Cat-Wings Reviews

Everything Is Illuminated (2005)

Gave me a big laugh and heartbreaking

[8/10 · 28 January 2017]

This movie gave me a big laugh from the first half of the story, then turned out to be a serious and heartbreaking historical drama towards the end. Elijah Wood, who played an Jewish American man with a OCD-like compulsion, did a great job. His road trip fellow, Alex (played by Eugene Hutz) is wonderful in portraying a hip-hop-loving Ukrainian guy who speaks English with a funny accent. I loved how he translates in English with a sprinkle of jokes and sarcasm towards Americans. I think the screenwriter did some research to create unique English sentences which often happens when non-English speakers speak English.

A young American guy named Jonathan, played by Elijah Wood, is a collector who always brings small plastic bags to collect anything whenever he finds things that are meaningful. With a pendant he collected when his grandfather died and a picture when his grandmother dies, he flies to Ukraine to find the root of his family and a Ukrainian village. He hires Odessa Heritage Tour, run by an old Ukrainian man Alexander (Oleksandr Choroshko) who claims he is blind (but is not). Along with his English-speaking grandson, Alex (played by Eugene Hutz) and Alexander's clinging guided dog, a strange road trip starts. While looking for a Ukrainian village called Trachimbrod, Alexander's old memory comes back which helps Jonathan find a historical background hidden in the picture and the relationship between his grandfather and grandmother.

The story has a little puzzle that took me time to resolve, such as where Jonathan's grandmother met his grandfather, where his grandmother died, how grandmother's sister kept the grandmother's ring, etc. While the story depicts a cruel history around the Nazi's conquest in Ukraine and how his grandfather survived his life, the tone of the story is somehow poetic and aesthetic which makes the film impressive. When Augustine's sister was told that the war was over, everything was solved as if a tangled thread got loosen, and Jonathan's investigation put an end to the story and so did Alexander's. The movie also tells that one cannot choose a place to be born, so you could be someone else in another country.

I marked this movie in my watchlist in 2005, and finally had the mood and time to watch it. I feel time passed so quickly.

Up (2009)

Totally unexpected heart-wrenching story

[7/10 · 21 September 2016]

Two children met and shared their dream, who inspired by a famous explore Charles Muntz who ended up being accused of fabricating an exotic bird which he claimed he discovered at Paradise Falls. The both of them, Carl and Ellie eventually got married, and their marriage life seemed to be rosy. However, after Ellie died and Carl was left out alone, this elderly widower decided to fulfill his dream that promised with his wife by turning his house into airship using a thousands of helium balloons, and traveled in the air with a young boy, Russell, who followed Carl. 

The first 10 minutes described how they met, married, and how miserable Carl's life after he lost his wife, which was heart- wrenching.  I didn't expect the story was going to be happened like this because this is meant to be a family movie and it's Pixar's.  Not only have Carl dealt with bereavement of his beloved wife, they have experienced Ellie's infertility.  The boy, Russel, has a complex family background.  Kevin, who they met at Paradise Falls, seemed also be a single mother, assuming Charles Muntz may have killed the father.  Things were going on, which were totally out of expectation, and shocked me.  Is that necessary to have that much traumatic events with the characters?  

The rest of the story was more positive impression where the protagonist was struggling with happening he encountered, overcame while he was struggling, and the bad guy should be punished.  The ending wasn't so bad, so overall I was sort of satisfied with the story.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)

A bridge to the next generation

[9/10 · 27 December 2015]

First of all, I made the perfect decision to not see any spoilers or reviews before watching Star Wars: the Force Awakes. I watched it without any prejudice nor being bothered by rumors or negative reviews. I only knew Han Solo and Chewbacca would be appeared in this episode, and that the time has passed to thirty years in the story after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire. I was a little worried it could be a bad film, since Disney bought the right to the Star Wars production, and George Lucas was not involved with the creation of this film. When I had a first look at the trailer, it looked good although I had somewhat of a bad feeling about the casting in which Disney tired so hard in choosing the characters not to be racist with the story.

I'd say while this episode introduced new characters from anew generation, hopefully in order to gather new audiences, it also tried so hard not to ruin the original images of the film and to keep entertaining old fans. The story gets more straightforward and has fewer political scenes; the relation between the dark side being evil and jedi being heros is clearly depicted. It feels like the structure of the characters have been rotated to new generations. Han Solo is being replaced by Finn, Rey will be placed in Luke position, BB-8 is like R2D2, and Poe Dameron can be like Lando Calrissian. And a new Darth Vader is shown.

I definitely like and was moved by the first appearance of Han Solo and Chewbacca. Han looks old but his wild-eyed fighting spirit still remains very much alive with his furball assistant. And Princess Leia is still beautiful! The lovely scene of the two meeting speaks their long-term trustworthy relationship with love. Other old characters including Luke, C3PO, and Admiral Ackbar (who is famous for saying "It's a trap"), are shown to us like old friends. I couldn't be happier to see those old characters who are still acting in the same way that we remember, and new characters are, to me, naturally blended into the Star Wars universe. Especially, Rey as a new hero (or heroine) of the Jedi encounters difficulties and overcomes them by awaking her new skills, which will be the new hope for the Jedi in the next episode.

Overall, I enjoyed the new film and want to watch further episodes. I highly recommend you to watch this film without reading any reviews or rumors about the story.

Wolf Children (2012)

What do children mean to their mother

[9/10 · 14 November 2015]

It's another heartwarming animation directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who is famous for "Summer Wars" and "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time."

