October 17, 2013
Shield of Straw My first film at Fantasia in 2013 was Takashi Miike’s Shield of Straw, one of the director’s contribution to the festival. Miike is a known workhorse, directing sometimes three films per year, in a myriad of genres and styles. Yet, there seems to be a connecting thread through his films, which feels harder to ascertain for me […]
August 12, 2011
With its raunchy premise, Petty Romance begins with strong comedic elements. The most interesting part of the movie is its odd first half.
December 30, 2011
Underwater Love serves instead as an odd artistic work on sexuality, the film medium, and the way we’ve been conditioned to respond to it.
March 28, 2013
Sunny is at once a coming-of-age film, with detective elements, feminine-pop aesthetics, fleshed-out characters and intricate narrative elements.
November 26, 2010
Brass Knuckle Boys is a Japanese comedy about an old Japanese punk-rock music band from the ’70s and ’80s looking to extend their 15 minutes of fame.