Review: "Departures" (2008)

“Departures” is a magical film, filled with gorgeous imagery and realistic and likeable characters, which sensitively chronicles the journey of unemployed cellist Daigo as he returns with his wife to his hometown in northern Japan and embarks upon a new career as a mortician.

While the notion of a film about an undertaker may seem off-putting at first glance, director Yojiro Takita focuses on the unsentimental and reverent “encoffinment” ceremony (known in Japanese as Nokanshi) as a means of celebrating the preciousness of human life. He is helped by a well-crafted script that avoids melodrama and balances both the farcical and tender moments encountered during this rite of passage. When we first encounter Daigo at his new job he is terrified and disgusted by the corpses. Through a rigorous, Zen-like training similar to that of the Japanese tea ceremony, he finally comes to understand the depth of emotion and catharsis that the ritual arouses in the families of the deceased. Along the way, he achieves his own redemption as he confronts and reconciles personal demons from the past and regains the respect of his wife and friends.

Mr. Takata has a masterful eye for visual details that flesh out the main characters and a talent for drawing out fine performances from all his actors. Cinematography is exceptional and the cello score composed by Joe Hisaishi complements the melancholy tone.

While there are distinct Buddhist thematic undertones, “Departures” is a universal tale that, through examining the rituals associated with this final rite of passage, reminds us to honor life in the here and now.

Review: "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie" (2001)

Based on the popular animated TV series, “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie” is a stylish and fast-paced crime thriller filled with adventure, intriguing characters and fabulous music.

Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe in gritty, film-noir style, “Cowboy Bebop” follows the adventures of Spike Spiegel, a lackadaisical Bruce Lee type bounty hunter living on a futuristic and multi-ethnic Mars, and his band of bounty hunting comrades as they pursue a terrorist intent on unleashing a deadly virus that would destroy the planet. Living on the spaceship Bebop, Spike’s crew is an interesting cast of characters: renaissance-man Jet Black is a hardworking and gruff ex-cop; headstrong and sexy Faye Valentine is addicted to gambling and a fighter pilot extraordinaire; free-spirited and eccentric Edward (a girl) is a genius computer hacker with boundless energy; and “data dog” Ein, an exceptionally intelligent Welsh Corgi adept at playing chess amongst other super-dog talents.

“Cowboy Bebop” is a fun ride and the best parts are the amazing fight sequences, on par with any good live-action film. From the opening fight in a grocery store to the showdown on the bridge with the villain, the pacing is suspenseful and the choreography is creative. The scene where Spike, disguised as an office cleaning man, first confronts Electra, a special detective also on the trail of the terrorist, using buckets, mops and brooms is especially impressive.

The production design is also noteworthy as it beautifully captures the look and feel of a multicultural world. The design of the Arab sector is particularly intriguing. Finally, kudos must go to the eclectic music, created by Yoko Kanno, which blends a variety of jazz, classical, blues and rock tunes that underscore the multicultural setting.

Review: "Tekkon Kinkreet" (2006)

Tekkon Kinkreet” is a fast-paced and poignant animated film that features stunning visuals, interesting characters and an emotionally resonant story of brotherly love.

Loosely translated as “concrete jungle”, “Tekkon Kinkreet” opens with the image of a black crow soaring out of the clouds and swooping down over Treasure Town, a decaying and crime-ridden underbelly of a major Japanese metropolis. The symbolism of the black crow as an augury of death and destruction is appropriate given that “Tekkon Kinkreet” is essentially a tale of transformation – of a city and its people.

Part fantasy, part action-adventure, “Tekkon Kinkreet” centers on the story of Black and White, two orphaned boys with unusual superpowers, who live on the streets of Treasure Town and band together to battle various mobster factions that threaten their beloved home by razing the city center to build a modern amusement park. Black is a tough, pessimistic, anger-filled teenager whose first instinct is to fight. By contrast, White is an innocent child with a sunny disposition who’s always dreaming of a better world filled with blue skies, sandy beaches and dives in the ocean with dolphins. Like yin and yang, together they balance each other; apart, they each fall prey to the extremes of their light and dark natures. Despite names that imply a one-note characterization, both Black and White are interesting characters that draw us in with their vulnerability and so we grow to care about what happens to them.