I tend to choose a film based on its trailer and rating on IMDb or other film sites, so this film is also no exception: I thought it would be a heartwarming human drama depicting wolf children. However, this is more than just a wolf children's story, assumed that wolf children might be trouble living their life along with human.

It's a story about a mother and her children, and independence of their parent. The story focuses on how the mother struggles with raising her half-wolf children without their father, and the children choosing their life as either a wolf or a human through adolescence.

Although it describes how the mother got to know the wolf man and her financial background such as where her money comes from without job, it's not so important to the story. It shows how hard child rearing is, yet how enjoyable and proud it is as a mother to see children grow- up. I realize again that a mother is strong.

One of the striking scenes was that Yuki cries a lot in a car because she can't keep a promise to her mother, and lets her appear as a wolf in front of a boy at school. Going to school has a profound effect on Yuki as a human, so she apologizes to her mother. The mother never scolds Yuki and Ame. I was touched by her attitude that she accepts anything from her children, and she tries so hard in order to bring up them.

This film was awarded an Academy Award for the best animation. I like the film deserves the award. I recommend this film to girls, boys, mothers, and people who are struggling in their life.

Durarara!! (2010)

It's a story with a lots of humour and full of entertainment

[8/10 · 14 November 2015]

"Ikebukuro", though it is a city, differs from Shinjuku with its prominent business district dominated by towering metallic skyscrapers and its pulsating entertainment district that swallows up all sorts of bars, karaoke, restaurants, and adult entertainment businesses. Ikebukuro also differs from Shibuya, the glittering city, which attracts hordes of young people with its. It is one of the three biggest sub-centers and yet remains somewhat nostalgic forest of neon. It's a waypoint for the residents of Saitama prefecture to be able to easily feel the Tokyo-like atmosphere. Therefore, I call it the "Saitama Stopper". Also, it is my town that I grew up in.

"Durarara" is an ensemble story with an animated TV series based on the light-novel*. Its 24 episodes were televised between January and June 2010. Set in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, the story is made up of the episodes with a blend of interesting characters such as; the Headless Rider, the color gangs, the information dealer, the underground doctor, Yakuza and the Slasher . What astonished me was that the reproduction of Ikebukuro is amazingly accurate with the exception of the fictitious sushi restaurant and the hospital used as one of the core factors, so it can instantly be recalled for those who are familiar with Ikebukuro which is the original setting. And there are the characters' model as if it reverses their precise depictions. As likely scenes depicted in Ikebukuro along with the outstanding characters, it makes you feel strange between reality and this fictional story.

"The Headless Rider", Celty, who is a courier and seen as an urban legend in Ikebukuro. She takes her job from Shinra who is a genius underground doctor. As her head is lost, she can't remember part of her past, and besides without a mouth, her communication is made through a PDA or laptop. Mikado Rugamine, is a seemingly timid guy and comes to Tokyo introduced by his close friend, Masaomi Kida. The yellow scarves gang called "Dollars", with no color and no sense of purpose, created on the Net by Rugamine, just to satisfy his curiosity and to escape from his ordinary life. Against his speculation, the Dollars has become a power in Ikebukuro. Izaya Orihara, who loves people's unhappiness and distresses, who loves "loves", philosophy, and people-watching, and who is a mastermind based in Shinjuku. A violent man who hates violence (Shizuo Heiwazima). Anri Sonohara who is a quiet girl with big breasts and a twisted old memory. She shows her other face by created from her past. A strange Russian guy (Simon). A guy who is fascinated by a beautiful head, and a girl who has changed her face because of her obsession towards him. Shinra's father wearing a gas mask all the time because of the dirty air of the city.

The battle behind the scenes between the Dollars and their perennial nemesis, the Blue Square. A chatroom where no one knows their real faces, yet they exchange information. Truth and falsity. A hidden past behind the lost head. The true love recognized as a false love. While being a mixture of each character's story, the time when the true features of the Dollars, the Headless Rider and the magical sword are revealed, it is melted into the hidden past.

It's a story with a lots of humor and full of entertainment.

The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

So, what was an Imperial Affliction?

[8/10 · 14 November 2015]

The Fault In Our Stars is a love story about a teenage cancer girl (Hazel Grace) and a survivor of cancer boy with one leg (Augustus Water), and a sequence of drama surrounding their families and friends from a cancer community group. I usually don't read books or watch films in which I could guess the story is going to be a sad ending. I like John Green, a famous author of young adult books, and read a couple of his books including "Paper Town" and "An Abundance of Katherines." I bought this book when I took a few pages at a book store.

The story is unexpected in a good way with a sprinkle of the author's jokes and humors through the characters, and it's no just a cancer girl story who has a miserable and painful life with supporting family and friends. One of the things I like about the story is that Hazel and Augustus get to know each other through her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, written by Peter Van Houten. The vague ending of the book has caught her for years to eager to ask questions to the author, and that makes the two teens fly to Amsterdam to meet the author. It's very dramatic and exciting scenes in that a story is created in places from two countries, as well as it makes the handicapped characters overcome the difficulties of traveling for their dream.

The whole story about An Imperial Affliction never described, but quotations from the book leave footprint stunningly, seemingly that that casts a meaning of life through conversations between Hazel and Augustus. While the story of An imperial Affliction sounds epic, Van Houten's quirky and socially twisted personality disappoints the two teems. But the trip in Amsterdam builds their bond more tightly, and the story is going to be a moving ending.

This is not entirely a sad story, but it involves with sadness and heartbreak towards the characters. After the story ended, I felt it satisfied me as if a missing piece is matched into the story, rather than it left out only sadness.

On the same day I finished the book, I watched the film of The Fault In Our Stars. Shailene Woodley portrays Hazel so well, and Peter Van Houten, played by Willem Dafoe, matches the original image.

