the frame

[Stephen Cremin]

THE FRAME is the latest from ISAKA Satoshi whose debut [FOCUS] starred ASANO 
Tadanobu and is a critique of the Japanese news media.  This latest film 
which premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival last year is 
another critique of the media from the perspective of a female TV news 
editor.  But I don't think its a very deep critique and it certainly 
overemphasises its points.  I'm sure some on the list will be a little more 
damning.  Its also screened in Rotterdam so there is presumably some info 
still on their website:

http://www.iffrotterdam.nl

Inbetween these two films, ISAKA made his two DETECTIVE RIKO episodes which 
didn't get much of an airing.  I only saw the second episode with was at the 
New Cinema from Japan booth in Berlin.  But I'm still a little confused with 
the first episode being released straight to video and only the second going 
into the theatres.  This second version - which stands very well by itself - 
also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, but nowhere else 
to my knowledge.  I still wonder whether the first episode delineated her as 
a lesbian or whether that aspect was completely stripped from the original 
novels.

Stephen Cremin
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