Every 14 Days...(32)

The Housekeeper and the Professor (Yoko Ogawa)

After some slightly long and heavy reads, I was looking for a little light relief, so I dipped into my wife's book collection (larks!). Yoko Ogawa's 'The Housekeeper and the Professor' is just the type of book I needed: it's short, not too deep and full of maths problems.

With so many women quitting the role of the Professor's housekeeper, a single mother is lumped with the position, having to look after an aging man with a memory of only eighty minutes. Each day, therefore, she needs to reintroduce herself to him and go through the same routine before any work can be done. Sticking to her task that so many before her gave up, she befriends the Professor, bringing her son to her place of work. Obviously, this raises suspicions and it's not long before the housekeeper finds herself the next in a long line of formers.

This is quite a simple little narrative, told from the perspective of the housekeeper, who gradually starts to pick up a knowledge of simplistic maths problems and prime numbers while chopping the veg. As a result, the book switches between the narrative, forgotten baseball stars and equations, in what is a somewhat strange read, but entertaining enough.

Though this book delivered on my needs: a nice simple puzzler, a bit like 1 + 1.

Days to read: 8

Days per book: 14.8

Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure (Dave Gorman)

After my recent re-reading of ‘Are You Dave Gorman?’, I decided to pursue more reads from the ginger fur face. Getting something of a reputation for being a bit of a serial adventurist in his work – much like Tony Hawks – his second book, and subsequent stand-up show – was ‘Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure’.

Unconventionally for me, I decided to read his books in chronological order, and ‘Googlewhack Adventure’ starts off pretty much in the same vein of its predecessor: drunk and with unexplained travel purchased, he sets about on a journey that will take him into various parts of the world and deeper into debt.

A Googlewhack is something that probably doesn’t really exist anymore, at least not enough to be of interest to anyone in this day and age. Written a few years ago now, the idea of finding a single webpage entry that features two words typed into Google at random already seems old fashioned, with the ever-increasing scale of the WWW. Much like ‘Are You Dave Gorman?’ now feels like a nostalgic view of the past – with the journey not even existing beyond some quick Facebook searches these days – the idea of a sole webpage featuring two words from a search seems far too uninteresting from something many people now use many times a day.

But that’s probably part of the fun. The ‘adventure’ happening at a time when we were all getting used to increasing Internet usage, it shows how much more primitive we were with the Internet only a few years ago, before constant smart phone communication, having to beg, borrow and steal connection from others.

The final goal may be a little spurious and framing it around supposedly writing another book may seem a little farfetched, but it’s a tale of randomness and where it can take us, though one that might find itself already a little outdated.

Days to read: 10

Days per book: 14.8

Asleep (Banana Yoshimoto)

Furthering my needs for some light relief, I had another stab at the works of Banana Yoshimoto. Now, my response to reading 'Kitchen' was certainly from the male perspective (i.e. I was a bit Mike Newell).  Has this second attempt changed that opinion?

Probably not. 'Asleep' contains three short stories ('Night and Night's Travellers', 'Love Songs' and the titular) that improve as they go, but don't start from a great place (certainly not of the magnitude of Villa's beating of Bournemouth on the opening day of the season back in August).

The lead characters are all people that it isn't easy to sympathise with: young women, probably unemployed and quite directionless who get their knickers in a twist about something. If they kept themselves a bit more occupied, these problems probably wouldn't be so dominant in their lives. There's a lot of nostalgia in these stories, but it's all a bit too twee for me, which makes me start being a bit sexist in my response (again). But I can't be sexist, I enjoyed Yoko Ogawa's work (see earlier).

Like 'Kitchen', this isn't all bad, and there are some good moments here and there, though they're a little lost in the mopiness for me. Still, photos of Banana-san in her glasses do amuse.

Days to read: 12

Days per book: 14.8

America Unchained (Dave Gorman)

I’ve obviously been in a bit of a Dave Gorman mood recently, and with my third of his books –and indeed his actual third – we move across the Pond to another of his adventures, though this time, it’s slightly less drunken.

Despite my liking of ‘Are You Dave Gorman?’ first time around, I didn’t really follow ‘Googlewhack Adventure’ or ‘America Unchained’, and so have only just picked up both now. While his first two books now clearly seem dated in this modern world, ‘America Unchained’ is an actual crying out for the past.

Fed-up after a long tour of the US of States, he finds himself yearning for an America of his childhood – which, of course, was all viewed from a TV screen. In true National Lampoon’s style, therefore, he buys himself an old wood panel station wagon and decides to head from LA to New York, with the intention of only ever purchasing goods and services from old fashioned ‘Mom&Pop’ traders. And never The Man.

Funding the journey by having a companion film it for a documentary, he is once again not alone on this adventure, which sees him have to stay on track, but also leads him off course, and as such becomes a source of frustration for him with his initial female director, and there is a lot of frustration on this journey compared to his previous, lacking in some of the more playful, random and fun moments. But, where the previous tales were ones of random betting, here there is more social comment and heartbreak at the decline of the sole trader.

Perhaps a little sentimental at times, this is a much more purposeful journey than before, bringing with it greater frustration at the difficulty of the task, as a writer that struggles to find the past in the present.

Days to read: 17

Days per book: 14.8

Dave Gorman vs. the Rest of the World (Dave Gorman)

Four was probably too many to get through in a short period, and, as such, my reading of Mr Gorman’s fourth book, ‘Dave Gorman vs. the Rest of the World’ was less enjoyable than the previous.

Again, nostalgia sparks the idea: to play real games against anyone that’s willing to challenge, as you did as a child, though this time around, there is no particular target involved. And while he ends the book on that note, that there is no real ending, I can’t help but think this book was maybe a little forced and didn’t particularly have much substance. There is none of the randomness, the silliness or frustration in this idea. It simply seems more a collection of anecdotes, with little over-arching narrative to hold them all together.