Code Geass (2006–2008)

I Put You Under Geass, "You Must Watch the Episodes till the End !"

[6/10 · 14 November 2015]

"Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebelion" is an animated TV series with two parts: 25 episodes of R1 (which were televised in October, 2006), and another 25 episodes of R2 (which were televised in April, 2008) as the continuation of the story of R1. Since it's a blockbuster story where R1 combines with R2, you cannot understand the whole picture deeply enough behind the story unless you watch all the episodes from the beginning to the end. Frankly speaking, there are various drawbacks for the audience that make it difficult to get into the story and make it uninteresting. There is an undeniable sense that the feeling of depth of the story can be amplified by putting these flaws in the back of your mind and watching til the end. As a Japanese person and an anime fan, the following factors may distract you.

• Japan, with valuable underground resources, has war proclaimed on it by other countries looking for those resources, and Japan is defeated in the process. - Britannia, the opponent to Japan, sounds like an encyclopedia. - Despite the serious story, the country names used in the story are funny somehow such as; the United Federation of Nations, or the United States. - The characters including the protagonist are unrealistically beautifully, good -looking with big breasts. - It cannot be envisaged it as anything else but a Pizza Hut (home delivery pizza) and Biglobe (an Internet provider in Japan) sponsored production; overpromotion in the story. - The opening and ending songs change frequently, along with the hyper-commercial tie-up can come and go. So some of the songs are mis-chosen. - Too much fanservice of the female battle scenes, etc.

It is hard to get into the story by these conspiratorial subliminals that the producer elaborately tries to implicate into the story, so it may be difficult to enjoy the story purely. For example, imagine if all every country could wage war on China because it had rare metals? Because of this, and in order to find it more interesting, I watched R1 in the original version, and R2 with the English dub. However, it took long time to finish the episodes.

The story is about a fictional world, that is similar to our own world, but Japan has been conquered by the Holly Britannia, which controls about 1/3 of all over the world, Japan is defeated, and renamed as "Area 11". Japanese people are derogated as "Elevens", whilst being deprived of their freedom, and they are completely controlled by Britannia. Lelouch and Suzaku Kururugi, who are childhood friends, decide to go their separate paths after the devastating defeat of Japan. Lelouch gains the power of force absolute compliance, called "Geass" by C.C., an immortal girl, and he seeks his justice, using the power of his Geass as an masked anti-hero, whilst Suzaku joins the Britannian army in order to infiltrate the system from the inside. It invokes a world war involving with other union armies. It's all done for Lelouch's sister, Nunnally, and for world peace. There are various kinds of Geass in the story; the power to read others' mind, the power to read just a few seconds of the future, the power to stop time etc.

Lelouch is a genius, also a top-drawer chess player, and knows a move or two. Being such a perfectionist, he can manipulate his Geass and tries to change the world as he sees fit. Thus, it may be dull to see such a perfect figure in the first half of the R1 story. It may seen boring until after the first 10 episodes or so. The first turning point is the ending of the episode 14 of R1. It is the scene where the perfectionist, Lelouch uses his Geass for his own emotional affair for the first time. And, there's also the tragedy of episode 13 of R2.... I somewhat like Shirley story and Rolo's stories. And more than anything, the last of R2. Even though I keep throwing dirt at the story, I got into the story around the middle of R2. The last episode reverses everything. Everything wisely reads ahead just like the moves of chess. Cool!

Monsters University (2013)

That's a brilliant old memory about Mike and Sulley

[8/10 · 14 November 2015]

I love Monsters, Inc. (2001). I think that's a great entertaining film where monsters supply energy from children's scream, and two funny and lovable monsters (Sulley and Mike) meet a two-year-old baby, Boo, and spend invaluable time with her while hiding her from villainous monsters who try to capture her. I liked the story and characters which not only children but adults can enjoy, so when I heard a news about Monster University coming out, I was wondering how the story goes. It's a little bit negative way, because the time will be backward when they are students. I assume that that would be just a university life that can be seen in other universities.

I have to say, half of the story would not be far from your imagination; various kinds of monster students, delighted and dedicated students at the majestic monster university and terrifying teachers, study hard, parties, etc. That's kind of an image of university life. Yet, the visual effect is fantastic. You won't get bored seeing those scenes.

If you watched Monsters, Inc., you remember that Mike, as an assistant of Sulley at Monsters, Inc., is a hard-working and marketing guy, and Sulley is a big and sport oriented guy. Two guys make a good team, achieving a revolution in the monster's world. You will see where their personality and their teamwork come from.

One of the intriguing things in the story is that Sulley suffers setbacks as a monster even though his father is a magnificent monster and holds promise for the future, and Mike doesn't seem to be promised because he is small and not scary. The two opposite monsters happened to work together and struggling to achieve a goal. And Pixar isn't just producing a straightforward story; they trick you to turn out to be a brilliant ending.

Big Eyes (I) (2014)

My frustration was rewarded in the end

[8/10 · 5 November 2015]

Big Eyes is directed by a famous and talented director, Tim Burton, who has produced many cartoon-like films such as Corpse Bride (2005), Frankenweenie (1984), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), etc. The film based off a true story of a painter Margaret, her successful life behind a bunch of lies that were told to her by her husband, Walter, and the proceeding legal trails she encountered with her husband who claims credit her works.