In addition to the narrative of the young boys, director Michael Arias also skillfully weaves an interesting secondary story about the rivalry between old-school, change-resisting yakuza who value comraderie and their traditional code of honor versus the cynical, modern bad guys who care only about power and money.

Although the film would have benefited from tighter editing - some of the action sequences are repetitive – “Tekkon Kinkreet” is a visually fantastic and thought-provoking anime for adults that explores themes of brotherhood and the impact of urban modernization.

Review: "Big Man Japan" (2007)

“Big Man Japan” is a weirdly entertaining but erratic film that blends a parody of monster movies with a bizarre spin on the superhero epic. It’s an oddball take on “Hancock” that focuses a satirical eye on Japanese nationalism and the world of media and reality TV.

Employing a faux documentary style of filmmaking, director Hitoshi Matsumoto (who also plays the lead character) chronicles the surreal adventures of Daisato, a lonely middle-aged man, gifted with the power to transform into a giant when shocked with electricity, as he goes about his job as chief monster fighter for the Department of Monster Prevention. While his father and grandfather were hailed as national heroes and mobbed by fans, monster fighting isn’t quite as popular it once was and TV ratings are down. Daisato is now a pariah within the community – people complain about the noise and property destruction he causes, his wife and child have left him and neighbors throw rocks through his windows and write obscene graffiti on his door. In order to supplement his income, Daisato takes on a talent agent whose job is to sell advertising space on his chest.

Despite the interesting premise, the film is often dull, focusing too much time on the mundane activities of its hero. Nevertheless, there are some poignant scenes, filled with touching details that reveal Daisato’s inherent sensitivity – his gentleness with a stray cat and his thoughtfulness in picking out just the right birthday present for his daughter - while capturing his sense of isolation.

The film picks up momentum during the computer-animated monster fight sequences, which have a purposely fake look as if filmed on miniature sets similar to the Godzilla movies. Broadcast on national TV, we watch Daisato battle a host of increasingly bizarre creatures such as a Stink monster and another with a long eyeball growing from its genital area that it tosses around like a bowling ball. Kudos to the creature designers!

“Big Man Japan” is likely one of the strangest films ever made. It’s over the top and over long but worth a viewing for its sheer quirkiness.

Review: "Avalon" (2001)

In the vein of “The Matrix”, “Avalon” explores the world of virtual reality and computer gaming. As directed by Mamoru Oshii, “Avalon” offers an artistic and meditative take on the subject, showing us how addictive the computer game becomes that it distorts our vision of what’s real and what’s imaginary.

Set in a drab world seemingly devoid of human connection, “Avalon” focuses on the story of Ash, a young and introspective woman who is one of the top players in a virtual reality war game that is played for points and money. It’s a game with risks as players’ spirits can become trapped in the game while their bodies remain comatose in the real world. We follow Ash, who seems to blossom only when she’s playing the warrior, in her grail-like quest to win each battle and progress to the next level.

Although the narrative is a bit muddled and the characters don’t really spark much emotional connection, “Avalon” is worth a viewing for its impressive visual effects, dark surreal imagery and production design. Even though it’s a live-action film, the look and feel is very close to anime. The war game sequences are visually impressive even if the action itself isn’t so riveting. The use of a sepia tone color palette is effective in blurring the distinction between the real world and the imaginary game world.

Overall, “Avalon” may not be a good fit for those seeking intense action but it offers some philosophical food for thought about a person’s internal quest for meaning and identity that is constantly changing.

Review: "Ponyo" (2008)

From the breathtaking opening images of a fantastical ocean world of undulating jellyfish, sea anemones and candy-colored sea creatures, “Ponyo” transports us into a realm of hypnotic beauty and magic where anything is possible. Inspired loosely by “The Little Mermaid”, the story is about the friendship between a young boy (Sosuke) and a goldfish princess (Ponyo) who longs to be human. As with his earlier work “My Neighbor Totoro”, director Hayao Miyazaki brings a warm and whimsical feeling to a “goldfish out of water” tale, capturing perfectly the behavior and mannerisms of exuberant young children growing up and learning to take responsibility in an adult world.

