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nizsu
Reviews
Taken (2008)
A father's love
This movie is not completely perfect to rate it 10/10. But i did rate it 10/10. Because I enjoyed every minute of it, I watched this movie 2 times on my computer and tomorrow I am going to the cinema to watch it again.
Many ppl comment on the movie's weak plot. It's a movie and movie is all about entertaining anyway, why being so strict and picking up on every mistake of it. Liam Neeson is great as always. There's no single second that I can't feel his pain when looking at him. He let us feel the fear of losing, the hidden pain when his daughter was taken away, the relief when he realized his daughter was still safe. Well, I am not sure I don't biased when commenting abt his performance, since hes my fav actor and i always love his acting.
And there're some unspeakable reasons for me to love this movie so much( I wish my father was Bryan . . . @_@, the daughter in the movie don't know how to treasure her good father, it made me mad hummmmm )
Jiang shan mei ren (2008)
blah
I watched this film becuz the trailer is quite good "love in war" D". The acting is OK OK. The storyline is too simple. Everything happened easily like in cartoon and fairy tale. If war is easily stopped by such naive words of a princess or anyone else, there were not World War 1 and 2. And up until today, there's still wars happening in parts of the world. A princess fell in love with a guy in days when hearing he said some nice words like " War only bring pain". the meaning of this film is announced by him too. Its like he was shouting at us "The meaning of this film is "war only bring pain". Everyone got it?" . I don't get it.
The battle scenes has no intensity at all. I feel like there are just a few group of ppl fighting each other. Why there are several cut-off scenes. It seems that the director didn't know how to direct the scenes properly, so he decided to jump from scenes to scenes. Give it 4/10 for the gud trailer and the ending.
Takeshis' (2005)
u will not understand what its all about if u never try to understand Kitano himself
Takeshis' is the only Kitano's film that i have been hesitated to watch. I even watched it after Kantoku Banzai. The reason lies in several bad comment about this movie, even from Kitano fans, that its unusual and its not a Kitano film. I realize that there are not many of his works contain as much thought as Takeshis'. Open ur mind and think about the film. If u're a fan of his yakuza movies and expect only yakuya film from Kitano, u shouldn't watch this film becuz u won't understand anything. I would recommend u to read his biography, try to understand him once. Why he desired recognition too much? why he became disillusion about the TV world? why he drove his scooter and crashed? Why there is change in his films before and after his fatal accident? Why he try to not let u watching the same thing every time? When u can answer all of these questions, u're ready to watch Takeshis'
Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi (1991)
noes this is unbearable!!!
Kitano's style is very unique. You always can distinguish his films among hundred thousands of films at the first glance. The slow-paced scenes, the calmness, emotionless acting style, silent humors are distinctive. His actors rarely speak, but as the story go on, you realize what it is all about. The title is " A scene at the sea", and if we count all the scenes Kitano used in this film, there are not above 10 scenes, especially the scene at the sea covered all the story.
I have planned to rate this film 7/10 since I didn't really catch the ending. However, I lied on my bed 10 mins and thought of it. I remember the day our maim character came to the sea was a raining day. There was not a group of people playing football as usual. The girl followed the boy from a distant. Our main characters were hearing impaired. They have been living in their small universe. The old dustman was working with another guy ( not shingeru). And lolz I hope u can understand what I am trying to say.
Anyway, this is the reason why this comment has spoiler warning. For those who don't really catch the ending too. Here is my theory: Shingeru was hearing impaired and he couldn't hear the forecast weather. He went to the beach as usual without knowing a storm coming. He was swept away by the sea *end of theory*. When I realize it, I can not help admiring and respecting how Kitano could build such a simple and beautiful story. Every single repetitive scene has its purpose. By the time you realize what lie behind the story, the scenes, the sea; you feel its depth.
By the way, this is just his third film. I can not help rating it 10/10
Kizzu ritân (1996)
it's life affairs again, but its not about how to die
uhm what I am suppose to say. After the accident in 1994, there are people think that Kitano Takeshi could never direct or become an actor again. But he has come back from the death and tell us what life is all about. If you read his biography, watch his films in time order, you feel like you are watching his lifetime. You would see how Kitano portrays life and death from his own experience in real life.
Take his accident in 1994 as a mark. Before his accident, Sonatine and Violent Cop are bleak and sad. They showed life affairs that can not be escaped. The whole world wants to swallow our heroes, but they are too tough to be gobbled. But in the end, the heroes choose death to end this permanent fight against the brutal world.
