Eclair

One thing that is very apparent when watching Japanese film 'Eclair' is that this is very much a TV movie. The writing, directorial style, acting, look and feel of 'Eclair' are all very much designed to be watched on a small screen rather than a silver one.

Young Akira is an orphan, sent to a strict reform school where he is subjected to abuse from sycophantic teachers on a daily basis. His sole escapes are his dreams of eating sweets that he shares with young, female teacher, Yoko. Adopted by a sour old woman, he is again abused daily, but in a slightly nicer way and starts working at a local cinema in Tokyo.

However, life is still not peachy, and Akira runs away, joining a travelling performance troupe, but again finds himself alone when the troupe is disbanded with the outbreak of war.  He then leads a band of young orphans that try and scrimp and save on the war-torn streets; all the while, dear, sweet Yoko searches for him, before eventually they are reunited.

Much like a chocolate eclair, 'Eclair' is sweet, perhaps a little too sweet, much like an eclair. In what is quite like a Stewart Lee description of a 'tragic lives' supermarket-bought toilet book, Akira's life is full of sadness and misery, with the all important dreams of sweets the one thing keeping him going. There is far too much melodrama, far too much sentimentality in the acting and direction and far too many coincidences, convenient plot devices and unbelievable character motivations. Akira's life keeps going from bad to worse, to make it so much more enjoyable to see it go from good to better by the film's conclusion.

All-in-all, this is something sweet, simple and made to be enjoyed by housewives watching daytime television. In that sense, 'Eclair' almost seems the perfectly marketed film, satisfying the Japanese department store liking of all things sweet and overtly packaged in pure aesthetics. The conclusion of the modern day descendant of Akira and Yoko working in her stylised bakery furthers this.

Being a thirty-something, British male, this film probably isn't aimed at me, but by the end, you can't help but feel disgustingly entertained. 'Eclair' is too sickly sweet and isn't good for you, but like a sickly sweet desert, you find it enjoyable, in a dirty, hateful way. 

Tokyo Fist vs. Kids Return

It's Tokyo, the mid-Nineties and you fancy punching the shit out of someone. That's how total cult directors Tsukamoto Shinya and Kitano Takeshi felt, at least. Coming a year apart - much like your mother's sex life - both made Tokyo-based films centred around boxing: 'Tokyo Fist' (1995) and 'Kids Return' (1996), both bringing their own unique flair to the art form.   

To start, the films are very similar: 'Tokyo Fist' starts with salaryman Tsuda bumping into an old school friend, Kojima, a part-time boxer. Likewise, 'Kids Return' begins with former best friends from school, Masaru and Shinji, happily bumping into each other on a Tokyo street, both recognising that their lives have taken a downward spiral since they last saw each other. However, due to the nature of both directors, the similarity largely ends there.

'Tokyo Fist' is very much along the lines of Tsukamoto's most famous work: 'Tetsuo: Ironman'. Focusing on ideas of revenge and aggression, Tsuda soon becomes paranoid that his old classmate might be knocking up his missus, Hizuru. His paranoia gradually drives Hizuru away, as their quiet life becomes loud, aggressive and full of blood-splattering scenes, with her ending up in the arms, and bed, of Kojima, played by Tsukamoto's brother, Koji. The anger and rage building inside him, exemplified by the ever-present loud music, Tsuda joins Koji's boxing gym, determined to beat him in the ring, much like Koji is doing to Hizuru.

The film then becomes a loud, brash experience, with fast camera movements, editing and thrashing music, leaving the viewer out of breath just watching it. And, as ever, a confusion is created as to what exactly is going on, throwing in extreme moments to push things just that little further.

Rage, obsession, and fetish are themes running throughout Tsukamoto's works, and 'Tokyo Fist' is no exception, working as a more polished version of 'Tetsuo: Ironman'. The special effects are still a little budget, but creative in the excessive blood pouring and Hizuru's new fetish for piercing any part of her body possible. Punch, punch, punch is the style for the boxing scenes, with Tsukamoto creating a work to seep into your mind and punch your brain into dazed confusion.

But where Tsukamoto chooses to show graphic violence and gore, this is the very thing that Kitano often avoids. Since starting with 'Violent Cop', the violence is Kitano's films is more in the mind than on screen. The use of still cameras and editing means that actual acts of violence fall out of shot or are skipped for comic timing. The majority of punches thrown in 'Kids Return' are at punching bags or in sparring practise.