I was upset by watching almost a half of the story on how this con man deceived the woman to take credit for her paintings for the sake of becoming a millionaire. When Walter approached Margaret, he couldn't have even known her paintings were going to lay golden eggs. Perhaps, he just fell in love with her, and the value of her artworks made him go crazy and become pathetic. Either way, he was just a loser who isn't popular with any artists. Margaret was the victim of domestic violence from Walter, who trapped her in her work room and made her paint to gain more money. I was frustrated by seeing this man as if he is one of my acquaintances or something. But at the same time, I wonder if Margaret had a chance to divulge the whole secret behind her arts so many times, and why she had to keep it for 10 years.

This may have a complicated circumstance in which Margaret and Walter are a married couple. Money is still important to live their life, his accumulated lies could not stop him any longer, and/or his conviction that let her keep the secret wouldn't have given herself to open up her mind each day and year. But the biggest driving force that moved Margaret would be her guilt over telling the lie to her daughter.

When she finally broke the news to media, it seemed like my frustration was finally rewarded, and saying, "It's time. Go Margaret! Get the truth!" The moment Walter's mask was peeled off was pleasant. In his real life, he kept claiming his credit until the day he died in 2000. But the truth is obvious to anyone.

Psycho-Pass (2012–2019)

Brilliant story and lines!

[9/10 · 28 May 2014]

"Ghost In The Shell," "Innocence," or "Blade Runner" fans, those who seek thought-provoking realities into a story, or people who like watching stories that make you think about technology and humanity. Then, you may also like to watch "Psycho-Pass."

Technological advancement and lack of humanity is an open question all- time throughout the history. While we are seeking to enrich our lives by using gadgets and machines, we may lose something important as human beings. What if we are born in a safe society where criminals and even potential criminals are managed and isolated from the society in order not to harm other good citizens, and they are guaranteed to live in the society with given happiness. We may not even have questions about morality.

In the story, a person's mental state is simultaneously measured, and the value is determined whether the person is potentially a criminal and is killed depending on the state level. The police officers use a gun, but the gun is only fired if the targeting person's mental state is measured as dangerous, seemingly it also helps them avoid shooting the wrong person. Akane Tsunemori is a novice officer who is in charge of solving crimes with other members.

One of the things that astonishes me is the dialogues where characters talk, referring to quotes from famous authors such as Philip K. Dick, George Orwell, Gulliver Travels, Wiliam Gibson, Macbeth, Humlet, etc. The lines that characters speak casts philosophical questions as to what is justice and what is an ideal society.

I really like the story in which it depicts a different aspect of the technological world from Ghost In the Shell or Blade Runner, yet somehow it reminds me of those epic anime and films.

The Wind Rises (2013)

We must live!

[8/10 · 31 March 2014]

Hayao Miyazaki is a famous film director who has produced such acclaimed films as "Spirited Away", and "Princess Mononoke." I think many creators have been influenced by his fantastic worlds, and many audiences are moved by his heartwarming stories. Whilst it is unfortunate, The Wind Rises, his latest work, will be his last film.

"The Wind Rises" is completely different from his other films. It's based on a true story that took place in a tumultuous era encompassing he Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the Great Depression, and the tuberculosis epidemic in Japan. It was a period of extreme poverty in Japan, and people struggled just to survive. The main character, Jiro, dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes, inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer, Caproni. He joins a major Japanese engineering company and becomes one of the most prominent and innovative aeronautical designers. During this time Jiro meets and falls in love with Nahoko. While Jiro works very hard to create sophisticated airplane designs as an engineer, he spends some fleeting moments with Nahoko who suffers from tuberculosis.

Before I watched the movie, I wondered if people from outside of Japan would feel the same way that Japanese audiences do, whether they would sympathize with, or be offended by the story, because it focuses on the Japanese history and culture during the war. The story is about humans and engineers who seek ideal designs, rather than about patriotism or ideology. Therefore, people from all countries, young and old alike, will enjoy and be touched by how Jiro and Nahoko fall ever more deeply in love even though their time is limited. While Jiro works to design his ideal planes. I think he must have known that his planes were going to be used as killing machines, but as an engineer, he still wanted to create what he was able to imagine.

I watched this film in Austin, Texas. When the credits rolled, some people in the audience applauded the film, expressing the realization that this was truly Miyazaki's last.

Even though the story is great and there is much depth to the character, unfortunately, I felt it wasn't the best movie of Miyazaki. Still, it was worth seeing how he dealt with the challenge of this historical material. The message is strong and straightforward. He wanted to tell audiences to dream and look to the future.

The Future Diary (2011–2013)

Future Diary - Another Survival Game x Love Story

[8/10 · 31 August 2013]

Future Diary (Mirai Nikki) is an anime that was on between October 2011 and April 2012. It's a survival game among 12 people who have mobile phones receiving diaries about what will happen in several minutes within the future. Each future diary holder receives a future from a different perspective. So, the diary holders fight each other while avoiding their expected death by knowing the future.

The survival concept in a story such as Battle Royal, where everyone has to be killed until only one person remains, is not new. So you may figure it would be another survival story where only the protagonist survives in the end. But this survival game is interesting in that the diary folders use techniques in order to change their expected future. Another striking thing that stands out is that Yuno's love toward Yukiteru goes out of control to be psychotic and violent, showing her affection crazily to him. Although a typical 'Yandere' character like Yuno would be annoying, I could even develop a love for this crazy character toward the end. I think it's a new type of survival story in that the audience could be moved by a 'Yandere' girl.

Meanwhile, I couldn't help but compare the character Aru Akise from Future diary with Kaoru Nagisa from Neon Genesis Evangelion because both are played by the same voice actor, and the character's personality and the feature are very similar. Once I started comparing the two anime, I realized that there are other common points between the two. The protagonist, Yukiteru is shy, naive, cries easily, and a negative person, which is similar to Shinji in Evengelion. A similar character to Asuka found in Future Diary would be Yuno Gasai in that she is strong, sort of crazy, and strong-minded. You might find some other similarities while you watch Future Diary after Evengelion.

