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Reviews
Gake no ue no Ponyo (2008)
beautiful scene and beautiful souls!
well, yet another Miyazaki's classic! like Spirited Away, like Mononoki Hime, like Totoro! Brought me back to my childhood, to the other world! -- Risa's a good mum, just like my mum - and coincidentally, I call my mum by her name. A good mum I perceive, gives the child the space and the freedom for what he/she wants. And watching the film, I felt that I'd like to be become Risa, being brave in any situation, and trusts his child - and most importantly, like everybody else, are truly kind to others, even the old lady who stood out at the beginning; even Ponyo's father! He was influenced and became good eventually and I was glad to see that.
The romanticism between the red/fish and the human is the theme I suppose! Don't ever give up - the message I got, well I suppose! from what I saw about them supporting each other.
After the disappointments of 'Howl's moving castle' and 'Tale from the Earth Sea', 'Gake no ue no Ponyo' rebuilt my confidence about Miyazaki's films, which brings surrealism and beautifulness to a realistic level! And the resemblance between Ponyo and Mei (in Totoro) ...
Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
subs no dubs, where's the originality?
I was not impressed at all upon first watching the film. the Subs no Dubs concept naturally jumped into my mind. I felt kind of disturbed by the non-original English, neither Japanese in terms of language throughout the film! It's got some nice scenes, but I still felt let down by the 'trying to be'. It's a beautiful love story, but there are better ones out there. Trying to be realistic, but it's nothing the truth in relation to the historical background of that era.
Watched 'Sakuran' lately, and comparing the two, Sakuran was far more reflective of its own historical background (Edo); sure it's got more originality, and the love theme is quite one of its own kind.
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
nothing ever seen!
innocence, naiveness, gradual changes, all of them in a rather positive manner. Despite all the stunning scene and the unique spiritual style of music, i.e. visual and artistic astonishments, the story itself and the details of it value much more!
It didn't feel dramatic, on contrary, so very realistic when Chiriho said I'll walk back along the track (of the railways) -- naturally romantic of that line! -- Rusty selfish and greedy daily human beings would just never say something like that. The bicycle out of the river spirit, even mum and dad's 'natural' reaction to the exposure, which unsurprisingly is normal in the modern world. The hints about 'no face', his being greedy and 'indulged' into the luxury, and forget the original pursuit and hence the consequences as everybody else saw or not realizing that.
Haku and Chihiro's bond and innocent and beautiful love -- no need to comment!
an absolute masterpiece to me, my favourite actually out of all featured length animation.
Rain Man (1988)
Memory - Rain Men vs. Raymond
When something's engraved on one's memory (that false name in a child's memory -- Raymond vs. RainMen), willingly or otherwise, one'd just have to open up, or one choose to open up eventually! - - beyond bond, beyond relationship or blood, it's one realizing him/herself, one accepting the truth and everything not anticipated! - - things change! for good for bad, that's life! -- an absolutely beautiful and sad story - slowly evolving, the magic of it was within the progression of the story, yet the ending was nothing but sadly usual, predictable -- when legal business' got involved - that makes a full story doesn't it?! Following the story, that just realistically mean the end of many other things -- like this magic beautiful story!
Wonderful Days (2003)
what people see and interpret rather than what it really wants to say
Absolutely astonishing! Not only the magnificent scenes, but more of the integrity of the story line, the moral behind it, the CGI, and the romanticism (not to be mixed-up with man-woman relationship/love, I meant the classic definition of romanticism - sublime)!
Having read many mangas, seen countless anime as well as feature length films, I think this is, to an extent, the only one of its kind! Relating 'Sky Blue' to several analogous feature films, the former sees through the modernity and the implication of so-called civilization reflected from 'Ghost in the Shell' 1995, 'Innocence' 2004 and 'Appleseed'; the devastating consequence of being selfish, greedy and blind as typified in the classic 'Akira', 'Jin-Roh' and 'Final Fantasy Advent Children'; and the beautiful perception of human nature as seen in 'Castle in the Sky', 'Spirited Away', even in 'Monsters Inc.', and built an unforgettable masterpiece! Yet the combination is nothing ever dramatically, explicitly, realistically and beautifully expressed before!
Recalling those CGI wastelands, to me there are something inside of them, not a single phrase to describe them! Magnificent yet regretful, seemingly hopeless yet nostalgic!