M/Other

[Jonathan Crow]

I completely agree with Roger.  I saw it at the Toronto Film Festival (one
of only seven people at the screening).  With its extremely static camera
work--some takes seem to last for five or ten minutes--and its sparse
improvised dialogue, the film is hard going at first. But when I surrendered
to the film, I found the film astonishingly nuanced portrayal of a
relationship altered by the presence of an eight-year old boy.  I was
fascinated with watching Makiko Watanabe's character reveals a laundry list
of conflicting emotions: from love tempered with repressed annoyance at her
boyfriend Tetsuo, affection toward his son Shun, and frustration with
herself for not living up to the traditional ideal of mother.

This was easily the best film I saw in 1999.  It's a damned shame it will
never get screened properly in the States, as its almost completely
unmarketable.

Jon



> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> [mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Roger
> Fischer
> Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2000 7:44 AM
> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Subject: AW: M/Other
>
>
> Jasper
> I saw M/OTHER at the Rotterdam Film Festival with Dutch subtitles (I don't
> speak Dutch!!!) starting around 11 P.M. with an introduction by Tony Rayns
> and a short Q and A between him and Nobuhiro Suwa.
> Because it was Dutch, I wanted first to get out (it's no movie packed with
> frenzy action, where dialogue is quasi absent) but then I stayed...
>
> As I get out of the movie theatre, I was sure to have seen one of the most
> important films in the 90s. I think most of the list who have
> seen it, would
> agree with me.
>
> It's a film that goes way behind the ones of Cassavetes. Suddenly
> Cassavetes
> films seem much more staged, more "recherché", whereas Nobuhiro
> Suwa gets me
> much more direct in my middleclass style of life. Its honesty and
> objectiveness are total.
>
> Now after having seen it I look at filmmaking in new ways. And isn't that
> what great pictures are all about. They open up new doors of
> perception. If
> you are a filmmaker, then M/OTHER is a gift.
>
> It seems like I am overdoing it a little bit (fan talk seems to
> be only for
> animes or blockbusters!?), but that where my feelings when I walked to my
> hotel at 2 in the night.
>
> Go and see it!
>
> Best regards
> Roger
>
>
> Roger Fischer
> Tel. ++41 1 401 36 39
> Email  roger.fischer at active.ch
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> [mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]Im Auftrag von
> Jasper Sharp
> Gesendet: Mittwoch, 23. Februar 2000 11:37
> An: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Betreff: M/Other
>
> Hello,
> Nobuhiro Suwa's 'M/Other' is playing in Amsterdam at the moment, and the
> only info I have for it is in the Rotterdam Film Festival
> brochure. I walked
> all the way into town to see it on monday night before seeing that it was
> 147 minutes long. My cinematic concentration span seldom reaches beyond 2
> hours and I had no desire for another 'Eyes Wide Shut' experience
> so walked
> back home to watch 'Eastenders' instead (also I wasn't too impressed with
> Takahisa Zeze's 'Hypnotic' which screened the night before, so was easily
> tempted into a Japanese film-free night). However, when I read Mark
> Schilling's review (in his 'Contemporary Japanese Cinema') of the same
> director's '2/Duo' my curiousity was piqued again. So basically what I'm
> asking is, has anyone seen it and do they have any opinions?
>
> Thanks
>
> Jasper Sharp
>
>