While the narrative of “Ponyo” is more meandering and less defined than in previous Miyazaki films, the main highlights are the charming characters and stunning visuals. Ponyo, like Mei in “My Neighbor Totoro”, is an adventurous and stubborn girl who revels in all the delights of the human world while Sosuke exudes a wiseness beyond his years and a quiet, grounding calmness of spirit. Even the adult characters are well-realized: I especially liked Sosuke’s mother Lisa - a spunky gal with a bit of an impulsive streak as evidenced by her Speed Racer driving style, and Ponyo’s father Fujimoto - a curmudgeonly wizard who wants only to protect her from the evil humans who have damaged the ocean with their wasteful ways.

The ocean itself is a character in the story and Miyazaki’s imagination and animation skills bring to life a magical world of enchantment and mystery that is unlike any other. From a visual standpoint, the sheer creativity and attention to detail is awe-inspiring. Each of the sea creatures is unique and artfully detailed. The colors are gorgeous and complement the environments – bright and vivid for the ocean, soft and warm in the land of humans.

Overall, “Ponyo” is a lovely and touching film and its themes of friendship, female empowerment and respect for the natural world will resonate with both children and adults.

Review: "Nana" (2005)

Adapted from a popular manga, “Nana” is an engaging film about friendship, relationships and pursuing one’s dreams. It’s both a female buddy film with empowering messages for young women and a coming-of-age drama that offers a glimpse into Japanese youth culture and the punk rock music scene.

“Nana” kicks off with a chance encounter on a Tokyo-bound train between bubbly Nana Komatsu, an aspiring art student following her boyfriend to the city, and brooding Nana Osaki, a tattooed punk rocker who's broken up with her boyfriend and hopes to jumpstart a music career. Although very different in personality, the pair get along and eventually become roommates. Helping each other navigate turbulent times in their romantic relationships, the two girls form a close friendship, gain insights into their character and learn to rely on their own instincts in the pursuit of happiness.

Stylishly directed by Kentaro Otani, “Nana” contains vibrant music and moments of visual beauty. The appealing performances by the two lead actresses contribute to the overall uplifting and feel-good vibe of the movie.

Review: "Pulse" (2001)

What would happen if ghosts were to take over our world? That’s one of the key themes that “Pulse” explores. Visually inventive and chilling, it uses the Internet as metaphor to make a statement about urban loneliness and isolation.

“Pulse” follows two inter-connected story lines. One involves a young woman who works at a plant nursery and is investigating the mysterious suicide of a colleague. While searching his apartment, she finds a computer disk containing eerie images of shadowy apparitions. The other storyline focuses on a technologically-challenged university student who logs on to the Internet and is exposed to a computer virus which links to a website that invites him to “meet a ghost”. He enlists the help of a computer geek who is researching supernatural incidents on the Internet. They discover that the pictures appear to be linked to various disappearances, with victims either killing themselves or turning into dust. As the disappearances increase, the characters must bond in order to survive.

Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s eschews excessive gore and shock effects for more restrained psychological horror. Pacing is deliberately slow. Characters talk about death and contemplate the terrifying notion that the afterlife is nothing more than eternal loneliness. Shadows, dim lighting and framing are used effectively to create a mood of dread and melancholy. Kurosawa's vision of a post-apocalyptic Tokyo is deeply unsettling: preternaturally quiet and devoid of people, it's no more than an empty shell.

Review: "Yojimbo" (1961)

Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” is a suspenseful and darkly humorous samurai-Western with a subversive take on the traditional samurai archetype. Visually stunning, well-acted and filled with interesting characters, the film’s observations on human behavior are timeless.

Taking place in late 19th century Japan, the main character, Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) is a masterless samurai roaming the countryside looking for work. He stumbles into a desolate village where two rival clans are fighting for control of the territory. Viewed as a superhero savior to the townsfolk, he uses his wits and the power of his sword to pit the rival clans against each other hoping to secure the best offer for his services. This results in some comic moments as both sides pander to Sanjuro to win his loyalty. Although Sanjuro is an opportunist, he sees both clans as evil and determines to take them both down by turning them against each other. But in the end an act of compassion puts his life in danger and he is forced to improvise an escape.

In addition to its compelling story, “Yojimbo” is distinguished by stunning black and white cinematography which contributes to the suspenseful atmosphere. The acting is also strong. Toshiro Mifune radiates an intense presence as the brooding and clever samurai and Tatsuya Nakadai embodies the snake-like charm of his villain with ease.

