Tea Date

Mina Park's short film Tea Date (2005) was interesting for me for two reasons: first of all, it stars the always-lovely Doona Bae, and secondly, it can be watched for free on YouTube (the link below the review). The short film focuses on the relationship between a foreign student and her old tutor. Sadly, the film's screenplay is quite vague and it isn't able to say almost anything. It briefly pokes questions about relationships and old age, but in the end it is a completely forgettable film. The form never bothered me, but it is quite basic in all aspects so that it can not be praised either.

Score: 5 out of 10

PS: You can watch this short film on YouTube.

Still Walking

Still Walking (2008) proves that the director Hirokazu Koreeda is the most fascinating Japanese filmmaker working today along with the infamous Sion Sono. Still Walking is an almost Ozu-like family drama which depicts a day in the life of a Japanese family when the grownup kids come and meet their parents with their own children to commemorate their dead sibling.

The film explores the contemporary family dynamics thoroughly - there's a LOT going on in the film. The dense narrative provides observations on generation gap (e.g. the values of grandparents are constantly put next to the modern ones), pride (e.g. the grandfather still acts like a doctor even though he's retired; the son doesn't want to reveal his occupational problems) and grief (e.g. the grandparents can't let go of their dead heir) among other themes. The characters are complex and fascinating - new layers are revealed gradually throughout the film. The conflicts within the family are handled in a restrained way which makes the film even more interesting.

Even though Koreeda's form reminds one of Ozu in the film with its static camera and similar framing, the film's editing patterns are vastly different. Most of the time there's a lot more cutting in Still Walking than in any of Ozu's films (there are a few longer takes as well). That way Koreeda makes the film his own so that it won't become "only" a tribute to Ozu. The form is very intimate and a bit minimal.

Still Walking is a wonderful, poignant film. I became so immersed into its world that I felt like I was a member of the lovely, dysfunctional family. There is something so poetic and lovable about each of the characters - they are so wounded and flawed even though they don't seem like that at first. 

Score: 10 out of 10

Tokyo Story

Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story (1953) is almost inevitably on every film critic's list of favourite films. It is one of the most praised Asian films all over the world. Now that I rewatched it, I can guarantee that its impact is even bigger the more you watch it. Tokyo Story is the tragic story of an elderly couple who go to Tokyo to visit their children and grandchildren. The longer they stay the more apparent it becomes that the children dont have time for them and treat them rather coldly.

As usually, Ozu creates a fantastic story about a family in Tokyo Story. He observes the Japanese honestly without any exaggeration and the difference he reveals between generations is astounding. Upon meeting their grandparents for the first time, one boy runs away in terror and the other whines about his desk having been moved to make space for the grandparents. The adults only seem to care about their own business and eventually leave the elderly couple on their own. Ozu doesnt make it melodramatic - instead he approaches the sad subject as minimalistically as it is possible. This subtle richness gives it a heartbreaking mood and that way the actual dramatic moments have a lot stronger impact on the viewer.

Ozu's brilliant form is something I will never stop admiring. His camera is always set just a little above the ground and it almost never moves - and when it does move, it's really effective (there is only one moving shot in Tokyo Story). His framing is so brilliant and he likes to come back to the same compositions a few times during the film and it gives the film more poignancy although it does not reach the levels of Hou's City of Sadness in Ozu's Tokyo Story. He breaks a few rules used in Hollywood - like having actors speak their lines directly at the camera (not for comical purposes) and he also broke the so-called 180degree rule once in a while. His films also feature transition shots ("pillow shots") that signal the change of location by using a few shots of scenery. His cinematic language full of these lovely little details that make the films a lot more fascinating to watch.

Tokyo Story is a brilliant, poignant film that deserves all of its praise. Although it might be hard to watch for some people, I would recommend it to anyone. It is one of the greatest films ever made.

Score: 10 out of 10