After the accident, in Kids Return, it's not how to die to escape, its about how to live to face this brutal world. Remember the time when he made Kids Return, the Japanese still haven't recognized his talent and he had to endure many critics that had lead to his self destruction. But after he left the hospital, he appeared in Gonin The Five as an actor, directed Kid Return.( Kitano could drop directing and become a comedian again becuz Japanese like him as a comedian, that way is easier, but he didn't do as they wished) Kitano Takeshi has never lose his belief in himself. In Kids Return, I feel like Kitano wanted to begin his life again, left behind all the critics and desire to be recognized by Japanese. No matter how things get bad, life just begin when you feel that you are ready. It's never late to begin your life, yes never.
One more thing I want to say, after this film, Kitano made Hana-bi which received the Golden Lion at Cannes. Japanese started to recognize him as a director. At that time, he's 50.
L: Change the World (2008)
Noes! my 10$ !! give it back
OK I was devastated after I had watched this movie. I wanna run to the box-office and take back my money. What an overrated movie! There are countless of unrelated stuffs putting together. The FBI agent appeared out of nowhere. He even knew where L is and came to help(?).L trusted him(?) The REAL L would never trust an unidentified person like that. N solved a geometry problem and the answer is the plague's solution. Where he got that geometry problem? Why L didn't contact Raito's dad? Raito's dad would help, I am sure.
The acting is terrible. When F reported to L the situation at Thailand, he spoke English. If u notice, he was about to laugh (?) Even a non-native English speaker can realize the actors are speaking crappy English. Their English speaking is worse than my 16 years old brother. If the actors can not speak excellent English, please speak Japanese.
I have admired the superb L in Deathnote. His smart, his talent, his calmness are totally distinctive. However, in this movie, L solved the problem physically (?). He had to receive the help of the others to solve the problems. He never noticed why the girl's Dad ( I forgot her name, but she's one of the 2 children) asked her to do homework everyday and the homework was odd. Even the female doctor ( one of the villain in the movie) discovered that the homework is unusual at the first glance( why, L! u're stupid) Notice it again, L & N communicate through English. Becuz N is Thai. OK, that's fine. But why sometimes L speaks Japanese to the boy and he still understands (?) ( another wtf!).
The jokes are too lame and similar to many movies. That's why if its funny, I can not laugh, because that kind of jokes appeared too much in movies.
In the end, the villains died by themselves. So far, the greatest success of L is stop the airplane ( oh I remembered there is one time he showed his intelligence. It was when he noticed the co-writer's name in a dictionary. But yes, there is only one time). I have seen too many of airplane accidents in movies where our main characters always stop the airplanes not being crashed at the end. Lame storyline.
wtf is that huge title "L CHANGE THE WORLD". What change? Who change? L ? Everything Kenichi Matsuyama did is act cute. I don't have any problem with him acting L's distinctive style. I have problem with him spend too much time acting super cute in the movie. What for? The movie should change the title like "L's cuteness". "CHANGE THE WORLD" is a big word and doesn't suit with this time-consuming movie. The title acts like a window-dressing and nothing else.
On the final note, this movie is for those who love a cute and brainless L. For fans of the REAL L, u should watch it in a boring Sunday. Don't expect in it too much, and don't be deceived by the title. The world is still rotten after this movie.
Kikujirô no natsu (1999)
It is not a film . . .
I have heard a lot of people said that this film was not recognized as much as his other films. What a shame! When I saw the tittle of the film, I was surprised. The tittle is Kitano's father name.
In Kitano's biography, it is said that "Kitano's father was an alcoholic and would spend most of the money he earned on alcohol, and when he had been drinking, he would become violent and beat up both his wife and his kids. Eventually, Kikujiro left his family".
I know Kitano Takeshi made this film because he has been tired of violence/gangsters/life&death in his previous film, but what made him writing a story about his father-a man who abandoned his family when Kitano was young. If you read Kitano Takeshi's biography, you should see his childhood memory in Masao. Kikujiro ( in the film) is a corrupted person. But also in the film, Masao eventually respects and loves to play with that childish man who keeps smoking and shouting at people. Does Kitano himself desire a father too much, so he is willing to accept his father's bad habits as long as his father is still at his side.
It is not really a film I'd say, I feel like I am seeing the characters in real life. From the start, Masao has drawn Kikujiro in his diary. The ending is also the beginning. Kitano didn't make a happy ending nor a sad ending. Our 3 hours is just to see the beginning of a father-and-son relationship which would grows by the time. Remember, Masao just knew Kikujiro's name in the end of the film, and Kikujiro said: "Let's do it again some time". The cycle of life in "Kikujiro" go on forever. The feeling is too real. I have forgot that I were watching a movie. There is no simple words that can describe this movie completely, u have to watch it by yourself