Review: "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988)

“My Neighbor Totoro” is a warm-hearted and enchanting animated family film that explores the blissful wonder of being a child. It focuses on the journey of two girls, Satsuki and her kid sister Mei, who move with their father to the Japanese countryside and discover a new world filled with fascinating and fantastical creatures. As they explore their new surroundings the girls encounter Totoro, a large, fuzzy, silent raccoon-type of creature living in a huge camphor tree and known as the “king of the forest”, and embark on a series of magical adventures.

Unlike some of Miyazaki’s previous feature films like “Castle in the Sky” and “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind” which emphasize dramatic conflict and thrilling battles, “My Neighbor Totoro” is more concerned with observing a slice of life of two very real, likeable and spirited young girls as they use their resources of imagination to fuel adventure and overcome obstacles. What’s truly amazing is how Miyazaki evokes the magic and wonder of childhood, capturing in realistic detail the emotions and activities of ordinary children as they explore and settle into their new surroundings.

The visuals, as in all Miyazaki films, are stunning – the recreation of a rural Japanese landscape is detailed and realistic while the magical creatures are enchanting and one of kind. Yet it is Satsuki and Mei that resonate the most. We come to care about them and are concerned for them when things go wrong.

Review: "Castle in the Sky" (1986)

“Castle in the Sky” is a fast-paced, Indiana Jones-style animated adventure that will appeal to children and adults alike. As with most Hayao Miyazaki films, an engaging and thrilling adventure story is delivered with a subtle message of respect for the environment.

The film kicks off as a young boy, Pazu, encounters Sheeta, a girl floating down from the sky. We discover that Sheeta, who possesses a crystal necklace that’s believed to lead the way to the mythical floating island of Laputa, has been kidnapped by government agents eager to acquire the pendant and harness the island’s mysterious power. As Pazu and Sheeta try to dodge the secret agents and embark on their own quest for Laputa, a number of high-flying and thrilling adventures ensue involving trains, planes, pirates and robots.

As in all his films, Miyazaki creates an imaginary world full of color and life, inhabited by complex yet interesting characters. “Castle in the Sky” is filled with epic-style battle scenes and it’s refreshing to see both female and male protagonists on equal footing as heroes.

Revew: "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004)

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is an enchanting animated family film that transports you to a magical fantasy world and tells a moving story about the transformative power of love and kindness.

Adapted from a children’s book written by Diana Wynne Jones, “Howl’s Moving Castle” focuses on the story of Sophie (voiced by Emily Mortimer), a shy, plain-looking and serious teenager who works in a hat shop, and Howl (voiced by Christian Bale), a handsome but vain wizard whom she meets by chance when he literally sweeps her off her feet to protect her from some malicious soldiers. Enraged by jealousy, the Wicked Witch of the Waste (voiced by Lauren Bacall) promptly curses Sophie, turning her into a 90-year old woman. In an effort to break her curse, Sophie embarks on a journey that brings her to Howl’s mysterious moving castle where she befriends the wizard’s young apprentice and a tough little fire demon. As she experiences life through an older woman’s eyes, she not only matures and learns something about herself but helps transform all the castle’s inhabitants, who are “cursed” by their own personal demons.

As imagined by director Hayao Miyazaki, the fantasy worlds of “Howl’s Moving Castle” are visually stunning and not like anything seen before. Miyazaki creates gorgeous and richly detailed images of bustling towns, vast mountains and flowery fields, reminiscent of early 20th century Europe. But the piece-de-resistance is Howl’s castle – a smoke belching contraption that looks as if its components were foraged from a junkyard and which moves about on chicken feet. It’s just awe-inspiring.

The narrative is complex and frequently goes off on tangents, into and out of various worlds and across time and space. Yet the journey is always interesting as the characters are multi-layered and we come to care about them. The English voice cast is excellent all-around, particularly Christian Bale who imbues Howl with a sexy bad-boy vibe.

Miyazaki weaves together a number of messages which should resonate with children and adults alike. One is that old age can be liberating. We see this quite vividly as Sophie develops from a shy, mousy girl into a confident and loving woman. Another is that embracing others with compassion and kindness can help them to tackle personal demons, resulting in positive change.

Review: "Tokyo!" (2008)

Tokyo! is a collection of 3 short films shot by 3 directors (two from France and 1 from Korea) using Tokyo as the setting. Fittingly, each of the films focuses on characters who are outsiders within Japanese society.

