The "Japanese movies" loving Takahina

Friends will know I like Japanese movies or any Asian movie more than the average fare of American movie. (Well, friends, if you don't know then now you know).

And coincidentally, I just watched 2 movies today. 1 is American fare and the other is Japanese fare. The American movie is "Bewitched" while the Japanese movie is "Inochi" which I watched on TV.

So, today Takahina shall give a comparison between this two and I'll justify my reasons to why, I prefer Japanese movies. But, my reviews will be basterdized, so you have been warned.

Of course, it's wrong of me to generalise the difference with just 2 cases of movie, I'll elaborate as a whole.

(Students may want to take examples because from what I understand, this is how you can link examples into theories, like subject like Econs. But of course, I may be wrong. I'm no teacher, I'm just Takahina.)

First on:



I won't say this is a totally bad movie.

This movie is quite a comedic touch at least to say and it's rare to see Nicole Kidman to actually film in such a quirky flim. It focuses on the possiblilty of loving someone just cause of love and nothing else and how love is so precious and blah blah...

The comedic touch is fine, but sadly to say... the storyplot can only be moderate fare. In terms of artistic sense and feel, such movies are just too frequently done in US films. The moral and meaning it tries to convey are just too commonfare. Common isn't bad, but it's ordinary so it doesn't make this movie extremely well noticed.

On another note, I don't really like the main actor...



He freaks me off badly.

Secondly:



I watched this on Variety Vision channel 56. The title for it is "Inochi" or "Life" when translated.

This may be a movie from few years ago, graphics and camera-shot wise, it's not as stunning as "Bewitched" or even most films nowadays, but the storyplot and the sense behind it is just exceptionally and beautifully portrayed.

The movie is talking about an unmarried and unfathered pregnant lady seeking support from her ex-boyfriend who on the otherhand suffers from a fatal illness. With 1 life about to be borned while another life about to be gone, how will they support each other in such a time of crisis.

This movie touched on the side of humanity and the importance of life itself, which frankly i feel is a much needed inspiration to many of the misleaded and unguided youths of today. I'm not old myself (So naturally I'm a youth), but this movie had greatly brought to me about the essence of life and love among friends/parnters/parents itself. Birth, Death, Confusion, Disease, all are nicely depicted here. Very encouraging and indeed worthy of a praise.

And to be praised by The True Takahina is no simple feat. It's very sacred.

Now, how do I link this movies to my reason. Simple.

Firstly, I implore all movie watchers to reflect and think back on the movies you have saw. Among how many are US movies?

People in Background: Quite a few.

How many talk about love and happy forever after and blah? If not, about the don't know what kinda plot bad guys are planning and in the end subdued by a much overwhelmed group/person. If not, how many talk about some person denying orders from his superior and then going alone, killing all the badies with some very powerful gadgets?

People in Background: Quite a lot.

Examples like?

People in Background: Wedding Crashers, Charlie Angels, James Bond?

I can't say they are bad, but you know there are just too many examples of such a kind. Too many of the same kind will only lead to - commonfare work. So a supposedly good work can in the end, end up inferior. But of course not all US shows are bad to be fair. Shows like Harry Porter, Finding Nemo, Star Wars and quite a few others, they can be considered excellent.

(So don't you go on saying I'm just biased, i'm only mildly biased)

If so, let me continue on asking, how many of those movies actually discuss on the issues of life, death and not just love? How many of those issues go on exploring on the discrimination and constant problems faced in the true society?

People in Background: Not much.

Of course, their knowledge is limited.

People in Background: Hmph! Then why don't you name some movies of Japanese or Asian fare which explores on such issues?

Sure.

"Inochi" - Japanese film
"Yomigaeri" - Japanese film
"Be with you" - Jap film
"I not Stupid" - Singapore film
"Homerun" - Spore film
"April Story" - Jap film
"Brother" - Korean film
"Perth: The masscre of Geylang" - Spore film
"1 hour??" - Korean film --> I'm not sure of the title. But it's about a parents joy for a baby who can only live for 1 hour after birth.

To just name a few, I've seen few more others which are nicely done. You may notice that some Singapore fare are very nice as well and the moral behind it is well depicted in our local society. Jack Neo has indeed done well.

Of course, there are inferior work of Asian as well... and I'm a little sad to say but commonfare again actually comes from Hong Kong whereby there are once again many movies which in the end will end up the 2 main actor/actress being together. Japanese also has some inferior work like... forgot the title le. Korean films work on a sure win formula which is able to earn laughter and tears but in the end, you can realise the format is just the same.

This is one reason why, I don't really like to watch movies, cause they are mostly US movies which sadly, I got to pale to their slapstick humour and rather, unenthusiatic storyplot. However, I do like Spider-man or Chee-bye-der-man as I like to call it when I was young.

Lastly, of course this are all just my personal opinion. The movie industry may have changed now from what I know. I don't have perfect knowledge after all. One way they can make me change their opinion is to be able to make me cry when watching. I'm a very emotional person who can tear easily when watching movies.

People in Background: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, CHICKEN WUSS!!!!

Shut up.

On a last note, anyone is free to comment on this as I suspect it may bring in unhappiness in hardcore US movie fans. I'm ready for any flaming.