WTF did I watch?!

[tilmon]

Technically, I know what it was.

I went to watch World of Kanako at Alamo Draft House. I am really appreciative of Drafthouse films bringing foreign films to US screens. But I wish they'd brought a different one

Comments

[mystical_powers]

Sucks you had such a bad time with the movie. It was one I wanted to watch but now I'm not sure based on your review. Didn't it win a bunch of awards too? =/

[tilmon]

I think it had won some awards. Well, like I said, the acting and cinematography were top-notch. There is even a lot of good to say about the direction of the first half of the movie. But it falls apart into meaninglessness, like a term paper that got off to a good start before the student decided to take a break at the frat party kegger, and is finished just trying to make the minimum word count.

[mystical_powers]

Ha I think you've just described every essay I've ever written academically xD

[tbscreenrider]

I watched the movie quite a while ago - and though I don´t especially welcome movies that highlight brutality, this one I appreciated for the reasons Tilmon mentioned. Excellent acting and cinematography - and I also was very much impressed with Shimizu Hiroya - and always wondered why that face was so familiar. I´m sure he is family with Shimizu Naoya, i very much enjoyed in the 2012-movie "Empty" (清水尚弥).
I liked the movie for those aspects - and let´s face it. Shit like that most probably happens out there in the world.
MP, I suggest you watch it and let us know how you experienced it.

[tbscreenrider]

I watched the movie quite a while ago - and though I don´t especially welcome movies that highlight brutality, this one I appreciated for the reasons Tilmon mentioned. Excellent acting and cinematography - and I also was very much impressed with Shimizu Hiroya - and always wondered why that face was so familiar. I´m sure he is family with Shimizu Naoya, i very much enjoyed in the 2012-movie "Empty" (清水尚弥).
I liked the movie for those aspects - and let´s face it. Shit like that most probably happens out there in the world.
MP, I suggest you watch it and let us know how you experienced it.

[mystical_powers]

I probably will still watch it, cos we all know I gotta watch every Japanese dorama/SP/movie except MatsuJun stuff on the planet xD

[tbscreenrider]

Weeeelllllll - I´d say you have a hell of a job in front of you watching ALL J.dorama/SP/movie - ecept MatsuJun. And I am somewhat delighted that that will include all Miura Haruma-stuff (no,no,no,no - tooooooooo late to excempt that NOW!!!!)

[mystical_powers]

Well I've already watched over 300 movies/dorama/SPs so I'm getting there!! xD
And Miura tends to have stella costars cos I naturally end up watching his stuff even if I don't like him.
MatsuJun on the other hand always gets the costar females that I can't stand so yeah haha
And yes I despise MatsuJun MORE than Miura!

[tbscreenrider]

Forgot to mention - I haven´t watched "Kumiko" yet, but that is also on my list.

[vanilla_ichigo]

It´s a horrible movie and good example of how much the level of Japanese cinema has dropped recently. It´s not the only highly decorated one you are going to encounter that includes meaningless, overdone violence, absolutely empty characters and unrealistic story. The acting was far from good and nothing more than the standard of an low-budget production. Not one single good performance that would have made this movie worth to watch for me. Utter trash.

[tilmon]

Perhaps I pin too much blame on the director, but I really didn't have a problem with the acting. The major actors are all seasoned and have done excellent work elsewhere. But it might have been better if the actors were all as terrible as the script and directorial vision. Then at least it would have been laughable.

[vanilla_ichigo]

Satoshi Tsumabuki´s Detective Asai was laughable, Kōji Yakusho and Joe Odagiri portrayals were incoherently and nothing above atavistic violent. The younger actors were either unbearable overacting or boringly expressionless. The adult female characters had nonexistent personalities.

Not one character was more than a cardboard copy of the written text in their scripts. Good acting is that not.

[tilmon]

Odagiri was barely there. They could have hired anyone for that role and it would have been the same. But really, in my eyes, there was nothing the actors could have done to salvage this mess. Perhaps I am being too forgiving. Or perhaps I was desperate to salvage something of my time, so I latched on to the few good moments.