Makoto Shinkai's Short Films

I consider Makoto Shinkai one of the most interesting new anime directors. I've reviewed two of his full feature films, 5 Centimeters per Second (2007) and The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004), on this blog already. Finally I had the chance to watch his earlier work which consists of a bunch of short films he made mostly alone.

The first I saw (and clearly the best one) is called She and Her Cat, a story about a woman and her cat which unfolds in Shinkai's traditional fragmented way. The monochrome animation reaches the levels of beauty of Shinkai's later films even though he animated them all by himself. He manages to bring so much emotion into only 5 minutes and the film's form is almost impeccable in its wild editing (which reminded me of Hideaki Anno). Even though the short film relies on narration, it never feels artificial or off-putting - which happens usually when the narrator dominates the film. In short, it's probably the best animated short film I have ever seen.

The second one was called Other Worlds, a brief (a minute and a half) look at the lives of a couple. There is no sound apart from the use of Erik Satie's Gymnopedie, a composition that has become so clicheic recently, but Shinkai manages to make it really fitting. The sketchy, monochrome animation fits the mood of the short film although it's hardly as great as it is in She and Her Cat.

The third one is actually a music video (for a song called Egao (The Smile), but it is worth noting when you want to watch Shinkai's work. Shinkai's trademarks are hardly visible in this music video, but that might only be so because of the format. Some of the background animation certainly reminds me of his full feature films, but the mood and pacing of the music video are just weird for him - and you can notice that because the effort isn't as good as his other short films.

Scores:

She and Her Cat - 9 out of 10

Other Worlds - 8 out of 10

Egao - 7 out of 10

YouTube uploads of the short films:

She and Her Cat

Other Worlds

Egao

Hana and Alice

I became interested in Shunji Iwai when I saw his performance in Hideaki Anno's Shiki-jitsu (2000) and I became a fan of his when I saw his masterpiece, All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001). I have seen a few of his films by now and mostly he has made good films, but eventually I was expecting an exception to appear. And that exception is Hana and Alice (2004): a story of two high school girls who fight over a boy with whom both of them have fallen in love.

The premise of the film is simple, but with Iwai at the helm one would expect a refreshing take on the worn-out story. He does try something new with the idea, but the problem lies with its execution. Iwai's unconventional narrative confuses the viewer's emotions too much and the film comes off as too quirky for its own sake. You don't care for any of the characters who seem way too flat and peculiar. This would be OK if it was the film's intention, but when it is not what the film aims at, it makes the film incredibly uneven. The problem becomes worse and worse as the film goes on. Especially the film's big "emotional climax" is very dry and stretched because it had no impact on me. What is even worse that the climax seems to come out of the blue and doesn't really fit into the rest of the film.

Iwai's form is as fresh as it is usually. Beautiful imagery and comfy pacing make the film worthwhile although there are moments when the form is almost as unfocused as the content itself. Some of the performances also rubbed me the wrong way. I don't know if that was only because the characters were so awful or if the tone was simply ruined, but even two of the main trio left me unsatisfied. The only one of the three who convinced was Yu Aoi (unsurprisingly, she was great in All About Lily Chou-Chou as well).

Even though Hana and Alice manages to deliver a barely decent entirety in the end, it is by far the worst film Shunji Iwai has made so far. I hope he does not stumble similarly in future.

Score: 5 out of 10

As Tears Go By

Wong Kar-wai's debut film, As Tears Go By (1988), is more traditional than the film's later films. Essentially, it is the story of a gangster who has to deal with his attractive cousin and troublesome younger brother. The screenplay's poor quality is revealed from the get-go: the rushed opening leaves the viewer hugely disappointed. The characters are weak even by the genre's standards (action) and there is hardly anything tangible in the content so the film ends up being rather frustrating due to the bad writing.

Even Wong's form is very messy in the debut: the cinematography and editing work only occassionally. Sometimes his trademarks (like slow-motion) are used in a way too comical way so that you can't take the film seriously. The worst part about the form has to be the awful soundtrack that screams "80's!" in the viewer's face - in the most terrible possible way.

As Tears Go By is nearly a disaster - you wouldn't believe this to be a Wong film even though it bears some of his trademarks.

Score: 3 out of 10

Linda Linda Linda

Nobuhiro Yamashita's Linda Linda Linda (2005) migh seem like your run-of-the-mill feel-good film when you read the plot description: a group of girls decide to perform as a band in the school festival, but they have to face a lot of obstacles before the gig.