“Interior Design”, directed by Michel Gondry, is a funny and whimsical coming of age story that cleverly toys with the notion of identity and the path to personal fulfillment. Akira, an aspiring filmmaker, and Hiroko, his supportive but aimless girlfriend, have moved to Tokyo to pursue their dreams. They bunk in a friend’s apartment temporarily while Akira sets up film screenings and Hiroko spends her days trying to find an affordable apartment. Her apartment hunting exploits result in some hilarious scenarios that will be familiar to anyone who’s tried to find a decent apartment in a big city.

Realizing that he can’t make a living as an artist, Akira confronts Hiroko about her lack of direction. He believes people are defined by what they do. Forgoing his dream of filmmaking for the moment, Akira finds work as a gift wrapper while Hiroko undergoes a very unusual transformation that takes the idea of “defined by what you do” literally.

“Merde”, directed by Leos Carax, is a semi-parody of the “monster run amok in Tokyo” story that explores themes of xenophobia and terrorism. It is the weirdest and the least engaging of the three films. The monster here is a shabby green-clad, one-eyed foreigner named Merde who lives in the sewers of Tokyo. He emerges each day to inflict havoc among the Japanese – one day he’s merely a pest who pushes people on the street, knocks them down and makes off with their possessions. The next day he’s killing innocent bystanders with grenades. Captured by the police, he confesses that hatred of the Japanese is what drove him to kill. Tried by a jury, he is sentenced to death. While awaiting his death sentence in prison, he becomes a sort of national hero to the non-conformists while the conservatives condemn his actions.

The premise of this story is an interesting one and the film starts with promise but ultimately fails to deliver much of an emotional connection as the central character is relentlessly unlikeable and the scenes set in the prison are rather tedious.

“Shaking Tokyo”, directed by Bong Joon-Ho, is a visually beautiful love story between two recluses (known in Japan as “hikikomori”) that underscores the human need for connection. The story focuses on a young man who has confined himself to his apartment for 10 years. One day a delivery girl arrives with his weekly pizza just as a small earthquake occurs. The girl faints and while tending to her, he falls in love. Desperate to see her again, he summons up the courage to venture outside to find her and discovers that all of Tokyo’s residents have become recluses.

This is a sweet film that is enhanced by its excellent cinematography and lovely views of Tokyo’s quiet back streets. The haunting image of the man walking through the deserted Tokyo streets as he searches for the girl’s home lingers and serves to underscore the isolation and loneliness that one might feel in the concrete jungle.

Review: "Executive Koala" (2005)

To say that “Executive Koala” is bizarre would be an understatement. It is definitely in its own cinematic realm. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a movie as absurd and goofy as “Executive Koala” but it warrants a viewing precisely for those reasons, not to mention that it’s eye-poppingly entertaining.

“Executive Koala” opens up by introducing us to Mr. Tamura, a hardworking executive for a pickle manufacturer. He labors long hours devising a business plan to build the company’s market share via a partnership with a Korean kimchi producer. A typical Japanese salary man, Tamura spends most of his time in the office, slaving away with spreadsheets and chatting up the company president. He’s divorced but has a cute girlfriend named Yoko that he hardly spends any time with. Oh, did I forget to mention the minor detail that Tamura is a 6 ft. tall koala? None of the other humans in his world seem to notice this fact – on the contrary, the office ladies find Tamura rather hot, though a bit on the furry side.

Suddenly his girlfriend is found stabbed to death and Tamura is at the center of a police investigation that digs up some unsavory bits on his past. Is he not the cuddly and sweet koala that everyone thinks he is? Prone to memory lapses and blackouts, Tamura seeks the assistance of the company president (who’s a white rabbit by the way) and his human shrink to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s murder.

To describe the plot in any more detail would be pointless. Suffice it to say that what starts out as a psychological thriller segues to something increasingly bizarre with each new scene. There’s a hint of a slasher horror flick which then transitions to a delightful musical interlude. This is then followed by a prison drama that morphs into a kung-fu showdown at the local game arcade where humans and animals alike possess supernatural powers of resurrection after being repeatedly thrown against hard metal objects. Threading through all these transitions is a love story between human and koala, the likes of which have never been seen (and likely never will be) on the big screen.

Make no mistake. This is a weird, weird movie even by Japanese standards. But if you can subdue the left-brained tendency toward understanding and analysis (a few drinks before watching may help), you’ll be rewarded with something completely different that’s never boring and curiously amusing.

