Berlinale films

[knoerer at gmx.net]

Hi,

first of all a short introduction, as this is my first posting to the list: 
I'm the editor of the independent German online movie magazine 
Jump Cut (www.jump-cut.de, no connection to the American print 
magazine with the same name) and have recently begun to orient 
Jump Cut decidedly towards Asian cinema. Reviews of Japanese 
films and portraits of Japanese directors can be found at www.jump-
cut.de/japan.html (only in German, alas).

I have had the chance to see three Japanese Panorama films in a 
press screening. Here's what I think: 

All About Lily Chou-Chou, Shunji Iwai's latest, is a challenging (and 
with 146 minutes definitely too long), but ultimately fascinating 
mixture of teen drama, pop music and internet chat - the most 
surprising thing about it is that it *does* mix, quite seamlessly 
even.
(German review: www.jump-cut.de/filmkritik-
allaboutlilychouchou.html)

A painful pair (by Hisashi Saito, whoever that is) is just stupid 
nonsensical crap. Its premise: a newly wed couple feels each 
other's hurts and bruises. Nothing whatsoever follows from the 
premise; the direction is amateurish.

Hideo Nakta's (The Ring) latest, Dark Waters, is another horror 
film, far more conventional this time, an attempt at horror 
classicism, one could say, but completely unoriginal and quite a 
disappointment.
(German review: www.jump-cut.de/filmkritik-darkwaters.html)

Just my 2 cents, of course,

Ekkehard Knoerer
Editor Jump Cut Magazine
www.jump-cut.de