12 Angry Men

Dir: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Henry Fonda, Ed Begley
Year: 1957

You may remember that the Narry Borman recently reviewed the excellent 'Gentle Twelve', a Japanese film written by Mitani Koki. I remarked in that review that it bears resemblance to a Hitchcock film. Behold, now, I realise my mistake.

12 Angry Men is the original film upon which Gentle 12 was based. 12 Angry Men is remarkably similar to Gentle 12. Koki obviously respects this film. 12 Angry Men is about a jury of 12 men who have to decide on a crime commited by a slum kid. Prejudice, personal feelings, and baseball games stand in the way of reaching a true verdict.

Much like Gentle 12, it tells you more about the character of the jurors than a 'whodunnit' story. And with Henry 'the man' Fonda among the rather talented cast, you can just sit back and enjoy. There is a very strong message in here, too, which is typified in the powerful scene where everyone turns their backs on the one remaining bigot.

Hazzah for equality!

Top Work!

Dead Poets Society

Dir: Peter Weir
Starring: Robin Williams, That guy from House, and Ethan Hawkeye

I'm gonna let you in on a secret about Narry Borman's life: He's a teacher. He teaches you all about good and bad films, and he also teaches English to earn a living and support his blog writing.

Robin Williams is also a teacher in Dead Poets Society. In fact, he's about the best darn teacher I've seen on the big screen. In a very understated (unusual for Williams) way he inspires his students to live and, ultimately, die.

I don't think any other film has as potent and vital a message delivered in such a worthy and selfless way as DPS. It's littered with quotable lines and iconic moments. The students are really rather naive but they're sincere, which is kind of likable.

Probably my favourite 80's coming of age film.

Genius!

Black Rain

Dir: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michael Dougless, Andy Garcia, Takakura Ken
Year: 1989

I took a chance on this late 80s Didley Squatt film as it was down to a mere 100yen at me local video store. The Narry B was impressed.

Black Rain had a good balance of terrible 80s cheese, Blade Runner style investigation, and Japanese sightseeing. It also Douglas's perm and cheeky double chin. What a ledge.

Japan in the 80s (not sure if it's Tokyo or Osaka to be honest) seems like a dangerous place. A Yakuza war is going on, and two NY cops get caught in the middle of it. Fortunately, Andy Garcia is there to make light of the situation with some woise-cracks and a bit of karaoke magic.

Ridley's casting is spot on. Ken Takakura is stellar as the Japanese cop, and the connection between Garcia, Douglass and Takakura is magnetic.

Top wok!

Turtles Are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers

Dir: Satoshi Miki
Starring: Ueno Juri
Year: 2005

This is the second Satoshi Miki that I've seen as I've been drifting off to sleep. I'm not sure if I dreamt half of it or if it was real. It's always hard to tell with Miki's films.

For example, the main character Suzume is bowled over by a cascade of apples in one scene, while in another scene her childhood sweetheart turns out to be wearing a wig, and in another scene she throws a turtle from the 7th floor of an apartment building only to catch it before it lands. It's the mix of the fantastic and the real that make Miki's films so fun.

Turtles has an interesting premise. An everyday person becomes a very normal spy. Her life barely changes when she enters the new profession. And that is its downfall too. The film kind of fizzles out without really taking you anywhere.

What it does have is an excellent ensemble of characters, chiefly the middle-aged couple who are the head spies. Plus, the colourful visual style and an eccentric sense of humour makes for an entertaining 90 mins.

Good!

Iron Man

Dir: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow

I don't know what's happening to Narry B. He seems to like trashy films these days. Some say he stopped thinking in 1999 and has never been the same since.

Iron Man is a good film. Or, at least, it's very entertaining. There are laughs, action, and cliched terrorists fighting against the big ol' U.S of A. It's quite well made - let's face it, with this budget it couldn't be anything less. And Robert D Jr. is spot on as the engineer who has everything and nothing until he starts taking responsibility for designing weapons.

The ending was bit lacklustre, mainly cos it was so predictable and yet so stupid. How does rolling 5 cm out of the way of an explosion save you when a guy standing 5 metres away is blown up?! Admitting to being Iron Man at the end of the film was a worthy touch, I thought, making a bit of a mockery of all the superheroes who insist on being anonymous.

Looking forward to Iron Man 2!

Top work!

A Taxing Woman (マルサの女)

Dir: Juzo Itami
Starring: Nobuko Miyamoto
Year: 1987

Juzo Itami is something of a legendary director here, but is not too well known outside of Japan. He did a series of films with Nobuko Miyamoto called the 'Onna' (or 'woman') series. You may remember Narry B's other reviews such as Marutai No Onna, and Minbo No Onna.

A Taxing Woman is about a tax inspector who is very good at her job. I never knew taxes could be so exciting. Lots of gangster involvement, scandals, and espionage as the tax inspectors try to get the information they need.

The 'espionage' includes such ridiculous things as a truck with a big camera on the roof parked outside the suspect's house, and a mobile camera attached, in full view, to a motorcycle helmet. This is primitive stuff.

Top work from a top director working with a top cast. Perhaps my favourite in the Onna series!

Go Itami!

Top Work!

American Making Of's

A first for Narry Borman. This is not a film review. This is a 'critique' of the stupid 'making of' feature that American film companies feel obliged to put on every DVD and Blu-ray. NB's in a particularly foul mood becuase the last Making Of he watched was utter potty.

The reason for including the Making Of feature is to give the watcher a bit of the background of the movie. Instead what we get is some kind of pastiche of quotes.

"I walked into the office, and I saw the first two seconds of the film and I said 'I'm in'."

"And then I got a call from ____ and he asked me if I would be interested. So I said, 'Would I?!'"

"So Bruce Willis came into the audition room and he said 'Anyone ask for me?', and I said 'No'. So he said 'Right'. And then he went back out again. It was unbelievable!"

No way! You said that? You said that? You said that?! No way!

How do they expect us to react to such poop? Telling us what you said or what someone said to you has about as much relevance to the film as the mystical location of Narry B's laundrette. If I hear another meaningless 'so I said...' on a making of, I will snap the DVD between my huge fingers and write a letter of complaint.

Rating: Poop!