Shoplifters

So, after years of films put forward, Kore-eda Hirozaku finally scooped the big prize at this year's Cannes festival, claiming the Palme d'Or for his latest "Shoplifters". Coming a matter of months after the multiple successes of "The Third Murder" at the domestic Academy awards in Japan, he is adding medals to years of critical acclaim. But how does his most prized film sit among the rest of an oeuvre in which a bad film has yet to materialise?

Well, as if a "Nobody Knows" of adults, "Shoplifters" shows a "family" of acquaintances, brought together by a similar social status and treatment by their more traditional families. "Grandmother" Hatsue (the late Kirin Kiki), oversees her "son" Osamu (Lily Franky), his younger "wife" Nobuyo (Sakura Ando), her "sister" Aki (Mayu Matsuoka) and the couple's "son" Shota (Jyo Kairi).

After a session of successful five-finger discount, Osamu and Shota walk home passed the again-left-out-in-the-cold Yuri (Miyu Sasaki). Offering her food and warmth, they soon realise they will need to return her to her rightful home. But as they are about to do so, her parents' arguing can be heard, and Nobuyo can't bring herself to leave her in an unloving household. The couple, therefore, have just given birth to their second child and latest family member.

But what they can offer in a loving home cannot be matched financially. They all live in a one room shack, sleeping on top of each other. Osamu has a low-paying job in construction, but soon finds himself injured and out of work. Nobuyo works in a laundry service, but finds herself in the same scenario. Aki is the only real earner, but working in a peep show flaunting her bits, and as such does not share her keep with the others. The family's main livelihood, therefore, comes from Hatsue's pension and low-level thievery. Osamu and Shota are the main protagonists in this line of work, and Yuri is brought in on their game.

But a financial and family structure such as this can only stay stable for so long. Caught in the act, an accident during escape sees a hospitalisation, leading to arrests, prompting confessions, resulting in the end.

Kore-eda always poses a question in his films, to which there is no immediate answer. Here it is as to the bind that keeps families together. While they have no blood ties, in "taking in" Yuri, they treat her better than her parents ever will, with more love and dedication. They have little to offer any new family members, but all seem happy with the situation, despite all having lives that one would seek to avoid. This is closer than the relations the depicted blood relatives offer each other.

The "Shibatas" are together by choice rather than forcibly by blood, with their post-modern solution a seemingly better option against tradition. But blood ties will always be there, and the choice to walk away from the Shibatas is also true. On arriving, Yuri is given the option to stay or return to her family; and once the authorities become involved, there are perhaps deceptions in all of them.

Shota gets caught on purpose, knowing it could result in their demise; Osamu and Nobuyo's killing in self-defence of her ex-husband is revealed; Hatsue and Aki have former family connections, Hatsue claiming money off Aki's parents on the sly; and with Shota lying in hospital ready for questioning, the others plot their escape, leaving him alone. The "family" is perhaps no more than a convenience for the criminal, low paid and deceiving, with little actually known as to those they share a floor with. But once legally put to rights, all show that the artificial family they'd created was perhaps preferable to the alternative. With no blood ties, they had to be more careful and considered in their behaviour to each other and what is said and revealed, leaving a happier compromise.

As ever, Kore-eda's slow pacing allows for a succession of detailed and delicate shots to build the story, as well as your knowledge of Lily Franky's buttocks. The end, however, is a confessional, each revealing their story to the police in individual interviews (partly conducted by Kengo "...Yonosuke" Kora). Though these are not designed to pull too tightly on the heart strings. As with "Nobody Knows", the everyday nature of the reactions, again perhaps a nod to the reaction and treatment of the lower classes and underclass in modern society: unseen and treated with indifference.

Their family unit is not allowed to survive in the legal system; the poor and destitute barely able to survive under it also. And following on from "The Third Murder", Kore-eda again questions the nature of justice: The Shibata's "kidnap" Yuri, but treat her better than her parents ever would, though they are the convenient scapegoat.

Featuring good performances throughout from some old reliables as well as some new names, there is undoubtedly a lot of expectation sat on "Shoplifters". The truth is that it is not his best film, but is definitely up there in a career of high standards, though perhaps doesn't leave as much of an impression as some that have come before it. But in an era of dropping standards, this is certainly the best new film I have seen this year, cementing that his is one of the best talents in contemporary cinema and justifying those awards.

Raindance Film Festival 2017: Perfect Revolution

Something of a late bloomer in the acting world, Lily Frankie has become a Japanese indie staple, regularly appearing in the works of perhaps Japan's most internationally-renowned director, Koreeda Hirokazu. While largely in supporting roles, he always brings a charm to the screen with his presence and a welcome addition as he strolls in front of the camera. Now in the lead role, playing a disabled author, "Perfect Revolution" is a film that relies heavily on this onscreen charm.

