The Ballad of Narayama ** (1957) seen on DVD

Directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. Written by Shichirô Fukazawa (stories), Keisuke Kinoshita. With Kinuyo Tanaka, Teiji Takahashi, Yûko Mochizuki.

  There's plenty to complain about here as can be inferred by the 2 star rating I gave it. Though I would still recommend it under certain circumstances. 1) See the film in the theater. I watched on DVD on my flat screen TV and the dark portions were difficult were to differentiate. And a large percentage of the film happens in the dark. It's also worth seeing n the theater because it is beautiful. It is made on a sound stage, but I don't think that it was done to save money. The sound stage was meticulously designed. It was purposely unreal, and that non-reality gave the film eerie and beautiful tone. It almost looked like pages out of a children's picture book. The sky at night fall had an eerie purple/violet color. During the autumn scenes, the screen is filled with the gold of harvested rice and the pink of blooming flowers. At times, one part of the screen was yellowish, while a different part of the screen was greenish blue. I feel seeing this film on the big screen would add at least another half star to the rating. 2) Be prepared for little character development. This film is based on a novel which is based on a folk tale. Folktales have hierarchical characters. There is the kind grandmother, the insolent grandson and the bimbo grand-daughter in-law. The kind-hearted son and the gracious new recently widowed wife. In fact I really liked that wife. At first I though she would come into the family and try to tear it apart, as daughter-in-laws are wont to do, but no, she appreciated that the family took her in and is loyal and kind to her husband and mother-in-law. Another reason for the lack of character development is simply cultural. Japanese are not know (generalization here) for being individuals but to follow orders and customs. That is the case in this film. The characters do things that are inexplicable, but they do so because of tradition and custom. But I think at the end, the director tries to question unwavering loyalty to culture. A synopsis: In a small Japanese village, it is custom for the elderly , when they turn 70, to go to Mount Narayama to "visit the gods" - die. The grandma has no problem with this and eagerly awaits her 70th birthday. The son has other thoughts which is why I say perhaps the director is questioning this ritual. In fact that there is another elderly man in the village who isn't taking this ritual so well as counterpoint to the grandmother. 3) expect a slow narrative. It is pastoral setting and it has old people in it. One needs some patience for this film. Couldn't find English subtitles, but this will give you an idea of how it looks.

Argo *** (out 0f 4) seen in theater

2012
Directed by Ben Affleck.
Written by  Chris Terrio (screenplay), Tony Mendez (book).
With  Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman.

I saw the trailer for this way back when and thought "how silly".  My favorite film reviewer (the staff of the Chicago Rreader) did not reccomend the film.  So I waited.  Meanwhile everyone else was loving it so I finally got around to seing it.

 It is a good film! Though my assumption was correct that the part of the undercover Hollywood scouting team was pretty silly - though true.  it's hard to believe the Iranians fell for it.  Perhaps less emphasis on that aspect would have been better. The film seems pretty full of its self about how silly this is that it kind of annoys me.

And my daughters thought the soundtrack was pretty cheesy at the end when it is happily ever after.  They might have been right, though I fell for the cheesiness.  perhaps I understood more about what was at stake for these people.

here's the trailer, though I am sure most people saw it.

2046 **1/2 (out 0f 4) seen in Theater

2004
Directed and written by Kar Wai Wong.
With  Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong

2046 is the year that Hong Kong loses its economic and political independence.  It is also the name of a science fiction novel that the main character Tony Leung is writing as well as the room number of many of the beautiful girls with whom he has liaisons with.  Strangely enough, the majority of the story takes place in the 60's in the swinging city with it's night clubs and brothels.  People go through sexual partners like  we today go through coke cans.  It's seedy and erotic.  But one of the women  from 2046, played by the beautiful Ziyi Zang, is able to maintain a relationship with Tony a bit longer, but of course  the relationship is fatal and doomed in the end.  At the end there is all remorse and regret.  Perhaps a message about that kind off lifestyle?

There is a beautiful series of shots that really hit home with me because they reminded me of my own home movies that my parents and other parents across America took in those days.  In these scenes, one of the girls from room 2046  will sit or stand near the hotel sign (60's style) in there 60's outfit staring off into the sky looking very melancholy.  All this is shot in handheld, 8 mm film and has that shaky, grainy homemade look.

Oh, yeah and then there's that sci-fi theme which comes and goes and the  sequence of the story is so convoluted that it is really difficult to make any kind of sense of it.  The sci-fi portion I suppose is some sort of metaphor about memories.  I really had trouble with that idea.

Recommended for those whose taste is patient and leans toward the avant-garde.