While I was wondering if the two anime have some common themes in the characters, I was drawn to the story of Future Diary towards the end. It is painful and upsetting to see Yuno's unruly character where she doesn't care for anybody but Yukiteru, and she cannot be in love with him. But I felt like I could accept everything from her in the end.

Overall, I like Future Diary. So I give it 8 stars.

5 Centimeters per Second (2007)

The picture was beautiful

[6/10 · 30 July 2013]

I finally watched the movie "Byosoku 5 centimeter." I have been waiting to watch it for some time due to its captivating title and the beautiful song provided by Masayoshi Yamazaki. The story depicts a man who cannot forget memories of his young age. The story has three chapters, "Cherry Blossom," "Cosmonaut," and "5 Centimeters Per Second, " which is the title of the overall story.

In "Cherry Blossom," Takaki Toono meets Akari Shinohara at their elementary school. Despite sharing special feelings for each other, Akari has to transfer to a school in Tochigi due to her parents. After a while, they start sending letters in the wake of her first message. But soon after, Takaki also has to move to Kagoshima. As a high school student, the distance between the places is overwhelmingly far. However, Takaki decides to see her again before he moves. On the day they are meant to meet, his train is significantly delayed due to heavy snow in Kanto region. They are cruelly kept apart from each other.

In the second chapter, "Cosmonaut," Takaki's classmate Hanae also falls in love with him, but she cannot open her feelings to him. Although she surfs as a hobby, she is in the middle of a slump. One day, she is informed that Takaki wants to enroll in a university in Tokyo, so she decides to confess her feelings under the belief that if she can catch a wave she can do anything.

In the last chapter, "5 Centimeters Per Second," Takaki receives a message from a girl who he has been in a relationship with for three years where she claims that Takaki hasn't been romantic with her and she believes he doesn't love her. Takaki is still in love with "her." Akari at the time...

I think with anime or films, opinion is based upon when you watch them in your life. How much you can you sympathize with the story or protagonist may depend on your experience, age, imagination, the tone of the picture or your preferences. I agree that "5 Centimeters Per Second" is a good film and it depicts the purity and frustration of love at the time of puberty well. However, if I watched it much earlier, it is undeniable that I could have been more sympathetic of the story. Or, perhaps it would have been different if I had watched it when I felt a little more nostalgic.

Before Midnight (2013)

"Before Midnight" is truly a masterpiece along with "Before Sunset" and "Before Sunrise." It describes so well between reality and romance

[10/10 · 10 June 2013]

"Before Midnight" is the third in a series of spectacular romance films, directed by Richard Linklater. The first film was released in 1995, and the second one came out nine years after the first one. A further nine years later, this long-awaited film was rolled out this May.

The story is about an American student, Jesse (Ethan Hawke), who has fallen in love with a French student, Celine (Julie Delpy), on the train to Vienna. The two walk around the town of Vienna until the next morning. Nine years later, Jesse reunites with Celine when he visits a bookshop to promote a book he wrote about their first meeting. They enjoyed a few fleeting hours before his departure.

Both "Before Sunset" and "Before Sunrise" didn't clearly describe how they ended up, which didn't give audiences any expectation of what would happen in the next film. I thought it ended with the previous one, so since I've noticed that they decided to take another sequel, I was looking forward to seeing "Before Midnight," and it filled my imagination.

The "Before" series is characterized by a long single shots, long conversation, and only the conversation of the two people through most of the stories. Thus, it feels like you are there sitting at a table next to them, listening to their conversation. This film is not exception; a long one shot filled with wit. A romantic love story eighteen years ago. At the reunion nine years ago, Jesse married in the U.S. and has a kid, but their married life wasn't so good. On the other hand Celine was still single. They had to face the reality of their situations. And this time, they are no longer just a romantic - They are both in forties, a relationship cross over America and France, and a reality that Jesse is a married man with a wife and child. They spend the last day of their visiting in Greece where they are invited by fans of his book. I thought it was going to be just painful heartfelt from the reality, however, the ending was better than I expected.

They're in their forties. They've become older. It has been eighteen years since their first meeting. Then trying to face the reality of their situation is depicted. Celine has their twin daughters and her body has aged. Jesse is frustrated not to be able to be with his son as a father, negotiation with his ex-wife, and remarriage. It also describes their romantic relationship that they are trying to skim their purity from their reality. I felt like supporting them until in the previous two films because their relationship was depicted from their romantic view. But I don't feel like only agreeing with them this time, since it's more complicated and third party is involved. It makes me realize that it is also the reality.

Julie Delpy's acting is conveyed a sensation of tension so well that vents Celine's frustration, while their charming conversation still exist. Among other things, the ending releases all the tension and gives you comfort.

"Before Midnight" is truly a masterpiece along with "Before Sunset" and "Before Sunrise." Personally, I felt like this version has an end and no sequel would occur. Besides, the "Before" series would already be lack of titles, so I don't expect the next one. However, I would have no choice but wait patiently if we can see them nine years later on screen.

I watched this film at Alamo Drafthouse in Austin. It was a nice cinema, and I'm happy to watch it in the same city in connection with Richard Linklater and Ethan Hawke.

Helter Skelter (2012)

Light and Dark in Consumer Culture

[7/10 · 11 March 2013]

It's a sensational film staring Erika Sawaziri film - her first performance since 2007, Helter Skelter. In both positive and negative ways, Erika Sawaziri is like Paris Hilton in that she are beautiful but something gets involved in scandals. However, I think that she performed skillfully in this film.