Kuma (Frankie) is an author with cerebral palsy, a sex-obsessed author with cerebral palsy; a fact that leads to various humorous incidents, such as up-skirt viewing of young shop assistants from his vantage point of his wheelchair as they reach for some "top shelf material" and extensive product-placement for Japanese male masturbation aid manufacturer Tenga.

While at a book launch, the young Ryoko (Nana Seino), after an unexpected outburst, forcibly demands his attention. After several meetings together, they start an unusual relationship, with both the age difference and Ryoko's ability to handle his disability questioned by Kuma's family and his carer, Eri (Eiko Koike). And gradually their concerns are realised, with Ryoko's erratic behaviour resulting from her "personality disorder."

Ryoko subsequently threatens Eri before turning on Kuma himself, attempting a joint suicide. Forced apart, the two are allowed a brief reunion a year later, resulting in a somewhat farcical and cheesy ending.

A relative novice, there is a lot of challenging subject matter for writer-director Jumpei Matsumoto to take on, alongside cerebral palsy sufferer Yukihiko Kumano. Japanese stigma towards disability has always been a touchy subject, particularly when it comes to mental health. The is exemplified by Kuma's family's reactions to the couple's relationship, as well as their harsh words towards Kuma as the family curse and burden. This perhaps impacts of Matsumoto's writing, with disability and difference a key focus throughout, rather than looking at the pair as a simply an unorthodox couple.

What starts off as a comedy, soon descends into rom-com territory, before over sentimentality and emotional responses start to spoil the film. The film's conclusion drifts into silliness before quite a cheesy finale.

Ryoko's idea that their relationship will be their "revolution" is countered by the fact that neither are perhaps emotionally stable enough for a relationship. Kuma has given up on truly finding love due to his condition, turning his attention to sexual gratification; while Ryoko is a danger to those she sees as in her way, including Kuma. This tricky subject matter makes for tricky responses. Perhaps Matsumoto wanted to challenge audiences, though the cheesy reunion towards the end perhaps undermines this.

As the star, Frankie delivers a solid performance as the likeable rogue, Kuma; his charm the film's strength. Though those around him are less agreeable, whether employed to voice society's views or display a range of overstated and directed emotions; Frankie is the measured voice holding it all together. As often can be the case with films tackling controversial subjects, the conflict between the characters creates conflict within the film itself - with sudden changes in character motivations - leaving it a little confused as to what story it is trying to tell.

Though whether good or bad, "Perfect Revolution" raises topics that it important to ask.

After the Storm

While not yet proving to be quite as prolific as the great masters Ozu, Mizoguchi and Naruse at their most busy, there is becoming something routine about another year and another trip to Cannes for perhaps Japan's best current working director, Kore-eda Hirokazu. There is a clear progression from his bleakly haunting first three films, 'Maborosi', 'After Life' and 'Distance' to a more routine playground of 'shomin-geki' (lower-middle class family drama), moving from more complex ennui to a more mainstream exploration of various unusual family scenarios.

'After the Storm', the most recent lover he took with him to southern France, certainly feels like a follow-on from his previous works 'Still Walking' and 'Kiseki'. Here, the family get-together of 'Still Walking' is replaced by the impromptu night-in to weather the storm, with Kirin Kiki and Hiroshi Abe reprising their roles as mother and prodigal son; and 'Kiseki's' Koichi is replaced by Abe's Ryota: a grown man who can't move on from his divorce from his wife and son, Kyoko and Shingo. With the cast also featuring other now established Kore-eda 'family' members, in the form of Lili Franky and Yoko Maki, this could all start to feel a little too familiar. Though he would not be the first great director to embrace this approach.

Suitably unshaven, Ryota is a recent divorcee, struggling to come to terms with his new position. A former novelist, enjoying some minor success with his novel 'The Empty Table' fifteen years previous, he now finds himself working as a private detective, betraying the trust of both his boss and untrustworthy clients; gambling heavily, living alone. Not only losing his wife and son, he has lost the respect of others, and even himself. His ex-wife can't rely on him to pay child support; his sister believes he is only after their mother's meagre funds; and his boss knows he is moonlighting behind his back. The only ones showing any positivity towards him are his mother, in the form of witty banter about how useless he has become, much like his father; his work colleague, Kento, who begrudgingly lends him money to gamble away; and his son, whose indifference to him is as good as he can get.

