07.Mar.2010 Movie Mini-Reviews: Always, The Road, and Bright Star
Coming back since last week, I feel like I haven’t even got close to catching up with life. Why does life have always to be hasty? I don’t missed my hometown much, but I do now miss my 2 weeks time off when I didn’t have to fix my eyes to every hour that passes, worry that I can’t finish this and that this day, or even this week.
Blogging-wise, I’m trying my best to catch up too. I’m not able to comment to your every post or even five posts, but rest assured, I’m trying to read all that I missed during my being away. Be kind to me? :)
Meanwhile I just watched an awesome flick just last weekend that I need to share. So I might as well do my movie mini-reviews that I seem to have abandoned for a while!
Always: Sunset on Third Street (Always: Sanchōme no Yūhi)
Winner of 12 Japanese Academy Awards in 2005.
“In the shadow of that symbol of Japan’s post-war economic boom, Tokyo Tower, is Third street. It is a drama that follows the highs and lows, the romance and adventure of growing up in Tokyo in the Shōwa period of the 1950s.”
I laughed and I cried along the movie. Like many Japanese movies, it is often subtle, but I absolutely loved the daily life portrayal of the Japanese post-war, spiced with many unique heartfelt characters on Third Street neighbourhood. The movie is taken from a long-running manga so it is very comical at times (you decide whether that’s good or bad). The half-built Tokyo Tower always hovering in the background, it is a very beautiful, meaningful film.
Rating: 9/10
I couldn’t find a trailer with good quality, so here it is to tease you.
The Road
2009, from the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
I read The Road in 2008 and wasn’t really impressed with the book, though many people swear by it. I kinda expected to appreciate the movie more, but alas, my mind stays exactly at where it is. I’m still not impressed with the story and I still did not buy the ending. The visual stays very true to the book, where everything is grey grey grey (a good thing) and even one part of the book where it gets really gory is shown as well (not a good thing, because it was too disgusting). In conclusion, if you love the book I’d recommend the movie, as long as you can stomach it. If you don’t really like the book, well, don’t expect your mind to be changed.
Rating: 6/10
Bright Star
2009, nominated for Oscar 2010 – Best Costume.
The drama is based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats’ untimely death at age 25.
I sooo wanted to post about this film when I watched it months ago, because the first time I saw the trailer, my thought was “How great is the costume?!” I quickly pointed that out to my husband. Soon after, I found out that it has been nominated for Oscar for Best Costume. How good my eyes were?! Today though we knew that The Young Victoria won for that category so my excitement got a bit stale. But to reiterate, the movie features great costumes (very fitting because the main female character is a seamstress), great setting (gosh the lavender!), and beautiful poetry. It almost made me want to read Keats’ poetry straight away (no, I haven’t picked poetry up since it’s not my thing, but very possibly in the future!) I can see myself re-watch this movie if only for the beautiful language, story, and setting. Well, isn’t that everything that makes a good movie? The downside is that it’s rather slow at times and for me personally the language needs some getting used to to digest (hence a re-watch is needed).
I love the girl who played Fanny. What a breath of fresh air among too many skinny girls on screen.
Rating: 7/10
mee 
