User Reviews

CHOKI / EYES ON ME. Viewed on streaming. Director Junichi Kanai (also credited as screenplay writer) delivers a compact, under-acted drama involving a lonely, close-to-middle age, childless, hairstylist, widower (now, perhaps, the most eligible bachelor in town) re-connecting with a lonely, traumatized young blind woman (a former calligraphy student of his late wife some 10 years ago) who is about to graduate from a high school for the blind and is seeking someone to turn to for advice/counseling/guidance while staying clear of her imprisoned, unhinged mother who traumatically caused her blindness. The plotline seems to progress smoothly from de facto adoption of an older daughter to something more involved until the mother becomes eligible for parole and wants her child-abused daughter to live with her. Kanai wisely resists playing (and milking) the handicap card. The ending is upbeat and hints at several positive possibilities to come. Directed acting is very good. Lead actress seems to be handicapped due to a dental deformity which forces her to play most of her close-up scenes from one side. (Perhaps the Director cast her, since she lives with a physical problem like the character she plays?) Cinematography (semi-wide screen, color) is fine. Lighting and color correction are okay. Sound is good with motor-bike looping being very good. Subtitles are close enough and often not needed, since dialog lines are short, sparse, and mostly slang free. Translations are incomplete: opening and closing credits are less than "bare bones"; only one sign is translated; and lyrics of the closing-credits song are not translated. Unpretentious and enjoyable. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD. Details: Film = 7 stars. Cinematography = 7 stars. Lighting and color correction = 7 stars. sound = 7 stars. subtitles = 6 stars. translations = 3 stars.