1998 KineJun Best 10

[stephen cremin]

Kinema Junpo Best Ten 1998

01. Hana-bi [dir. Kitano Takeshi]
02. Begging for Love (Ai o kou hito) [dir. Hirayama Hideyuki]
03. Give It All (Ganbatte ikimasshoi) [dir. Isomura Itsumichi]
04. Dr Akagi (Kanzo Sensei) [dir. Imamura Shohei]
05. CURE [dir. Kurosawa Kiyoshi]
06. A Class to Remember III (Gakko III) [dir. Yamada Yoji]
07. DOG RUN (Inu, hashiru) [dir. Sai Yoichi]
08. The Goofball (Orokamono, kizudarake no tenshi) [dir: Sakamoto 
Junji]
09. Shigure no ki [dir. Sawai Shinichiro]
10. Kizuna [dir. Negishi Kichitaro]
10. The Bird People of China (Chugoku no chojin) [dir. Miike Takashi]

Best Director: Hirayama Hideyuki for "Begging for Love" (Ai o kou 
hito)
Best Actor: Emoto Akira for "Dr Akagi" (Kanzo Sensei)
Best Actress: Harada Mieko for "Begging for Love" (Ai o kou hito)
Best Supporting Actor: Osugi Ren for "Hana-bi", etc.
Best Supporting Actress: Otsuna Michiyo for "The Goofball" (Orokamono)
Best New Actress: Tanaka Rena for "Give It All" (Ganbatte ikimasshoi)
Best New Actor: Kuroda Yuki for "A Class to Remember III" (Gakko III)


Big thankyou to Aaron for rushing us the Kinema Junpo Best Ten.  I've 
annotated it a little with director names, etc, in the hope of 
eliciting more response from the mailing list.  Of course, the Kinema 
Junpo polling system is unsatisfactory, but much like the Oscars it 
has a traditional place.  I'm curious to what extent the foreign 
recognition of "The Eel" (Unagi) at Cannes and "Hanabi" at Venice 
helped them reach the number one spot over the last two years.  I 
guess the law of averages gave Osugi Ren the best shot at "Supporting 
Actor" while Tanaka Rena, Otsuna Michiyo and Harada Mieko were all 
predictable for anybody who had the chance to see the films.

But I'm personally very happy that critics remembered "CURE" (released 
late December 1997) and that Altamira's "Give It All" (Ganbatte 
Ikimasshoi) riding so high on the list.  They're handling 
international sales themselves, so I hope any festival directors on 
the list will have their curiosity piqued and contact Futami Aya 
(aya_f at altamira.co.jp) for a preview tape out of curiosity.  Sorry for 
the plug, but they need the help.


Stephen Cremin
The Asian Film Library / London Pan-Asian Film Festival
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