Saturday 14 February 2015

It Only Happens in the Movies - Japanese Cinema and Encounters

Ahhh, one of my favourite times of the year: Yes, it's that time of year when the Japan Foundation of London put on their annual touring film programme. Another late January, another spurious theme keeping a collection of Japanese films together to I will spend a week doing my best to see as many of as possible.

This year the theme is one of encounters in cinema - those chance meetings of individuals that probably don't hold much base in reality, but often appear in movies, doing their best to keep the expectations of the youth of tomorrow massively confused...as Charlie Brooker's 'How TV Ruined your Life' brainwashed me to believe.

Play on...


Wood Job

Kicking off the theme of ‘it only happens in the movies’ encounters was ‘Wood Job’, directed by Shinobu Yaguchi, he of ‘Waterboys’ fame, who stuck around for some jet-lagged Q&A. This is a classic ‘fish out of water’ movie with the young Tokyoite, Yuki, choosing to spend a year learning forestry because he ‘got wood’ over the girl on the brochure’s cover. Starting off as a weakling, he soon develops into a full-fledged ‘mountain man’ under the guidance and constant kicking of Iida. Having found this new status, he must find his new bride: the girl on the brochure cover, who it just so happens has a thing for boys from Tokyo who come to learn forestry.  

All of this is atypical coming-of age romance fodder, that would, of course, never happen in real life. But, like ‘Waterboys’ before it, ‘Wood Job’ is a comedy, not to be taken too seriously. The title is a clear double entendre, referring to both his new working life and the various phallic references made throughout, with the unlikely duo of Yuki and Iida earning laughs from their differences, much like a bad stand-up routine.


But thankfully ‘Wood Job’ has a bit more to it than creating an unnatural scenario for easy laughs. Yaguchi‘s extensive interviewing with real woodsmen in small mountain villages leads to quite an accurate portrait of their work, with the actors tasked with learning the trade for themselves for added authenticity. Yaguchi also makes use of the naturally isolated setting of the village for some excellent cinematography in parts, particularly Yuki and ‘s climbing of trees to collect seeds, leading to some visually stunning moments.

‘Wood Job’ is a perfect selection for the theme, being that the scenario is rather unlikely. Though with Yaguchi choosing to add some touches of authenticity, the film strays from becoming an unbelievable cliché, forming both an entertaining and cinematic piece.

‘Wood Job’. Good job.


My Little Sweet Pea

'My Little Sweet Pea', as the title suggests, is a film that tries to create a huge amount of emotion, but in doing so ends up leaving the viewer with little real feeling at all.

Mugiko's life is going nowhere fast. Living with her brother in their family home now their father has died, one day their mother arrives unexpectedly seeking to move back in. But, having walked out on them when they were young, both are reluctant, before agreeing that her addition to their financial security is best all round. But soon, their mother dies of cancer and Mugiko is tasked with taking her ashes to her home town to rest.

Upon her arrival, the whole town is amazed by her resemblance to the local celebrity that was her mother and all flock to be by her side and force her to sing, as her mother would have. The more she learns, the closer to her estranged mother she starts to feel, before feeling strong enough of character to finally enrol in voice acting school.


Immediately, parallels with Tetsuya Nakashima's 'Memories of Matsuko', where hapless slacker Sho cleans out his recently deceased aunt's apartment, meeting the colourful characters of her past as he does.

But 'My Little Sweet Pea' just isn't a particularly interesting film. Mugiko's developing a relationship with a similarly estranged mother is too obvious a plot device, with Mugiko using her as an object for venting her frustrations. Indeed all the characters are a bit too convenient for the film's aims, pointing us to one conclusion, which by the time it arrives, you've lost a little interest.


Jinx!!!

If the theme was ‘It only happens in the movies’ then ‘Jinx!’ is a film that is positively self-aware.