'Kids Return' is seen as Kitano's most autobiographical work, set in the part of Tokyo where he grew up and featuring events and job roles that he himself experienced while growing up. The two friends, Masaru and Shinji drift through school, seen as the ultimate prodigal sons by their teachers. Neither has much direction; simply wreaking havoc on the lives of their classmates. Meeting his match, Masaru decides to take up boxing, but soon realises he hasn't the discipline for the sport. His perennial sidekick, Shinji, however, does, and his talent is quickly spotted by the gym's coaches. Masaru then drifts away, becoming a low level yakuza.

For Shinji, boxing is a sense of direction after days drifting, rather than an act of aggression. 'Kids Return' is all about direction when entering adulthood, mirroring roles taken by Kitano himself. Meek Hiroshi tries his hand at selling scales and driving a taxi on finishing school - two jobs Kitano had - but soon finds that neither provide him with what he wants out of life. Two students forming a school double act perform stand-up comedy to their classmates with a manzai act similar to that brought Kitano his initial fame.

If anything, 'Kids Return' is quite a depressing film. On leaving school, hopes and ambitions are quickly lost for all characters, with all left feeling lost and abandoned by their seniors. Hiroshi is repeatedly criticised by the bosses of his various jobs; Masaru is expelled from his yakuza family for speaking out of turn; and Shinji's coaches give up on him once he is led astray by an older boxer who takes him drinking.

The boxing in 'Kids Return' is exactly that: there is more emphasis on the sport, with more realistic bouts and styles. 'Tokyo Fist' goes down the Stallone-form of boxing with non-stop punch fests that would lead to permanent brain damage in seconds, but with blood spurting out of eye sockets, this is the only way Tsukamoto of the Nineties would work.

Both made in the mid-Nineties, set in Tokyo and with boxing as a key element, the films are very different. Tsukamoto favours high-octane fight scenes and special effects to create a visually spectacular gore fest, while Kitano chooses a more mellow-paced drama. At a time when two former boxing film legends return for the undoubtedly terrible 'Grudge Match', 'Tokyo Fist' and 'Kids Return' are both blasts from the past that fall under the same weight class, but see a clash of styles. 

Politic 23

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Every 14 Days...(18)

Looking for the Lost (Alan Booth)

‘The Roads to Sata’ was a book I very much enjoyed. Beyond it being what I wish my life was, it is a very well written and interesting journey across Japan, by a sarcastic Englishman, walking all the way.

‘Looking for the Lost’ is very much a sequel, published posthumously, telling the tale of three further journeys across Nihon, following the path of famous Japanese before him. All three journeys find something of Japan’s past, now lost through the ages, and ultimately never found.

The first trip is one through Aomori, following the footsteps (or dirt tracks) of Dazai Osamu and his journey around his home region. The second takes Booth to Kyushu, following the rocky road of mythical warrior Saigo Takamori. The third then starts off in Nagoya, and the high-tech world of Nagoya's International Design Exposition, before traipsing north through some of Japan’s less explored areas, hoping to find something of its past.

The book acts as a bit of a metaphor for Booth’s reasons to be in Japan. Moving during the Seventies to study Noh theatre, he soon lost his passion for it, but remained in the country despite this. Almost as if trying to rediscover what brought him there to begin with, Booth searches for something intangible that he knows he will never find. The journeys coming at a time when he would succumb to bowel cancer seem all the more poignant, delivered with mild black humour references towards the book’s conclusion.  

It is sad that this and ‘The Roads to Sata’ are the only real lasting works of Booth, though leave enough for the start of another journey.

Days to read: 21

Days per book: 16.2

Can't Stop, Won't Stop (Jeff Chang)

I've read many a 'hip hop history' book, all written in different ways, by different people, most of which say the same old things. 'ego trip's Book of Rap Lists' is without doubt the pick of the bunch, aiming more to entertain, inform and educate, rather than simply do a chronological look at how the music progressed from the Seventies Bronx to the painful noises of today. Jeff Chang's go at writing a hip hop history book is long, but engrossing enough to keep you ploughing along through its considerable pages.

Bought for me as a birthday present based on a comment I must have made many years ago, I'm always sceptical of any hip hop history book, feeling it will probably annoy me for various reasons giving far too much page time to penises, like Puff Daddy, or whatever he now chooses to be called. I, therefore, started this with a sense of dread.

