Three films: Has anybody seen them

[Michael Badzik]

Roger Fischer asked:

>Has anybody seen one of this films and could he or she comment them
>briefly? Or direct me to other sources?
>Could you also say something about the quality of the films made? Are the
>two films rather mainstream or more "auteurish"?
>Thank you very much
>
>Rajio no jikan ( Japan 1997) 
>Directed by Koki Mitani    
> Also Known As: 
>Radio no jikan 
>Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald 

I have seen this one and enjoyed it very much. It is "auteurish" in having 
the easily identifiable Mitani style - a sophisticated and often wicked 
sense of humor, a sympathy for the characters even as he puts them 
through hell, and the stageplay influences that are even in his works 
that were not - as this was - originally written as plays. However, it is 
also a product of Fuji TV, with a slick and glossy look not unlike many 
of the other Fuji produced films and their better TV dramas, and full of 
actors known for their popularity on television, so it might also be seen 
as mainstream. Two pieces on the film can be found at the Daily Yomiuri 
archive site at http://www.gwjapan.com - one article from October 27, 
1998 titled _Video Releases_, and another titled _Asian films have 
strong presence in Berlin_ from March 5, 1998.

I don't know how large of an audience it had in Japan, but the video tape 
has been a popular rental for some months now at the shops I frequent 
here in California. But then all of Mitani's works seem to be very popular 
at the rental shops.

Since the request was for brief comments I will stop here, but I will 
be  happy to give more specific information, opinions, and references 
(the references are all in Japanese, though) on this film or on Mitani.


Michael Badzik
mike at vena.com

P.S. Does anyone know where I might find a copy of the _Rajio no Jikan_ 
script - stage or (preferably) screen? I haven't had any success locating 
it so far.