Review: "Sukiyaki Western Django" (2007)

“Sukiyaki Western Django” is a homage to spaghetti westerns that mixes samurai and gunslingers in a visually stylish, bloody soup that is weirdly entertaining if not completely satisfying.

The plot, if such an incoherent narrative can be considered to have one, is loosely based on Akira Kurosawa’s “Yojimbo” and focuses on a mysterious lone gunman who rides into a remote mountain town that is controlled by two rival gangs, the Heike known as the Reds and the Genji known as the Whites. Determined to find a gold treasure in the town, the two sides are creating quite a ruckus with the locals.

The movie works best when viewed as a kind of live-action anime set in a post-apocalyptic Mad Max vision of 19th century Nevada. While the nameless gunslinger is rather stoic and thus somewhat bland, the leaders of the two gangs radiate a certain 70’s rock-star charisma. Throw in some over-the-top, stylized action sequences, gory death scenes, a vengeance seeking widow-turned-prostitute, a lonely grandmother who reveals herself to be the legendary Bloody Benten, gunslinger extraordinaire, a sheriff with a split personality and the result is a bizarre sensory extravaganza. While there are extended moments of tedium and humor which falls flat, it’s worth watching for the absurd and oddball action which culminates in a visually spectacular showdown as swords and silver bullets clash amidst a background of pelting snow.

Review: "Woman in the Dunes" (1964)

“Woman in the Dunes” is a beautifully crafted and thought provoking film that tells a simple story about a man and a woman living at the bottom of a sandpit yet conveys profound wisdom about the nature of human existence and identity.

Based on Kobo Abe’s novel and directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, “Woman in the Dunes” opens with a simple set-up that is not unlike a horror movie. An entomologist (Eiji Tokada) is wandering among sand dunes in a remote area of Japan searching for bugs. Engrossed in his research, he loses track of time and misses the last bus back to town. He encounters a villager who offers to put him up for the night in the home of a local woman (Kyoko Kishida). The entomologist graciously accepts the offer of hospitality and the villager leads him to a ramshackle hut, curiously located at the base of a sand pit and requiring a steep descent via rope ladder. He awakens the next morning to discover that the rope ladder is gone and he is trapped in the sandpit. Gradually he learns that the villagers have selected him to be the woman’s companion and help her with her daily work of shoveling sand, a necessary task to prevent the hut from being engulfed. As he struggles to find a way to escape, he develops a relationship with the woman that transforms his life.

The story of the man and the woman, two very different people who likely would never meet in the outside world, and the strange bond of companionship and responsibility that develops between them is emotionally compelling. He is an urban, educated man who values rational, scientific knowledge and disdains the experiential knowledge of the villagers. Elitist and arrogant, he refuses to demean himself by shoveling sand, believing that manual labor is beneath him. He professes to be fascinated with sand bugs and their environment but seems more interested in making a name for himself. His social status defines him. The woman is earthy, humble and hardworking. She lives day by day and shovels sand to survive and to obtain food and provisions from the village. Her nature is emotional and intuitive and she longs for companionship, having lost her husband and daughter during a violent sandstorm.

One of the themes that resonates is the struggle to find a connection to others and how our identity can shift as we adapt to changing conditions. Early on, the man admits that his fascination with sand and his desire to escape from the bustle of Tokyo brought him to the village. It’s ironic that, when given all the time in the world to live as he desires, he feels trapped and spends his energy struggling to escape. In the end, as he develops a close bond with the woman and discovers something valuable in the sand that could benefit the entire village, he is transformed into a new self, someone who has humbled himself and forged a connection to others.

The sand itself is a major character and the images of it are some of the most beautiful captured on film. A metaphor for life (or “flow”), the sand in “Woman in the Dunes” is not dry and unyielding; rather, it is a fluid, constantly shifting entity that changes the nature of things. It is everywhere -- seeping through the ceiling, blowing ferociously through the doors, sticking to the body, sensually cradling the man and woman during intimate moments. The more the man tries to escape the sand, to conquer it, the more it beats him back down. He realizes that he cannot shape the sand to his will. Ultimately, it is the sand that shapes him.

