09.Sep.2009 Movie Mini-Reviews: Jin-Roh, An Autumn Afternoon, Cheri
A few movies that I watched recently:
Foreign Movies
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
Japanese, Released: 1999 Japan, 2000 US
A world in future dystopian Japan where Little Red Riding Hood is a bomb-carrier terrorist and Wolf is elite government army. Red and Wolf are involved in political mess that bring them closer as two wounded people. But at the end their relationship proves to be too hard to have a pretty ending. (Rating: 6/10)
An Autumn Afternoon
Japanese, Released: 1962 Japan, 1964 US
In short, it’s a story of arranged marriage in old Japan. As the front cover shows a woman, I watched more than half the movie thinking that it’s going to be about the daughter, to finally realize that it’s about the father. The family lost the mother, hence the daughter is left to take care of the father and her brother. Father struggles to the idea of losing his daughter to marriage, but at the end he relents and arranges her meetings with potential husbands. It’s a quite story with subtle humor, but it’s great insight into Japan in 1960s. (Rating: 6/10)
Movie based on book
Cheri
Released: 2009
It’s adaptation of the novel by French author Colette. Set in 1900s Paris, Cheri tells a story about the affair of Lea, an aging courtesan, with a young man names Cheri. Loved the setting, loved the great costumes, but the story is mediocre. It’s still worth watching if only for the pretty vessels, but don’t expect much substance. Michelle Pfeiffer is still a treat, but she has little chemistry with the young man. I didn’t find their love quite believable. (Rating: 6/10)
What foreign movies or movies based on books that you watched recently?
(I think I’ll make this a regular feature)
mrdes 
mee