berlin

[Giacomo Calorio]

Personally, I found the last scene of "Blessing bell" deeply touching
and emotional.
It's not the painful Sabu that I was used to, but I found it warmer and
mature. Anyway this was just my personal impression...

giacomo

rfc> Dear Kinejapaners and Miriam,

rfc> I agree with Miriam that Sabu's Blessing Bell was not touching
rfc> emotionnally, as it was overwhelmed by its narrative mechanic (which I
rfc> didn't find so attractive either, for it is repetitive). As to Tasogare
rfc> Seibei, it remains a very beautiful, profoundly touching film, maybe "the
rfc> very first samourai movie" said a journalist during the press conference.
rfc> The sword fight between Sanada and Min Tanaka in the final quarter of the
rfc> movie is a rare delight, one of the most realistic fght scenes ever put on
rfc> screen. All in all, two thumbs up!

rfc> Borderline is a somewhat flawed Altman-like movie where debutting director
rfc> Lee Sang-il (whose career can be paralleled with that of GO's hero, as he
rfc> was raised in a school affiliated with North Korea) attemps to point a
rfc> finger at family disintegration in modern Japan. The meandering narrative
rfc> follows a young man who has killed his father, a young girl who performs
rfc> enjo kosai because of family problems, a yakuza looking for redemption
rfc> because he deserted his daughter, a mother whose child is beaten up at
rfc> school...
rfc> Lee sang-il adopts a rather bleak tone which is hard for the viewer to
rfc> sustain for two hours, all the more so as humorous scenes don't abound. We
rfc> get the feeling that he's hammering his point a little bit too much. But
rfc> the cast is great and Lee Sang-il's ample style worth discovering.

rfc> Robin





Ciao,
  Giacomo