But, I was nicely surprised, finding myself quickly drawn in to the book, absorbing every word. Focusing less on the music, Chang places hip hop more in a wider social context, with the first few chapters looking at Fifties and Sixties New York town planning and the politics of the music industry in Jamaica.

Gradually, the music comes in and how the young stars deal with their newfound fame takes over, looking at the more controversial acts, like Public Enemy and Ice Cube. Groundbreakers, like Run DMC, the Beastie Boys and De La Soul feature less in this history, being that they are more remembered for their music, rather than the public outcry it created. This does mean that penises, like Raymond 'Benzino' Scott get a disproportionate amount of pulp dedicated to them.

A bit like hip hop music, the more time goes on, the less interesting it becomes, but there is more than enough here to keep your head nodding, in thought at interesting points, rather than the boom bap.

Days to read: 25

Days per book: 16.3

Japanamerica (Roland Kelts)

'Japanamerica' was part two of my two-part thirtieth birthday present from an old friend. Again, I was sceptical. A book written about the coming of anime into US consciousness seemed a bit of a cash-in on the sudden popularity of anime, manga and hardcore Japanese goblin sex snuff biscuits in the West. But, like the pre-conception-having twat that I am, my expectations were unjustified.

Focusing on some specific case studies, Japanese-American Roland Kelts looks more at how Japanese companies have perhaps failed to exploit the potential success of their offerings in the West, particularly America. This is the countered against products being shipped in the other direction, with American companies varying success in Japan.

There is more interest in the business models of marketing anime and manga both at home and abroad rather than the creative content. This would, I thought, be something that would leave my cock floppier than a flick through a copy of Geordie Readers' Wives.

'Japanamerica' isn't the greatest read, but does give some interesting little insights into how Japanese media makes its way to us ignorant gaijin baka.

Days to read: 10

Days per book: 16.2

Animal Farm (George Orwell)

It's been many a year since I last read 'Animal Farm' at school, and after some long reads, I fancied something short, but not so sweet...and I saw it on the cheap.

There's probably not much that I can say about the book that hasn't been said before, and much better (just like every other book I've ever read), so I won't bother pretending that there's anything I can particularly say about it, other than that it is the classic it is, though, for me, not Orwell's best.

Days to read: 7

Days per book: 16.1

More Trees to Climb (Ben Moor)

Ben Moor has always been a bit of a Kevin Eldon for me: pops up in the shows of more successful comedian friends. Though Moor was always a bit of a poor man's version. But the boy has talent!

The scripts from three Edinburgh shows, 'More Trees to Climb' is a collection of bizarre tales, but done with an earnest wit and charm that make their short length seem like a bit of a prick tease.

The manner of the writing (or delivery if you're lucky enough to have seen the shows) flows effortlessly, despite the peculiar nature of the subject matter and punbearable wordplay.

This is a book that is simultaneously hilarious, magical, endearing and all that other crap. Now, I simply want to see him in his own show...much like Kevin Eldon.

Days to read: 6

Days per book: 15.9

Mustn't Grumble (Joe Bennett)

With nothing on my book shelf that hadn't been read needing something to read, I dipped into my girlfriend's book collection, picking one of her many books by non-Aston Villa left back, Joe Bennett. Being English, I opted for 'Mustn't Grumble', the Englishman in Kiwiland's journey around the land, commenting on how we're all moaning bastards.

Following in the footsteps of Morton before him for much of the journey, 'Mustn't Grumble' is very much like fellow Englishman living abroad, Alan Booth's 'Looking for the Lost'. Taking the same route as someone before him, he journeys in pursuit of identifying a national identity, stopping off in as many drinking establishments as possible along the way. But while Booth chose to walk, Bennett chose the very thing Booth was against: hitchhiking, only to quickly find that this will never happen in modern day England, soon deciding to borrow the car of an old school friend.

'Mustn't Grumble' is also written in the same, dry, almost arrogant wit of Booth's travel accounts; often humorous, often insightful and well-observed, often borderline alcoholic. And while entertaining, Bennett doesn't quite have the same magic as Booth, though with many of his titles sat on my girlfriend's shelf, I'm sure I'll be polishing off some more of his titles soon.    