Moving from Korea after the death of her boyfriend in a traffic accident, Ji-ho is an exchange student at a Tokyo University, where for no initially explained reason she latches on to the quiet and reserved Kaede and seems determined to do all her broken Japanese can to get her laid. The object of this forced desire comes in the form of Yusuke, a young man that Kaede has had a crush on since school. But, with both keen to play to role of annoyingly awkward virgins, Ji-ho has her work cut out for her.

Ji-ho then turns to the technique that her boyfriend used to win her heart: the movies. Forcing each to practice the lines from any old rom-com rubbish you can name separately, her aim is that the hapless pair will soon become the hopeless romantics of your favourite bad movie, as she struggles in silence to overcome the death of her love.  


Ji-ho is a typical movie character of one that throws themselves into something in order to forget their past, while Kaede and Yusuke are a standard unspoken fancying couple that are too awkward to make anything happen. Indeed, it’s probably how both let Ji-ho distract them with re-enacting scenes from famous movies that sees the relationship fail to develop naturally, with both more focused on rehearsing their lines than speaking with one another.

The film climaxes with its own attempt at a classic rom-com scene – though it may be stolen from another film, it’s not like I watch rom-coms, apart from this one – to bring things full circle, as Ji-ho comes to terms with her loss. In just under two hours?! Only in the movies, hey?!


Short Peace

‘Short Peace’ is four short pieces of animation from a collection of names that you may mention. Introduced by anime expert, Helen McCarthy, who – possibly cashing in on a topical cinema release – went all ’96 shades of red’ over Katsuhiro Otomo in praise of the Akira director’s contribution. Released as a five piece in Japan, with a computer game making up the final 20%, the four shorts are directed by the aforementioned Otomo, Hiroaki Ando, Hajime Katoki and Shuhei Morita, in no particular order.   

Starting with Morita’s Oscar-nominated ‘Possessions’ , we see some great animation as a traveller stumbles across a strange house where the objects within come to live. There is no real story here, but some creative animation with good visuals and colours make it arguably the strongest piece.


Otomo's 'Combustible' is equally inventive, taking cues more from Japanese woodblock paintings more than animation. A scroll roles across the screen as the story unfolds of a little girl whose love for her fire fighter neighbour grows as she becomes a women. Being a short, the story develops a little too fast, but visually this is another good work from an anime master.

'Gambo': Just plain weird.

'A Farewell to Arms' fills the need in anime to have something post-apocalyptic. A group of soldiers travel wastelands, though come across an automated tanks which attacks them, causing endless gunshots in battle, though the conclusions brings with it comic twist.

Being shorts, little really develops in each story, though it's an interesting, if not mixed bag of entertainment.


Handsome Suit

'Handsome Suit' is as silly as the name would suggest. Fat, definitely hideously ugly chef Takuro is a fat and ugly chef. All his friends know this fact and all the neighbourhood children are quick to remind him whenever he walks past. His love life is non-existent, confirmed when his advances on his diner employee are pushed back. So, when an apologetically handsome man offers him the chance of a suit that will solve all his ugly problem, he is instantly attracted to his new self, genitalia and all.  

In true 'Shallow Hal' style, Takuro soon learns that looks aren't everything and that you should look at the thin git within a fat git rather than basing love purely on looks. It's one of those revelations that's too obvious to be interesting or important a conclusion to make, as 90% of Hollywood films suggest. The film, therefore, needs to be a fun ride to get us no steps forward in life.


Luckily 'Handsome Suit' is silly enough for this. A world where man have to apologise for their handsomeness, while maintaining a straight face. Comedian Muga Tsukaji takes the lead, supported by shagging-the-writer Miyuki Oshima of recent 'Fuku-chan of FukuFuku Flats' fame.

This is a movie only world, of impossible situations and even more unbelievable silliness. But fun is fun, and this is a film.

'Let's handsome!'


As a theme, the films selected support the idea that a lot of encounters that we see in the movies are truly unbelievable and are unlikely to ever really happen. Largely because we're all too busy sitting around watching films to meet actual people.

The Touring Film programme now travels to the rest of the UK, so if you live in Bristol, Belfast, Sheffield, Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Kendal or Nottingham, what are you doing reading this?! You can't read!