Lilico as portrayed by Erika Sawaziri is an outstanding, charismatic model with an attractive body that appears on the covers of many fashion magazines. However, her pinup style body is the result of plastic surgery. While Llico is suffering from after effect of the repeated plastic surgeries, her desire to appear never abates. She lives in fear that she will be abandoned as her beauty fades. The president of her production company portrayed in this film by Kaori Momoi. An orthopedic surgery with a story behind. Lilico's manager (Shinobu Terashima) is obsessed with Lilco's beauty and tries to serve life for her no matter what Lilico gives her manager cruel and selfish treatments. And Kozue (Kiko Mizuhara), who supersedes Lilico's position easily with her natural beauty.

The film expresses well situations behind fear of eating into mentality as talents and models where they might loose their bright front stage as a product using cosmetic surgery in consumer culture. Brightly-colored scenes created by director Mika Ninagawa entertain the audiences as if they are looking at photograph collection of pop art. I did not particularly like or dislike Erika Sawaziri as an actor, but I think that her performance and expression have something of catching your eyes.

Ted (2012)

Not bad but Not good.

[5/10 · 11 March 2013]

Here's my review about a film called, "Ted."

It was a nice story overall, but it's not as entertaining if you were a parent looking for something to recommend their kids to watch. The story starts off with a boy named John who has no friends and is given a teddy bear on Christmas Eve by his parents. The boy wishes that the stuffed bear could speak like a human, and the next morning, the wish comes true. Over twenty years later, John is 35-year-old and has a girlfriend Lori with whom he has had a four year relationship. The teddy bear is still with him and has grown into a "guy" who likes parties and smokes weeds. As Ted always causes trouble in John and Lori's relationship, John asks Ted to leave his house and starts his own life.

Problem with Ted's new life still drag John in. A bad parent tries to steal Ted to be his child's toy, and the relationship between John and Lori nearly breaks because of Ted, and so on. The story gets a little serious towards the end.

As I said, the story itself wasn't so bad. But it's not something I would expect because there was a lot of talk about weed and cocaine at parties, swearing and discrimination. Yet it supports a gay couple, which makes me wonder if the film is trying to gain a wider audience.

Coraline (2009)

Fascinating visuals and imaginative film making.

[6/10 · 19 October 2012]

Coraline is a film released in 2009 and directed by Henry Selick, who is famous for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993). Coraline uses an animation technique called stop motion (stop frame), where it manipulates photographic subjects such as clay dolls or stuffed animals by moving them one frame at a time, so that it appears as if they move by themselves. The expressions of characters are rich like a human being.

The story starts off with an old house where Coraline moves in with her parents. Coraline finds no interest in the house, has no friends, and feels neglected by her parents. While she is looking around the house, she finds a small door blocked by a brick. However, only during her sleep, she goes through the door into another world, where another nice mother and father look after her. The "other" parents look the same as her real parents and they are way too nice for Caroline, except that they have button eyes. When she realizes what the other mother wants, she tries to escape from other mother's desire in the evil world and fights with the other mother in order to get her back to the reality.

Overall, the visuals of the film were imaginative and fascinating, but the story was still one you can predict. And this film is easily compared with "The Nightmare Before Christmas" which is better. So, I would say, this film is not something you want to watch in a theater.

Kids on the Slope (2012)

Jazz Is Life

[10/10 · 8 July 2012]

The anime has a total of 12 episodes and was broadcast between April and June in 2012. The story begins with a high school boy (Kaoru Nishimi) who moves to Saseho in Nagasaki prefecture due to his father's business matter. Kaoru is the best student at his previous school but he doesn't fit into the environment and doesn't have friends because of his frequent changes of schools. After he meets a problem kid and a Jazz drummer, Sentaro, Kaoru finds a light in his school life. As Kaoru is a classic pianist, he starts playing Jazz under Sentaro's influence. Soon after Kaoru falls in love with Ritsuko, Sentaro's childhood friend. However, Kaoru is rejected because he finds out that Ritsuko's favourite person is Sentaro. Meanwhile, Ritsuko also notices that Sentaro comes to like a mysterious upperclass student, Yurika. Yurika loves Junichi who is a saxophone player and comes back from Tokyo after joining a student movement and is renounced by his father.

Love and relationship are unpredictable just like jams and Jazz improvisations, and they are leaping impulses and swinging like a person running down a slope. Each episode is composed of a small story along with a Jazz song such as "Someday My Prince Will Come," "Now's the Time," "Moanin," "Summertime," etc. The story is a really heartwarming. Perhaps, the time background of the story in the 1970s, where people listen to records, no musical score, transcriptions of songs, student movements, and people, makes the viewer feel warm. Above all, the music is brilliant! Yoko Kanno worked on the songs; the arrangement of Jazz songs, and the jams and improvisations are top-notch! I highly recommend this anime, and you will find passion and bittersweet in the story.

Monster (2004–2005)

The True Meaning Of Loneliness

[9/10 · 22 June 2012]

After ten days, I finally watching all 74 episodes of Monster. It's a very interesting, thought-provoking story addressing social issues, such as false accusation, bizarre murder, medical ethics, power struggle, humanity, child abuse, adult children, and trauma.

In 1986, Dr. Tenma, a brilliant brain surgeon engaged to Heinemann's daughter, Eva, has a bright future ahead of him being next in line to become the director of neurosurgery. One night, a boy called Johan, one of a pair of twins, is brought to the hospital in critical condition after being shot in his head. Nina, the other twin, is also being treated for shock. Ignoring the order of the hospital director, Dr. Tenma performed an operation to save Johan's life. This leads to a series of murders involving all of the people connected to Tenma. Regretting his part of the creating of the most terrifying "Monster" on earth. embedded inside Johan by the operation, Tenma tries to thwart his crimes.