The film uses a lot of cliched tropes in its storytelling, but they are used in the best possible way - which makes them rather refreshing. The great build-up and an even better climax prove the narrative's power: it has been a long time since I've been so pumped up for the ending. The characters are properly developed (even the occasional lack of it is there for a reason) and genuinely interesting. This is a film that upgrades the term "feel-good" to "feel-great".

Yamashita's form is something you would not see used with a story as simple and unassuming as in this film: it is calmly paced with long takes, slow camera drives and absolutely gorgeous compositions. The instrumental music is a nice touch on top of the film - and naturally, The Blue Hearts covers performed by the fictional band are awesome. I never believed Doona Bae could sing that well in Japanese. The entire cast is great, but Doona really surprised me this time (even though I was a fan of hers even before the film) - her performance dominates the film in a good way.

Linda Linda Linda is flawless under its own restrictions, but I have to add a little bit of realism to my review: it's not a cinematic masterpiece thoroughly. However, I do admire the film greatly.

Score: 9 out of 10

Once Upon a Time in America

Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984) is regarded as one of the most important and brilliant gangster films alongside The Godfather and Goodfellas - and rightfully so. I would actually say that it is the best film made about mafia. Essentially the film is about 5 friends who commit crimes together as kids and the film reveals us how they end up later in life. The film is told in three periods: 1910's, 1930's and the 1970's. This film was Leone's last and it's a great ending for a career - only rivalled by Edward Yang's Yi yi in that regard.

Leone observes the twisted moral values of the main characters - especially how they change over time. He reveals just how corrupt and hideous these characters can be yet he makes them lovable in a peculiar way. The narrative is incredibly dense and even exhausting even though the film has a calm pace. The pace is certainly challenging, but once you get used to it you are rewarded.

The recreation of Brooklyn in those periods is painstakingly authentic - I wonder how they pulled it off so well for so many scenes on such an epic scale. Leone's cinematography is simply a wonder to look at. There weren't a lot of shots that didn't astound me in a way or another. Ennio Morricone's score is brilliant and reminded me a bit of Once Upon a Time in The West - which is only good.

When I saw the film for the first time I wasn't so amazed by it. I guess I watched expecting something else after I had seen Once Upon a Time in The West. However, this time I totally loved it and now I would call it one of the greatest American films I've ever seen.

Score: 10 out of 10

The Killer

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I've never been a fan of action movies in particular. Recently it has become more and more rare for me to like one. When I decided to rewatch John Woo's The Killer (1989) I was unsure how I would react to it - even though I had seen it once about 2 years ago. At first I was ready to say that the film is quite good, but its climax showed how ridiculously masculine, dim-witted and ludicrous the entire film was.

The Killer uses a lot of clichéd action film tropes and uses them a lot better than most other films I have seen. However, the climax opened my eyes to the laughable concepts the film offers. Certainly it is the wet dream of an action fan, but its simple-minded take on honor and friendship is so frustrating. When you add a few moments of so-called tranquility, you pretty much have the complete image of the film in your head. I have to admit that I did admire some of the setpieces they came up with, but in the end they can not redeem the film.

But don't get me wrong: I can laud the film for its mostly fascinating form. Woo's moody cinematography and editing are quite spot-on although his use of slow motion is always extremely irritating. Slow motion can be found in almost every scene in the entire film and it becomes more of an eye sore whenever it is used. The music is not bad either although it is probably a bit too moody and over-the-top.

Score: 5 out of 10

Take Care of My Cat

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Jae-eun Jeong's Take Care of My Cat (2001) tells the story of five women struggling to make a living and staying together after they leave school. The film's feminism is obvious and a bit heavy-handed although (luckily) the film never becomes too preachy. The film's real problem is the flatness of characters despite the film's heavy reliance on them. While they resemble clear ideas which enhance the message, the film eventually stumbles because the characters aren't good enough to carry the entire film. The narrative is a bit hard to get used to because it explodes into so many directions without even properly introducing the characters (apart from the very first scene).

The form works well, but it isn't great either. In the end, it is quite easily forgettable. The best thing about the entire film is the acting. The whole cast performs really well and I would especially like to laud Bae Doo-na for her subtle and powerful performance.

While my review might seem a little harsh, Take Care of My Cat is a decent movie in the end. It has a few major flaws and suffers slightly from unevenness, but it has a few saving qualities.

