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Kamera o tomeru na! (2017)
Incredibly original and insanely hilarious! A must watch!
I thought long and hard about where I should begin this review and after considerable contemplation, I've resolved that I'll start with "POM!"
When I accidentally stumbled upon One Cut of the Dead, I didn't expect much of it. I genuinely believed that the zombie movies and even zombie comedy movies had been overdone and exhausted. After years and years of zombie movies and now TV shows, what else could possibly be left to explore?
"Surely, there couldn't be any surprises judging from the recent mindless additions to the genre of the mindless creatures, right? RIGHT?!" And boy, was I wrong! One Cut of the Dead might be one of the most enjoyable films I've ever watched.
Written and directed by Shin'ichirô Ueda, this film shattered all my assumptions and took me on a ride so entertaining that I think I laughed 30 minutes straight during the entire third act.
The film was made in just 8 days with a small budget of around $25,000 and a cast of unknown actors. After it's success at the Udine Film Festival, it was re-released, and eventually grossed $30.5 million worldwide, earning over a thousand times its budget.
If that doesn't impress you, the fact that the first 37 minutes of the film is done in ONE CUT should. Some viewers dislike the first 37 minutes and find it challenging to get through. I, however, enjoyed it and found the awkward moments and general cheesiness hilarious.
Now, I will deliberately avoid going into the plot for this particular film because I'm afraid anything I say might injure the experience for you. I went in completely blind into this. I watched no trailers and read no reviews apart from one which suggested that sticking with it for the first 30 minutes is worth it because of the incredible payoff. I'm glad I listened to it. Just remember that every awkwardness and cheesiness in the initial 37 minutes has a reason, and the payoff is indeed extraordinary.
While performances by the entire cast were wonderful, I was especially drawn by Takayuki Hamatsu (Director Higurashi) and Harumi Shuhama (Nao). I will doubtless watch out for their other works.
Lastly, the film makes great use of cinematography, editing, and sound.
To wrap up, I'd say Shin'ichirô Ueda's One Cut of the Dead is nothing shy of a masterpiece and is full of originality, humour, wit, and creativity. It amazed me in every aspect and delighted me in forms no film has in a long time. During the last 30 minutes of the film, I remained glued to the screen and didn't think, do or say anything except absorbing what was happening in front of me. I came out on the other side thoroughly impressed, satisfied, and with my face aching from all the hilarity. I will watch out for Shin'ichirô Ueda's other works.
POM!
Spielzeugland (2007)
Emotionally moving and intense short with great storytelling
I didn't expect to be so intensely moved by a short film of merely 12-minute runtime. I knew that it'd be sad just by judging from its description, but the way it achieved to capture the entire story in such a short duration was surely remarkable.
I also admired how it used flashbacks to cement the relationship of the boys while also carrying the plot forward by showing the moments leading up to the present at appropriate intervals.
The scenes of the present benefited from the cinematography and cold colours which helped in building an air of urgency and desperation. On the other hand, the flashbacks employed warmer colours and more relaxed images while also offering an air of the silence before the storm.
Certain scenes of interaction between the characters definitely stood out, notably those involving Henrich and David. Speaking of the kids, I particularly loved their friendship, and it easily made the entire thing even more emotionally touching.
There is a twist towards the end, which thoroughly surprised me because I was too involved in the story.
Also, while others may find the music a little too on the nose, I really did like it.
Overall, I really liked the short, and it drove me to tears.
Identity (2003)
Very entertaining and will leave you guessing and excited the entire time
I went into this movie completely blind. I didn't look for a review, a trailer or even a description. I was searching for something similar to Psycho when I stumbled across this particular gem. It was suggested as "similar to Psycho" on a random website and I just picked it up.
I watched it with a couple of friends later the same day and I was a little nervous suggesting that we watch it. Mostly because it could be trash for all I knew.
I knew and liked some of the cast from other movies I had watched in the past and that gave me hope that it could be good.
Then began the movie - as soon as it had started, the tape recordings had me instantly hooked.
What I didn't expect was to enjoy the movie as much as we did. The plot was very engaging and suspenseful and kept us glued to our seats. The setting was perfect as lives of 10 strangers intertwined with each others' as they found themselves stranded in a torrential rainstorm at a remote motel.
Trapped, inescapable characters in a slasher movie? Always works great.
What followed was wild and not completely predictable and at one point suggested that something supernatural might be at play since there was no other way the events could be explained.
I did predict parts of it but the ending still left me surprised.
To conclude, I'll say that Identity is a very entertaining movie and will leave you guessing and excited the entire time.