"All life is equally valuable," "everyone is born being wanted," "no one wants revenge," and "we can create happy memories starting today." - Tenma reproves other people to prevent further tragedies.

Meanwhile, the story is closing in on the mystery of why Johan became the Monster. How did the experiment performed by the orphanage, 511 Kinderheim, after his personality? What did those adults who were from 511 Kinderheim lose? This is a mystery that was born from the chaotic society of the former East and West Germany before the fall of Berlin Wall, and should have never happen.

It's a long story with 74 episodes, but each episode has a sort of ending until around the 55th episode. If you set your own pace, you can watch the entire series. I recommend this anime also to those who haven't read the Monster manga, since the story in the manga seems to be almost identical to the anime. The opening song is good and the ending one is scary, but it suits the story. Although there are different interpretations of the last scene, I don't think it is the start of another tragedy.

Black Swan (2010)

It's a perfect thrill, and it's about the tragedy of a perfectionist.

[10/10 · 22 June 2012]

The director of a brilliant film "Requiem for a Dream", Darren Aronofsky has directed another psycho thriller, "Black Swan." The story is about a young woman, Nina (Natalie Portman), who belongs to a New York ballet company, and lives with her mother who is a former ballerina, placing a hope in Nina to become the Swan Queen. When the director, Thomas (Vincent Cassel), chooses Nina as the new prima ballerina for their new season, and Swan Lake, Nina starts being driven into a corner by the fear of immeasurable pressure to play a perfect role on the stage and the competition against other ballerinas. As the Swan Queen, Nina is required to play both the White Swan which is innocent and fragile, and the Black Swan which is seductive and has sensual guile. Whilst Thomas likes Nina's talent as the White Swan, he also wants Nina to become a personification challenge while playing the Black Swan, like Lily (Mila Kunis), who is an alternate for the Swan Queen role, and is more of a party girl with a fun attitude. Along with Nina's twisted interactions with her over-parenting mother, Lily as a competitor and considerate friend, Beth who is the former Swan Queen (Winona Ryder) and is being corrupted herself after her replacement in the role of the Swan Queen, and Thomas, Nina suffers between her perfectionism as the Swan Queen and mental obfuscation with a self-destructive face due to the pressure.

As the story progresses, the fear and confusion that Nina keeps holding reaches a peak. It seems like she is almost unable to play the Swan role because of her confusion, but at the same time her perfectionism of playing the Swan Queen arouses her emotions and makes her toe loops precise. The fact that no one can help Nina makes her situation worsen. It somehow reminds me of "Requiem for a Dream", where two young people fall in love and become addicted to drugs, meaning the situation is "hopeless."

"Black Swan" is a great story and a well-depicted sense of pressure and fear. I wonder if this film gives a different impression between men and women, since the emotional feeling towards pressure would be different.

Suicide Room (2011)

Look for memories, and save for tomorrow

[9/10 · 16 April 2012]

This is a story that depicts loneliness and darkness and directed by Jan Komasa. Domink is a high school student who is only an son and was brought up in a wealthy family. Although he hides his wonder as to whether he might be a gay, he is an ordinary high school student, keeping in touch with friends on Facebook, laughing at a shocking video with them, and doing well with his life until his senior prom before graduation. His parents, always busy with their jobs, have created a barrier called isolation to keep him away. Dominik still manages himself in everyday life, but jokingly kissing Aleksander at a party unfolds Dominik's secret sense of homosexuality. Meanwhile, the kiss with the two boys is uploaded and hits a public relations on the net instantly. Whilst Domink enjoys the tension from the video and the comments at first, he becomes the laughingstock and his affection towards Aleksander ends up as a sense of betrayal. This causes him to become an outcast. Then, Dominik is invited into the chat room of virtual world called "Suicide Room" by a girl who can't find any hope in the real world. Whilst talking with the girl in the virtual world, he starts withdrawing from the real world, being attracted by her negative and mysterious allurement.

The story is well-conceived, expressing the changes of Dominik's psychological state: ordinary adolescence, close-mindedness, withdrawal, mental confusion, symptom of depression, etc. There is a distance in the worlds between the world where his parents and the psychologist live, and the world where Dominik lives. There is also his psychological condition where the diremption is making everything in his everyday life shut away from the real world, and his mental state that makes him attempt suicide. This makes the audience feel as if it is letting them walk through an endless, dark tunnel that has no exit. The net may make you feel platonic and eternity in a sense. Once you go out, you will see many people out there. Even though people may feel like they are connecting with each other through SNS, they may also feel isolated as if they are a grain of sand in the desert. This film well-depicted such distortion created in the net within the modern society. The ending is negative, leaving every question unanswered to the audience. The theme of the story, a person falls into a virtual world since he/she doesn't fit in anywhere, which may be a possible story. However, this will ring the heavy bell of your heart.

Ergo Proxy (2006)

Let's Get High on Ergo Proxy: It's a Masterpiece!!!

[10/10 · 31 March 2012]

Ergo Proxy was an animated TV series that had the 23 episodes and was televised on the WOWWOW satellite network between February and August in 2006. This story is one of the most literal productions, and it has a higher rating overseas than Japan since its themes are literal, mythological, and philosophical ones. The characters, various themes that are taken up in each episode, and above all things, the screenplay and the background concepts, go above and beyond their intended purposes, and each permeate into the plot enhancing the themes explored in the anime. As it were, together with the principal axis of the main storyline as a fiction, the foreshadowing based on the solid theme is heavily tinged with.