His attempts to win Kyoko and Shingo back, in his sly, underhand manner, therefore, are never going to work. By purposefully taking Shingo to his mother's small apartment as a typhoon approaches , he hopes to lure Kyoko to spend the night as a family with his deceit, unable to grasp that it is acts such as this that pushed her away in the first place. He is a man above his station, and in pursuing his second novel, that everyone can see will never happen, turns down lucrative offers to write more mainstream manga, as he believes it compromises his artistic integrity which died long ago.

His profession now to watch others, Ryota has become completely unaware of himself and the impact of his actions on those around him. Playing the victim, he is never the bad guy. Comparisons are often made to his father, harking to Kore-eda's previous title 'Like Father, Like Son'. Kyoko can see the future she would be offered with Ryota, in the form of her former mother-in-law's cramped apartment where she is forced to spend the night: As an elderly woman, left alone and near penniless by her husband's rash actions. Whereas Ryota can only see the past.

Eventually realising that he is only deceiving himself (urgh, I just wrote that!), as the storm passes and the fresh morning awakes, he starts to come to terms with this. This may all seem quite obvious and light, wondering if Kore-eda has lost a bit of spark, getting too comfortable in his work. And indeed, you may wish for a more dark perspective as in his earlier days. But the realism holds, and the wit of the script raises a smile. The cast perform their roles in a way that is believable, avoiding soap opera clichés and social stereotypes; and the stark soundtrack steers it away from melodrama.

Yes, this is more of the same, but in the same way that Ozu remade his own 'Late Spring' with 'An Autumn Afternoon'. The formula is working, and with enough bite to keep it away from the daytime TV nicety, ensuring that the familial isn't too familiar just yet.

Terracotta Far East Film Festival 2014

Improving on last year's poor performance of making just one single screening at the Terracotta Far East Film Festival, I made it to a whopping two of the various offerings this year. Seeing a Korean film last year, this year I decided to complete the 'Holy Trinity' (not Browns, The Griffine and The Flying Scotsman), by seeing one Japanese and one Hong Kong/China production.

Avoiding convention and putting second things first, the closing film of the festival was 'Judge!' by debutant director Akira Nagai. Kiichiro, our undoubted hero, is a hapless employee at a Japanese advertising agency. Loathed by the majority of those he works with, the ad concepts he works on repeatedly fail to impress and his future with the company is endlessly in doubt. With pressure from a  major client to fix the voting at an international advertising grand prix, one of the agency chiefs decides to send Kiichiro the California, knowing his failure will justify his desired dismissal. Finding nothing but dishonesty and corruption (what?! in advertising?!) within the judging, Kiichiro is left disillusioned with the industry he chose as a career path.

But, this is a comedy, so everything works out well in the end...of course.

Nagai and script writer Yoshimitsu Sawamoto both work as advertising directors, with the vast majority of what happens claimed as being 'based on true events.' But on watching 'Judge!', it's clear that both exaggeration and artistic license are added to this reality. What this is is an enjoyable mainstream romp of a film: there is nothing here to be taken seriously, despite its attempts at moral messages, with a cast of big names and enough laughs throughout.

Perhaps the film's failings are in that it is a film about advertising, directed by an advertising director. Advertising relies on stereotypes and exaggeration, with which this film is chock-full. National stereotypes are played up, with manga-esque characters flirting with the farcical. But this isn't meant to be anything more than it is - it has Yoshiyoshi Arakawa and Lily Franky in it.

First things second, the other film viewed was poor-man's kung-fu megastar Donnie Yen's 'Special ID'. This is very much standard Donnie Yen fayre for me: a lot of action, little real need for plot and leaves you feeling entertained, not deep in contemplative thought.

Playing an undercover policeman who has been written by someone who has seen 'Infernal Affairs', Yen travels to the mainland from Hong Kong to track down an old acquaintance and essentially bring him down.  Cue some pretty impressive fight scenes (some interesting mixed-martial arts action) and some nicely filmed action scenes and you have your lot. Much like many action films you can watch these days, there is a sense that you can feel desensitised to what you see before you. But, every now and again, I do get the sense of having seen some well done stunt work that does need some applauding. This has that: while not exactly groundbreaking, it does deserve some recognition in parts. With Donnie Yen, you get what you pay for.

With the previous Terracotta Far East Film Festivals I've been to in the past, I know I've not exactly seen the best of the best of Asian cinema. The films are always entertaining, but never outstanding. But I never feel that's the aim of the festival. With emphasis on leading more mainstream offerings, director and actor Q&As and having a beer and some dim sum by the end of it, they are always as much about the gathering than the films themselves, with the chance to meet, greet and discuss and that's never a bad thing.