Score: 6 out of 10

Cutie Honey

Hideaki Anno's Cutie Honey (2004) is a live-action adaptation of a popular anime series. Anno's extremely campy take on the silly show goes even beyond the boundaries of a parody. It is outright silly, as it should be, and provides more laugh-out-loud moments than you could probably even imagine. Instead of a proper plot introduction (which would only be in vain), I'll just introduce you to the main characters. Cutie Honey is a superhero (well, sort of) who has a double identity as a lousy office worker. She seems to live alone in a huge mansion - and dont ask me why, but she spends her time there only in her underwear. Detective Natsuko is an uptight and lonely detective who runs into Cutie Honey on many occassions. The Panther Claw is a group of four freakin' weirdos who fight against Cutie Honey. Then there's also a mysterious journalist who has his own agenda.

It is easy to point out that Cutie Honey is a parody with limitless camp value, but the film wanders into a different direction in the end. I dont know if this is only because the viewer gets so used to the film's quirky mood or it might actually be an intended choice by Anno. Who knows, he might have actually made Cutie Honey seriously - simply to make his fan flip out yet again.

The film stinks of camp value. As a campy parody/tribute, the form is fine as it is: an absurd adaptation of anime editing and character design into a live-action film. The music flows from a silly theme tune to "serious and dramatic" string-dominated compositions that can either be interpret as an attempt to be serious or as a different way to get more laughs out of the audience. The problem is that I felt so nonplussed by the end of the film that I dont have my own opinion which one it is in the end. Even though it's my second time watching the film, this unevenness bugs me still.

In overall, it's a nice film for anyone who wants to have a good laugh - whether you want to direct your laughs at anime or not. 100% camp entertainment guaranteed. The film gets a few extra points for the sheer amount of honest camp value that even made me happy.

Score: 7 out of 10

Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006) tells the story of a teacher (Ryan Gosling) who is addicted to drugs. After one of his students (Shareeka Epps) finds about his addiction, they form an eccentric friendship. The film was directed by Ryan Flec. It features Ryan Gosling's breakthrough performance which led to an Oscar nomination. It was praised by the critics and became so popular that you could call it THE indie film of 2006 along with Little Miss Sunshine. Ebert named it one of the best films of the decade. You can listen to his and Roeper's thoughts on the film here. 

Why is the film called Half Nelson? It is a wrestling term that serves as a metaphor for the main character's situation: it is extremely difficult to break free from it without putting up a fight.

The film carefully studies its two main characters. As a character study, the film certainly prevails. Although the camera is very interactive with the characters, we are given an honest image of them. We see Gosling's character both as a good teacher who inspires his students, yet we are also there to witness his horrible actions when he's down on his luck. Both of them are in middle of all kinds of "opposing forces" he talks about during the lessons. The characters slowly crumble towards the ending which is a finely constructed climax. The development of the characters reach a fascinating point which works well as an ending.

Half Nelson might work as a character study, but partly because of that it lacks thematic coherency a little. The presentations on civil rights break the rhythm of the film and feel completely forced and separate from the film, which - in turn - makes the film a little uneven.

Half Nelson's form attempts to create a strong emotional bond between the viewer(s) and characters through many aspects. It emphasizes the feeling of each scene and shot. It is obviously shot with hand-held cameras because the camera trembles most of the time, but it actually works a lot better than you would expect. I can't recall a single long-distance shot from the film; it is constructed mostly of close-ups and a few medium-distance shots. The focus is sometimes awkwardly changing, but that is done on purpose. There are a lot of scenes that actually benefit from this "nauseating" camerawork. It has a better impact on the viewer than any other method would have had, for example this is the case in the scene when the student discover the teacher's drug addiction. It creates a truly agonizing atmosphere for the scene. There are also a few scenes which add music with the same intention, and those scenes also worked quite well.

The film features a few scenes that use juxtaposition in a peculiar yet clever way. I won't give you an example because it is a lot more fun to spot them on your own. The film's pace is very lifelike: it never rushes onwards with only leaving the essential shots, but it never hangs onto a single moment. This is the result of proper editing that is worth mentioning. All in all, the form works very well most of the time, but it isnt necessarily perfect.

Ryan Gosling's performance is simply phenomenal. It is one of the best performances of the decade. He delivers a tour de force with unbelieveable authenticity. Yet Shareeka Epps isnt overshadowed by Gosling's towering performance. Her performance never seems forced - which is the opposite of a lot of other young American actors - and she can sometimes even rival Gosling. The other members of the cast are good too, but they arent worth mentioning here.

In overall, Half Nelson is a very good film which deserves the appreciation it has received.

Score: 8 out of 10