Miyazaki creates a moody narrative that highlights the equivocal functionality of music for the subject as well as the destructive impact of not being able to create an inter-subjective between two…
Aug 19, 2023 • Subscribe
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Winny (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Matsumoto offers a serene insight in how the Other of the law curtails a subject and, indirectly, sabotages the prospects of a new industry.
Single8 (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Konaka offers the spectator a heartwarming invitation to re-find, within oneself, one’s (nearly extinguished) passion for creation.
Kubi (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
One of best period dramas in recent years.
Amiko (2022) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
A fabulous narrative that explores the destructive effects caused by the radical misunderstanding that marks the field of speech and the refusal to speak to one’s child as…
Hand (2022) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Matsui avoids delivering an exploitative erotic piece merely to be enjoyed by male audiences.
JAPAN CUTS Announces 2023 Lineup
At Japan Society New York July 26 to Aug. 6
Best Wishes To All (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
A surprisingly satisfying horror-narrative
Six Singing Women (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
A great narrative, yet one that stumbles over its own thematical fixation
Father of The Milky Way Railroad (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
By being able to rely on such talent, Narushima is able to deliver a narrative that gracefully moves the spectator and elegantly provokes spectator’s emotions and tears.
The Legend and The Butterfly (2023) [Japan Cuts 2023]
The combination of historical anchor points, a phantasmatic romance to link those points together, and satisfying burst of action will surely be able to satisfy those who thirst…
Short Movie Time: Nezumikozō Jirokichi (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
The mix of elements supports the film’s aim well, that is to entice spectators to seek out the three films that remain from this somewhat forgotten master
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A highly experimental and conceptual experience that might not be for everyone
Short Movie Time: Hail Mary (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
Nakamura succeeds in making the spectator care for Maria and impact him/her emotionally with her tragedy.
Amiko Wins Obayashi Prize at 2023 JAPAN CUTS
Prize introduced in 2020 is awarded an independently produced narrative feature from an emerging filmmaker.
The Three Sisters of Tenmasou Inn (2022) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Those spectators that love to release their stress by releasing tears will be very satisfied by Kitamura’s narrative.
Plastic (Daisuke Miyazaki, 2023)
Bonding over their shared love of a ’70s glam rock band, a young couple find their romance undermined by the demands of adulthood in Daisuke Miyazaki’s coming-of-age tale.
Kubi 首 (2023) Director: Takeshi Kitano [Japan Cuts 2024]
Kubi 首 (2023), directed by Takeshi Kitano, is a historical epic that amps up the violence and sex for satire’s sake as Kitano takes aim at the absurd samurai social…
A Preview of Japan Cuts 2023 (July 26th – August 06th)
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Plastic Little Review
There are a lot of silly OVAs from the late 80s to early 90s. While not every one of them is of the type of high quality you’d…
Mari and Mari (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“A beautiful narrative that seems to bear no relation to our romantic life at first, but ultimately hits close to home.”
Talking The Pictures (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Mayayuki’s celebration of cinematic history deeply satisfies the spectator’s desire to see cinema as an experience that can touch our being and the art of the benshi triumph.R…
Hiroku The Goblin (1991) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
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Town Without Sea (2020) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“A visually engaging narrative about the nature of happiness and the importance of desire that is highly relevant for Japanese youth.”
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Kubi 首 (2023) Director: Takeshi Kitano, Shuta Takahata [Japan Cuts 2024]
Kubi 首 (2023), directed by Takeshi Kitano, is a historical epic that amps up the violence and sex for satire’s sake as Kitano takes aim at the absurd samurai social…
All The Long Nights (2024) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
A splendid drama that shows how symptoms can disturb a subject’s life and how the social field attains its cruel complexity due to the riddle of desire.
Kiba: Fangs of Fiction (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Daihachi Yoshida succeeds in turning Shiota’s interesting story and fascinating world of publishing and bookstores into an engaging and pleasant filmic narrative.”
Short Movie Time: Honeymoon (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“A pleasing narrative about the arbitrariness of language and culture.”
Robinson’s Garden (1988) [Japan Cuts 2021]
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Special - Japan Cuts Film Festival 2024
Table of Contents Hello everyone, Once again this year, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the Japan Cuts 2024 film…
Japan Cuts 2018 Film Festival at the Japan Society
This past few weeks I volunteered for the Japan Society Film Department’s annual Japan Cuts film festival, which screens a host of new Japanese blockbusters, avant-garde films, and…
Whale Bones 鯨の骨 (2023) Director: Takamasa Oe [Japan Cuts 2024]
Takamasa Oe’s social media mystery turns into a satire of living life online as a hapless website worker tries to find a missing AR girl in his beautifully…
Short Movie Time: Born Pisces (2020) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Yamanaka does not only reaffirm that she has talent but also that she improved her compositional style and her storytelling.”
The Great Yokai War – Guardians (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“A pleasant and truly satisfying ride for the whole family.”
Anime Review #111: Plastic Memories
I… don’t even know how to begin this opening paragraph. Usually I try to explain how I came to know about this series, be it through a friend,…
Blind Bombing, Filmed by a Bat (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2020]
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Short Movie Time: Go Seppukku Yourselves (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“An enthralling audiovisual experience and a powerful critique of the Japanese political system.”
The Goldfish Dreaming Of The Sea (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Ogawa’s thoughtful lyricism that gives the emotionality of the performances their power to touch the spectator and enables her exploration of the difficulty to separate from one’s mother…
Tora-san, Wish you were here (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2020]
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Motion Picture: Choke 映画(窒息) (2023) Director: Gen Nagao [Japan Cuts 2024]
Gen Nagao’s Motion Picture: Choke 映画(窒息) (2023), is a complete surprise with its post-apocalyptic dialogue-free story centred on a cavewoman and sterling action set pieces [Japan Cuts 2024]…
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A pleasant B-film action experience.
Short Movie Time: Bottle George (2024) [Japan Cuts 2024]
An instant stop-motion classic
Ripples (2023) review [Camera Japan Festival]
With her quirky sense of humor, she delivers one of the most illuminating explorations of the effect the gap between the imaginary equilibrium of the ego and the…
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