Days to read: 15

Days per book: 15.9

Samaritan (Richard Price)

'Clockers' is without doubt one of the best books I've read in a while. Richard Price's story of a battle-weary detective's working through a case that makes him rethink his preconceptions is a detailed account of the motivations around murder and how the authorities work to solve them. 'Samaritan' is a similar story, again looking at a veteran detective, working a final case before retirement, struggling to comprehend the motivations of victims and suspects alike.

Returning to the fictional town of Dempsey, New Jersey, Ray is an overly generous television writer volunteering at a local school who is attacked at his home. With the case lacking interest for most detectives, the soon-to-be-retired Nerese, an old school friend of Ray, takes the case on but finds her old pal unfriendly in volunteering information as to who may be involved in his attack.

Again, Price divides the telling of the story between the two sides, detective and victim, gradually piecing the puzzle together and leaving the reader guessing as to the final outcome. Again, this is an absorbing read, drawing you in and leaving you to play detective yourself; coming to your own conclusions from seeing both sides of the story, unlike the protagonists.

'Samaritan' is good: Price has a definite style to his writing which is evident from both this and 'Clockers'. However, while 'Clockers' has eye-opening revelation, the conclusion to 'Samaritan' fails to hit the same heights, perhaps due to so many potential suspects turning it into more of a whodunit than an in-depth, psychological piece as to motivation to crime.     

Days to read: 21

Days per book: 16.0

Philomena

A film with moments of comedy, co-written by and starring Steve Coogan, 'Alpha Papa' was released in 2013. But lo, I jest. 'Philomena' is perhaps a turning point in Coogan's career, having spent much of his time on the silver screen in self-admittedly poor films popping up alongside snorty-snorty friends in bit-part roles in Hollywood crap. While comedy is indeed an element in the film, 'Philomena' is potentially the start of a maturing for Coogan, as he moves towards making the films he'd probably like to make, rather than end up in.

'Based on true events', lead, Judi Dench, plays Philomena, an elderly Irish woman living in London who, on the day that would be his fiftieth birthday, wants to locate her son, taken from her and adopted while she was in a convent in her teenage years. Having no luck herself, a chance encounter with journalist Martin Sixsmith (Coogan) leads him to help her in her search; his career having taken a backward step.

As with any one-on-one film, the pair are opposites: Philomena a devout Catholic, believing in the good in people; Martin a cynical atheist, with little belief in anything. Seeing the story as a possible career boost, he uses his contacts to fund the search and publish the story, inevitably learning more about life than a simple 'human interest' story.

For Dench, it was probably always inevitable that the reviews would be strong and the award nominations would follow. Though for Coogan, the reception was a little less obvious, writing and acting in a much more serious role. In terms of acting, despite the odd slightly cringe-worthy moment, he does a good job playing a job role he so loathes, while the writing - alongside Jeff Pope - is strong, finding a good balance between sentimentality and comedy in adapting Sixsmith's book.

'Philomena' will add another strong performance to Dench's long list of roles, while 2013 has been a big year in terms of Coogan's career, possibly putting Partridge to bed with a film and moving into more serious acting roles in 'The Look of Love' and now 'Philomena' and it will be interesting to see which direction it moves next, though it seems clear he would like more critical acclaim than laughs from now. That said, intentional or not, one comes away feeling more entertained than heartbroken by the film's conclusion. 

London Korean Film Festival 2013

The annual London Korean Film Festival always brings with it the anticipation of which colour bag will be given out free when attending the films in London's ever-annoying West End. For this year's offerings, I decided to choose a theme of silly comedy, based partly on mood and partly on being too hungover to make a more serious screening. This year, I was content to merely squeeze two films in the week's packed schedule, making do with the chance to walk down the red carpet at a Leicester Square during the Closing Gala. And yes, my girlfriend won the sweepstake: the bag this year was blue.

Third Window are a London-based distribution company, largely specialising in a certain genre of Asian cinema: light-hearted, Japanese and Korean comedies. It's no coincidence that the two films I ended up seeing equate to the two that Third Window Films will in future be releasing on DVD in these British Isles, being that their logo features often along my pathetically numerous DVD shelves.

The first film - a last-minute choice - 'How to Use Guys with Secret Tips' fits almost perfectly into my favourite ever film genre: the Korean saucy comedy. Out-of-luck Assistant Director at an advertising company, Choi Bona, assesses her current situation, finding both her career and her love life stationary. Ever trying to be assertive, she is easily led into buying a good, ol' VHS video series of titular self-help guides. Hilariously working her way through them, she gradually puts the secret tips into practise, seeing improvements in her fortunes, welcome or not. With her luck improving, she finds that life proves even harder, as she struggles to deal with her new success.

