Kikujiro

Rating:
Summary: Simply Brilliant...
Review: ...cinema. Words at first fail me when I try to describe the wonder that is this film. Even if you are one who has a hard time reading the text in a subtitled film you will probably enjoy it. That is one of the beauties of this film; it goes well beyond the boundaries of the culture and language that are contained within. It's a movie that touches the heart primarily through its imagery. I found myself at times not even reading the subtitles because I inherently knew what was happening on the screen. The actors don't just act, when Masao (the young boy featured on the cover) is sad you are sad. A heartless human is one who doesn't come away affected in some way by this brilliant work.

Rating:
Summary: Kikujiro: An Epic of Japanese Cinema
Review: After coming off two highly emotional, yet dark, yakuza movies, Kikujiro is a very welcome change from the typically hard-as-stone Beat Takeshi. With this film, you see the fun and gentle side that really is Takeshi Kitano but we rarely ever see through his movies. The sad tale of Masao, deserted by his mother for no logical reason, lives with his grandma and is hard-pressed to find any action alone during his summer vacation. With that, he sets off on a journey to find his mother and its only trouble from there on out.

Kikujiro is everything wrapped into one; comedy, drama, action; and it pulls off each emotion flawlessly. There isn't a dull moment and when its over, you'll be begging for more. Hands down one of Takeshi Kitano's best movies. If you really want to have a nice, good time with a movie, Kikujiro is your best bet.

Rating:
Summary: Poetry In Motion
Review: An ex-gangster in the form of Beat was summoned by his wife to bring a child to find his grandmother who lived afar. And thus, a road trip a.k.a a Don Quixote's adventure was embarked upon by this 2 complete strangers who gradually warmed up to one another & subsequently became the best of friends. Along the way, they came across interesting people, notably a poet/song-writer & 2 bikies who helped the 2 main characters to reach their destination. The film was done in Chapter Forms & what made this movie unique was its blend of sweetness with dark humour, rather disturbing at times. An honest movie & highly enjoyable. The theme song with a simple composition of one melody played over piano & basic strings accompaniment reminded us viewers of the summer harvest season with rabbits romping over the fields truly represented the spirit of this movie. Pure poetry in motion.

Rating:
Summary: a great film, a great story, and some great music......
Review: I first caught the last couple of minutes of this movie on Starz! channel. I thought it was a little weird at first, but then I watched it the whole way through the next time it was on. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you should get either the DVD or VHS version. This is a great film, some people might not like it because of previous films by Takeshi Kitano. Don't let his usual gangster characters turn you off from this movie. His deadpan look, the way he [acts] out at the different people that him and the kid meet along their trip and the best one being the hotel clerk. The thing that made me go soft a little bit was the music at the end. That piano and string piece was great, the kind of music that could make you happy and relaxed anytime you listened to it. In ending this review, I say that if you haven't seen this movie, you should see it at the earliest possible time.

Rating:
Summary: Who Knew?
Review: I had no idea what to expect from this movie other than the blurb provided by Blockbuster.

No idea had I of Beat Takeshi. Indeed a good chunk of the movie fell into place *after* reading the reviews on this page. Clearly my knowledge of Asian Cinema is lacking in a most large fashion.

The movie is a bit like the Buddhist concept of the "True Mind". I have to say I liked the movie & (SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE READ THE FOLLOWING AT YOUR OWN RISK) the bit @ the very end & last line of the movie when Mister informs Manoe that he's Kikujiro! A whole movie named after a character that we have no idea who that character is till the end.

I think the reviews here sum up far better than anything I could say, other than it's a good movie, definitly check it out but a childs film it's not.

This is not a typical Western film & I liked it, I liked it. Takeshi Kitano...who knew!

S.T.

....

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Work
Review: I have seen Brother, which included Takeshi Kitano, and I loved him in that film. But after renting this movie from Blockbuster, I will definitely buy it to have as part of my Japanese movie collection.

Takeshi (Kikujiro) played a brilliant role as a man of all sorts of emotions and actions which made me feel bad for him at times, and for others in different moments. The connection between him and the little boy (Masao) was very real and touching. The plot, though at times a little slow, was still cute and sentimental. The music, the acting, the story, the whole package was amazing when I decided to see it for the first and third time. I suggest this film to any person who enjoys a nice story without minding the subtitles. My little brother who hates subtitles also fell in love with the film!

Rating:
Summary: great
Review: I love Beat Takeshi's works and it was nice to see him do something different with this movie instead of the gangs and cops-type stuff. Dont get me wrong, I loved those too. I think his brave efforts paid off and this is one of his better films. You'll like the kid and the theme song will stick in your head.

Rating:
Summary: very uplifting
Review: I thought this movie was very good. It was sad but also often hilariously funny. Despite the sad mood I felt throughout the movie it left me with an uplifting feeling. I do not know much about Japanese culture and this movie also left me with many questions. There where many times I was confused whether a moment was supposed to be artistic or realistic. Particularly in those "artistic" moments I did not understand the message being portrayed. All in all though I definitely think you should give it a chance. The emotion crosses cultural boundaries.

Rating:
Summary: Kitano does a family film...
Review: I'm a huge fan of the films from Takeshi Kitano. I've seen all of his films he's directed (including the newer Dolls and Zatoichi) and I can say that I enjoy almost *cough Boiling Point* all of them and I really like his style of filmaking.

This plot here is about a young boy named Masao who just got out from school for the summer. He doesn't have many friends nor does he have much to do. After getting what appears to be a package of photos from his mother who Masao has never met before. A friend of his grandmother decides to let her husband Kikujiro (Kitano himself) take Masao on the journey. Misadventures and comedy follow.

Kitano has always been known for his crime films and dramas but this is the first time he's made a tolerable comedy-drama with his trademark subtle humor, slow pace and un-cilched style. If you've seen his films then you know what I'm talking about. He takes those qualities and makes a unique film with them. The acting here is pretty good for the most part, especially from Takeshi who is known for being a more silent actor, here he's a sluggish, rude and mean loudmouth with an attitude against almost everyone. It shows in some scenes where he lashes out on everyone around him. It's funny but almost absurd.

Now one gripe I have with the film is an almost gratuitious scene where a pedophile comes onto Masao. Nothing sexual happens but Kitano does get the sick bastard back in a funny way. That scene really takes away from the film.

Still this is a funny film. It's great to watch on a warm summer afternoon with the volume up loud. The soundtrack is done by Joe Hisaishi who's done some excellent work with Kitano in the past. The music makes you feel real good inside and it flows awfully well with the pace of the movie.

I recommend this highly.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Heartwarming
Review: It was the first movie I had seen by Beat Takeshi, so I had no prior expectations. At first I found the movie disturbing (and my wife almost had me turn it off), but about a third into it the tone and pace changed, and it turned out to be one of the most heartwarming films I have seen in ages. I still hear that little song dance in my head, simple and infective. A great film that I still think about from time to time.