the fact that they say "500 Days of Summer" a billion times of the trailer, you'll find that the movie itself looks like it could be pretty good, great in fact. So far, this has been one of the most talked about screenings from Sundance (or so I hear), but will it live up to the hype? I am all for the Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Zooey Deschanel team up, but check out Paul Moore's (SpoutBlog), reasons for why he walked out on it. However I end up feeling about it, this one is on my must see list. Hit or Miss?

The Informers - So the trailer looks pretty bad to me, however it is yet another film adaptation of a Bret Easton Ellis novel, which means the writing/story could make up for some bad casting decisions. I legit have no idea what to think about this movie yet, except that I won't see it in theaters, it's a clear netflixable. But maybe I'm missing something? Maybe Mickey Rourke will bring some of his comeback glory to the film and pump it full of steroids, maybe... But probably not. Hit or Miss?

Franklyn - Frankly, I don't care if this movie is going to have a cheesy, non-sensical plot, I really want to see it. First off, Ryan Phillipe as some kind of ghoulish superhero? Heck yeah! And Control's gorgeous Sam Riley (you also might have seen him in Burberry ads) with the insanely hypnotic Eva Green. Double heck yeah! The trailer narration is pretty much ripping off Sin City, which I am sure didn't invent the concept of intense narration, but they are very similar nonetheless. This could end up having something in visually in common with 1998's Dark City, but it's too early to tell yet. Hit or Miss?

Also, this amazing slideshow was put up by nytimes.com awhile ago, but I never got around to posting it. Check out "A Look at Sundance." 

My review of Confessions of a Shopaholic is coming soon, and it won't be pretty. Also coming soon is a little game I like to call, "Plot Puzzle." Check back!