1997 Kinema Junpo Best Ten

[Aaron Gerow]

The Kinema Junpo Best Ten films for 1997 was just announced.  They are as 
follows:

1. Unagi
2. Mononoke hime
3. Rajio no jikan
4. Tokyo yakyoku
5. Onibi
6. Bounsu koGALS
7. Yukai
7. Mi mo kokoro mo
9. Tokyo biyori
10. Setonai munraito serenade
10. Moe no suzaku

For individual prizes:

Best Actor: Yokusho Koji
Best Actress: Momoi Kaori
Best Director: Mochizuki Rokuro

No real surprises this year.  I haven't seen the Best Ten issue (which 
goes on sale tomorrow), so I can't comment on the voting, but even though 
the KineJun Best Ten is a bit better than some of the other major prizes 
(like the Mainichi or the laughable Japan Academy Awards), the votors are 
still dominated by older critics who frankly do not make the effort to go 
out to see works by young or lesser known directors. The tie for No. 10 
for Suzaku seems typical: it's like a repeat of the tie for No. 10 for 
Nagisa no Shindobaddo a couple years ago.  If films by young directors 
get in, it's at No. 10 at best.

At least Yamada Yoji didn't get anything in this year! (He always seems 
to.)

In my book, the award for Mochizuki is probably the best thing about the 
selection this year.

Aaron Gerow
YNU