Like many comedy films, this starts off well enough, with the tone of joke set early on. As the films progress and plot needs to come into it, sometimes, more often than not, they become a bit tedious and end with a horrific romp towards the inevitable happy ending. 'How to Use Guys with Secret Tips' is probably a film that goes the way of the majority, but doesn't become a complete bore towards the middle. The self-aware self-help guide is the real comedy here, with standard comedy Korean man-in-suit and the highly selective white couple featuring in them. The 'real world' is a bit more of a standard rom-com, that has its moments, but is fairly run-of-the-mill. But entertainment is the key here, and with a title such as this, the film delivers what it promises: an almost Korean saucy comedy.

The Closing Gala closed the Festival with the most likely hit shown during the week: 'Boomerang Family'. Another comedy, this features a more well-known cast and mainstream appeal , focusing on a dysfunctional family that have to put their differences to one side in order to overcome adversity.

With two, ever-bickering brothers - a failed film director and a low-level gangster - and a sister that can't keep her knickers up for long, the mother of the family goes about her business with dignity, trying to keep the family structure together, despite the constant problems surrounding her. Again, this isn't anything that hasn't been done before, with the characters quite stereotypical within family-orientated films: the black sheep; the favoured, yet flawed son; the easy sister.

Where 'Boomerang Family' is a little different is in its slightly more intense violence, though still not going as far as others; and some at times interesting slow motion shots while chaos is all around. With cast and crew on offer to take questions, it was clear that a lot of alcohol was consumed during the making of this film. This is clearly a film that was fun for them to make, and in the end, it's fun to watch.

Comedy is never a guarantee of a good film; generally it's a sign of poor quality. With two comedies viewed, neither were films that will break and grounds, smash any records, or destroy and pre-conceptions, but being that these were both watched when the mood at the start was never the best, the mood by the end was somewhat improved. 

Like Father, Like Son

There are many comparisons made between Hirokazu Kore-eda and one of the Twentieth Century masters of Japanese cinema, the much lauded Ozu. With each film that the modern-day equivalent makes, the comparisons will continue to grow and grow, as his films maintain the theme of contemporary family life in Japan.

Similar to the recent 'Kiseki (I Wish)', 'Like Father, Like Son' focuses on the lives of two young boys and their unconventional relationships with their parents. While, 'Kiseki' looked at the lives of two brothers, separated by the parents' divorce, 'Like Father, Like Son' looks at the lives of two unrelated boys who, after a hospital mix-up, were raised by a random couple. The mix-up coming out years later, once the boys have started to develop, leaves both sets of parents unsure as to how to proceed.

'Kiseki' looked very much at the lives of the young brothers and how they work behind their parents' backs to be reunited, only to learn the hard way that things have now changed. In his latest effort, Kore-eda focuses very much on the parents, particularly the straight-edged, hard-working salary man, Ryota, who is forever baffled by his son's meagre talent and work ethic in comparison to his own. His equivalent, Yudai, raising his biological son, has a more relaxed approach to life, raising his son in a loving, family environment.

Naturally, the polarised approaches of the two males to life and parenting is a clear plot device to make the inevitable life-lesson learnt more poignant by the film's conclusion, and perhaps a slightly more idealistic scenarios for the story. However, much like his previous works, Kore-eda offers no easy solutions. Torn between the boy he has raised and loves and his blood, Ryota looks to all possible permutations for a solution to situation, but each presents its own problems.

The family situation presented is one of blood versus upbringing, with Ryota convinced that blood signifies everything - an important aspect of Japanese culture, where blood-type can be thought to determine various aspects of one's life - and as such looks at an interesting aspect of Japanese culture, and while a strong effort, it never quite matches the nostalgia of 'After Life', the detachment of 'Nobody Knows' or the coming of age of 'Keseki'. But here, Kore-eda again affirms that there is a case for himself as the heir to Ozu's title. Fifty years on since the latter's death, the former tackles the changes of a different time, with more and more unconventional relationships and post-modern family structures. Where Ozu looked at emerging female independence ('Late Autumn'), Kore-eda looks at a love doll developing a soul ('Air Doll'). The times have changed, but like father, like son.