Review: "Tony Takitani" (2004)

Adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami, "Tony Takitani" is a visual meditation on the pain of loneliness and the ways in which humans struggle to fill its void. Unfolding as a series of images punctuated with haunting voice-over narration and a mournful piano score, the film succeeds as pure poetry by evoking a deeply melancholic mood.

The camera moves quietly, steadily, from left to right slowly propelling us on a journey through the life of Tony Takitani, a solitary man whose life revolves around his work as a technical illustrator. His isolation is transformed when he meets Eiko, a vibrant younger women who floats into his life as if from another world. He is captivated by her clothes: "she wore her clothes naturally, as though enveloped by a special breeze" says the film's narrator. As he becomes more alive in her presence and begins to fall in love, we sense his growing dependency on her to fill an emptiness he had never before noticed. When Eiko confides to him that "clothes fill up what's missing inside of me" we recognize a similar dependency. They marry, begin to build a life together but tragedy ensues when Tony tries to address his wife's growing obsession with clothes.

"Loneliness is like a prison" says the film's narrator. In the end, it is an apt metaphor. The absurdity, which this film highlights so eloquently, is that these prisons are largely self-constructed. By denying our need for human connection, avoiding any possibility of pain as well as joy, we are no more than prisoners isolated in our cells.

Review: "Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman" (2003)

“Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman”, directed by Takeshi Kitano, is a visually stunning samurai action drama that brings a whimsical, contemporary sensibility to the iconic Japanese superhero. Blind masseur by day and master swordsman by night, Kitano’s hero sports a platinum-blonde shock of hair and a blood-red cane that conceals his weapon.

The story is in the vein of traditional samurai drama: Zatoichi, an outsider, comes to the defense of a town caught up in a Yakuza gang war. While battling the gang members who are forcing the farmers and shopkeepers to shell out protection money, Zatoichi befriends two geisha (a brother and sister) seeking revenge against the gang for the murder of their parents years ago.

What distinguishes this flick is the stylish, lightning-quick fight sequences, colorful production design and whimsical spirit. I can’t think of any other movie that manages to seamlessly combine violent action and a lively tap dance number reminiscent of a Broadway musical.

Review: "Paprika" (2006)

The Japanese anime, “Paprika” is an exciting sci-fi action thriller with stunning imagery, a mind-twisting plot and some thought-provoking social commentary.

The story centers around a new psychotherapy device called the DC Mini, invented by a group of scientists at a psychiatric research institute, which enables them to enter people’s dreams, explore their sub-conscious thoughts and help them work out their psychological issues. Just as the DC Mini is about to be approved by the government, several prototypes go missing, along with one of the scientists. Soon the perfect dream machine is being used as a terrorist weapon to freak people out by traumatizing them with nightmarish visions implanted into their minds. Called upon to uncover the evil mastermind is Dr. Atsuko Chiba, the head of the DC Mini development team and a somewhat stern psychotherapist, who can dive into this dangerous dream world using her alter-ego “Paprika”: a feisty, kick-ass warrior-detective who gives new meaning to the term “dream girl”. She is supported by some intriguing sidekicks: chunky colleague Dr. Tokita, the genius inventor of the DC Mini; Dr. Shima, a spunky little fellow known as The Chief; and Detective Konakawa, a hardened cop trapped in his own film-noir dream. As the various characters weave between their own dreams and the dreams of others in search of the terrorist, they also discover new insights about themselves.

As imagined by director Satoshi Kon, the dream world of “Paprika” is a scary and chaotic realm reminiscent of a Freudian sub-conscious run amok: a parade of dancing kitchen appliances, drumming frogs, laughing dolls, a Statue of Liberty, a rocking Torii gate along with other detritus marches along to a point of no return, sweeping up all the humans in its path; a giant geisha doll pierces glass with her high-pitched screaming and crashes through the Tokyo streets like Godzilla and a marauding robot with an insatiable appetite gobbles up whomever it wants.

Just like a dream, the narrative has many layers and isn’t always coherent. Not a big deal. The eye-popping, fantastical visual delights are enthralling in and of themselves. On another level, the film probes deeper psychological questions about the boundary between dreams and reality, how that which we repress or try to control inevitably escapes into dreams and how the Internet and dreams are similar. Ultimately, the dark world of “Paprika” underscores a cautionary message about the de-humanizing impact of technology and the danger lurking in our escapist fantasies that threatens to pull us further away from the real world and from each other.