Maybe I needed a little break from him before picking up this one, but while there are some okay moments, this is simply: meet someone, play them at a game, leave, on to the next, with the pursuit of playing games feeling a little less playful.

Days to read: 22

Days per book: 14.9

Lowlife Love

I write this having been in anticipation of seeing this film for about 15 months.

Contributing a small amount to their Kickstarter campaign - though that doesn't mean I have a vested interest; it's not like I'm getting a share of the profits or anything - 'Lowlife Love' is the debut self-produced film from London-based Asian cinema distributor Third Window Films. In the game for just over a decade now, Third Window have developed into specialising in a certain brand of Japanese cinema, bringing some of the more quirky Japanese comedies and dramas to the English-speaking world, as well as releasing some modern day Japanese classics from the likes of Takeshi Kitano and Shinya Tsukamoto.

I was in no doubt, therefore, as to what to expect from director Eiji Uchida's latest work. A former pinku eiga director himself, 'Lowlife Love (gesu no ai)' works to explore the seedy side of low level filmmaking in Japan and how all involved are to some extent low lives.

To start, you may think you're watching the wrong film: appearing-in-releases-with-increasing-regularity Kiyohiko Shibukawa stars as Testuo, a director that had a minor hit some years back and has been a bit of a bum since in a scenario that feels incredibly similar to the role he recently played in Akira Osaki's 'Obon Brothers'. Ever since, Testuo has spent his days exploiting aspiring actors and filmmakers by demanding high fees to be part of his filmmaking club. Lazily teaching and working on low-level POV porn films with his partner in crime Mamoru, he sleeps with wannabe actresses when not accidentally masturbating over his sister while still living at home, despite now being thirty-nine.

Though one day, young actress Minami and writer Ken respond to the film club's advert and pay the signing-on fee. With Ken's script one he sees potential in, as well as seeing even more potential in Minami's underwear, he sees an opportunity to re-ignite his career. But not wanting to 'sell out' like others before him, he finds himself struggling to find funds, as well as talent, in realising his ambition, soon realising that all in the film industry are low lives.

'Lowlife Love' is very much a self-aware piece as a low-budget independent film with some titillation about low-budget independent films with some titillation. Based on many of Uchida's own experiences, the scenes expose some of the realities that those wanting a career in film need to go through, comparing filmmaking to 'falling for a no good slut.'

Not wanting to be a 'sell-out', Tetsuo is left with little more to do than become a sex addict; the more successful Kano is realises he had to fight hard to get where he is, now exploiting young actresses for his own ends; and Minami, a once meek Christian, soon rises to stardom, using sex to get her way up the ladder, now looking down on Tetsuo whom first realised her talent. Each have to go against their convictions to get where they want to be, whatever they may have once been.

A low-budget, independent film from a rookie company, there are signs of this throughout. Many scenes are filmed with long takes and perhaps not always the greatest sound recording, though it would appear the budget has been well spread, with less spent on less pivotal scenes to allow for more important scenes towards the film's conclusion to get greater focus. The cast is nicely put together, however, featuring those that have appeared in previous Third Window releases.

Included in the official selection at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2015, campaigning for the term 'gesu' to get an official inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary and soon to get a wider release after its run on the festival circuit, all signs point to this low life possibly giving a little reminder to the Japanese cinema industry of its many weaknesses, though we still fall for it, anyway.

When Marnie was there

The great Hayao Miyazaki has announced his retirement from directing animated films with his Studio Ghibli a number of times, though he has often brought himself back to make just one more film. But now, it is not just the great man himself that is announcing closing for business, it is the Studio as a whole.

Directed by one of the younger of six directors to have worked under the Studio Ghibli name, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 'When Marnie was there' brings an end to three decades worth of anime, starting with 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky'. This film already, therefore, has a lot resting on its shoulders.

Yonebayashi has worked on numerous Ghibli films in various animation roles, though his only previous film as a director with the Studio was 'Arrietty': not perhaps their strongest work. Like 'Arrietty' before it - and indeed other Ghibli films - 'When Marnie was there' is based on a British children's novel. The flat, isolated land of Norfolk has been replaced for the mountainous, isolated land of Hokkaido, with young, moody Anna, suffering from asthma, leaves her foster mother in Sapporo to stay with relatives in a small village from some much needed R and R.

Troubled at home, Anna's troubles don't particularly ease, failing to fit in, lost in her imagination and sketch pad. Quickly she becomes fascinated by the 'Marsh House', an old mansion left in a state of disrepair. Becoming an obsession, she begins to imagine Marnie, the former daughter of the house many moons ago. Forming a bond with her imaginary companion, Anna begins to come to terms with her own situation at home.

The film can be divided into three distinct sections for me: To start, as ever with a Ghibli film, the attention to detail is impeccable, with every pixel of the screen thoughtfully considered, making the animation as true to life as possible. It's once we move toward the film's middle that the level of visual detail starts to decrease a little as the storyline develops. This is where we hit the film's weakest point. As it's a Ghibli film, many might see this as magical and moving in a coming-of-age tale, though for me 'When Marnie was there' gets far too soppy, borderline lesbian and a little bit of a bore. Luckily, as the film draws to a conclusion, it is rescued somewhat as the storyline is rounded off.

Up until the new millennium and 'Spirited Away', the direction of Ghibli films was tackled by-and-large by founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Since then, however, younger directors have, at times, taken the reigns, leaving the films, while on the whole satisfying, a little more bumpy and inconsistent.

But with the two founders now both old men, well deserving of the title 'retired', rather than letting the Studio slip into the hands of others, perhaps calling it a day is called for.