Unknown viruses circulate in the air, the land is reduced to ashes, the sunlight is obscured by dust, and people have to live inside a futuristic domed city called "Romdo". The citizens who live peacefully under this total management system keep clinging to the compliant "fellow citizen". They coexist AutoReiv, very human-like androids, which perform the duties in which humans are otherwise incapable of. Meanwhile, immigrants are treated as lower classes in Romdo, so they are forced to live their shadowed lives, struggling with becoming the "fellow citizen". One day, a virus plaguing androids called "Cogito" flourishes in Romdo, and then the infected AutoReiv get out of control burning up or harbouring a human-like emotion. Whilst Re-l, the granddaughter of Donov Mayer who is the Regent of Romdo, investigates the AutoReiv infected by "Cogito" virus, she comes across a mysterious monster, the "Proxy", in her room like an abandoned building.

Vincent Law, an immigrant coming from Mosk, travels with Pino, an infected companion type AutoReiv, after he saved her from being scrapped due to her infection by "Cogito". Vincent is falsely charged with a mass murder by the "Proxy", and then he escapes to the outside world of the dorm with Pino. Whilst Re-l doubts that there is somehow a relation between Vincent and Proxy, she also goes out of the city following him. The illusory journey to look for the existential reason of "Proxy" and Vincent starts...

An unexpected ending is led by pursuing, "What is Proxy","What is the pulse of awakening", and "the psychological, philosophical, ideal and mythological keywords which are accumulatively imprinted over the episodes".

The screenplay is stupendously provocative with the great scenario. Also, "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead, continues to fascinate the audience whilst sneering for the expansive delusion-ish story, and asking the existential reason of Gods (since there is another interpretation that "Rain down" can be deemed as "Reign (down)" in the lyrics).

Summer Wars (2009)

I guess it is not only in an animation. It may happen in the real world ^^

[2 October 2011]

It is the world that over a billion people from baby to the old person in the world use the virtual world called "OZ", doing various kinds of registering, communities, games, watch sports and run businesses. The subscriber of OZ is almost the same number of prevalence rate of mobile phones. It is almost people cannot live life without OZ; people live with OZ. A high school sophomore, Kenji, who is a math genius and also was very close to the math championship, agrees to take a summer job at the Nagano hometown of his crush, Natuki. Kenji finds that her family have reunited to celebrate the 90th birthday of the family matriarch, and his job is to pretend her fiancé during their stay. Meanwhile, Kenji solved a code unintentionally which is sent to his mobile phone, which leads to the takeover millions of the accounts in OZ and inability of the systems all over Japan overnight.

This film is to tell us how important and warm in a real communication and in the relationship between people and people within the modern virtual world and among the people who rely on the virtual communication. It is not the denial of virtual communication, perhaps it tells the audience the warmth of people through Natsuki's big family in a rural area. It reminds me of Second Life which people live a virtual world using their avatars. They only need an Internet access such as mobile phones, PCs, DS, TV or so connect to the virtual world easily.

But yeah, from an engineer standpoint, it's not cool that what protect various kinds of systems is only 2056 bytes in ciphers, and once the code is solved, all the important systems will be controlled, which is not a good architecture due to a single point failure... Other than that, it has exhilaration and is good to watch as an entertainment movie in a summer time.

Daybreakers (2009)

Disappointing...

[6/10 · 2 October 2011]

I was expecting this movie on condition that Ethan Hawke plays a leading actor and it creates a good mode in the preview. However, with outstanding an unsophisticated story and without consideration of the storyline, it was disappointed that quality of the film is damaged.

The graphics is, indeed, stylish and cool. But...

The story is about Vampires. It is the time when the vampires control the world and humans are captured as blood producer. The number of human is decreasing and the extinction is predicted in a couple of months. As an amount of blood is decreasing against the population of vampire, they fail into the chaos... The remaining human set up a final weapon for the vampires....

If I explain how not-so-great the film is despite the brilliant work in the graphics... Like.. Ultraviolet (2006) played by Milla Jovovich Or like... Hancock (2008) played by Will Smith

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

It's like another Sex and the City

[2 October 2011]

This movie is a story like Sex and the City, which depicts love tactics from women's aspect funnily. It's about 5 women's love story and their related or non-related men.

Gigi(Ginnifer Goodwin) is a woman who expects a guy to call her after they meet at a party or a bar just because they exchange their cards or so. Even though she's never heard from the guy, she sees this situation as convenient explanation that the guy is maybe busy or he lost the card. Alex(Justin Long), a bartender, who points out to Gigi that the guys are just not interested in her. Janine(Jennifer Connelly) has a boyfriend Ben(Bradley Cooper), and notices his behaviour is something strange. Anna(Scarlett Johansson) falls in love with Ben who met at a super market, even though she knows this is the affair. Anna also has a boyfriend Cornor(Kevin Connolly) who she is friendly with him but is not that interested in him as a special. Cornor is interested in her, however... Beth(Jennifer Aniston) has been living with a boyfriend Neil(Ben Affleck) for 7 years but he wouldn't marry her but he is friendly. The film opens a crack into the true love from this ordinary love story.

To be honest, it would be nicer if the film focuses more on the composition rather than depicting many love story roughly, however, it's kinda entertain to look at the girls-girls story. There are many girls who suspect infidelity when the partner is busy without sending message or calling, though, it's kinda cute that Gigi keeps believing the guys who are not interested in misguidedly. What Scarlett Johansson takes a role having an affair with a guy, is quit at home as a nymphet including "Match point (2005)"