Bangkok Cinema Scene special: Japanese Film Festival 2010

Female filmmakers are in the spotlight for this year's Japanese Film Festival in Bangkok, which is showing movies by “Emerging Japanese Female Directors”.

Organized by the Japan Foundation Bangkok and the Embassy of Japan, the festival runs from Thursday to Sunday at Paragon Cineplex.

Free tickets -- one per person -- will be given out one hour before show time at the festival table in the cinema lobby. Subtitles are in English. Although the Japan Foundation shows movies all the time, they are ordinarily only subtitled in Thai, so this annual festival is something Bangkok's English-speaking film fans look forward to. All will be shown in 35mm except for German + Rain, which is 8mm transferred to DVD. Get in line and enjoy some great Japanese films!

Here's the line-up:

Thursday, March 4


Sway (Yureru), directed by Miwa Nishikawa (2006) -- Jo Odagiri stars in this courtroom drama. He's a big-city photographer who goes back to his small town when his mother dies. An incident involving his brother (Teruyuki Kagawa) results in a trial that exposes their dysfunctional family life. Show time is 8pm. This is the opening gala with various dignitaries invited, so tickets for the general public may be limited.

Friday, March 5


Glasses (Megane), directed by Naoko Ogigami (2007) -- A stressed-out career woman heads to an Okinawa-like island for a much-needed vacation. There, she encounters a slower pace of life than she's used to and must learn to go with the flow. A nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and winner of the Manfred Salzgeber Award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2008. Show time is 4pm.


German + Rain (German + Ame), directed by Satoko Yokohama (2007) -- The debut feature by Yokohama, this quirky comedy-drama is about a 16-year-old misfit girl named Yoshiko who aspires to be a singer-songwriter. She settles for teaching recorder lessons to children. In nominating the film for the Dragons and Tigers Award at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival, programmer Tony Rayns wrote: "Other Japanese movies (even a few by other women directors) have touched on serious issues like broken families, social ostracism and child abuse. But none has this much wild humor, or a heroine to compare with Yoshiko." The show time is 7pm followed by a talk with the director.

Saturday, March 6


The Cat Leaves Home (Inuneko, aka Dogs & Cats), directed by Nami Iguchi (2004) -- Suzu (Fujita Yoko) and Yoko (Enomoto Kanako) are childhood friends who end up becoming roommates. Though they are actually very different, they always fall for the same guy. This is the debut feature by Iguchi and winner of four awards at the Torino International Festival of Young Cinema in 2004, including the Fipresci Prize and the Jury Special Prize. The show time is 11am.


One Million Yen Girl (Hyakuman-en to nigamushi onna), directed by Yuki Tanada (2008) -- Released from prison, a 21-year-old woman (Aoi Yu) embarks on a journey and works a variety of odd jobs. Wary of forming any more connections to people, she vows that when she's saved up 1 million yen, she will move on to another town. Its a journey to self-discovery and learning how to trust others again. Show time at 4pm.

Sunday, March 7


The Mourning Forest (Mogari no mori), directed by Naomi Kawase (2007) -- Machiko (Machiko Ono) has taken a new job working in an old folks' home in the forested mountains. She's also recovering from the death of her young son. She is drawn to a dementia-suffering patient (Shigeki Uda), and the elderly man is similarly attracted to her. It's a bond that will heal them both. Show time is 11am.


Dear Doctor, directed by Miwa Nishikawa (2009) -- In this latest film from Nishikawa, a hipster medical-school graduate (Eita) is assigned to a rural mountain village where he works under an older doctor named Ino (Tsurube Shofukutei), who cares for elderly patients, patiently listens and cheerfully keeps up their spirits. Inspiring as it all seems, the young doctor comes to realize that Dr Ino's medical skills are suspect. Ino's nurse (Kimiko Yo) and a drug salesman (Teruyuki Kagawa) know something more. Show time at 4pm.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening February 25-March 3, 2010

Who Are You?


The psychological condition of hikikomori is the major plot point in the thriller Who Are You? (ใคร ... ในห้อง, Krai … Nai Hong, also ฮู อาร์ ยู, Who R U?). For a Thai film, it has the rare distinction of being advertised for its screenwriter: Eakasit Thairatana, a comic-book author who previously penned the screenplays to 13 Game Sayong and Body #19. The director is Pakphum Wonjinda (VDO Clip, Scared) and it's based on a story that Prachya Pinkaew came up with.

Veteran actress Sinjai Plengpanich stars as a woman who runs a pornographic DVD stall. She's a mother whose son has withdrawn from social life and locked himself away in his room for the past five years. Is he still in the room? Who's in there, really?

Pongpit Preechaborisutkhun, Starbucks from last year's Saranair Haao Peng, also stars, along with Kanya Rattapetch.

Watch trailer at YouTube. I'm digging Sinjai's look, the color palette and the suspenseful feel. Rated 18+.

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The Hurt Locker


This has been the toast of the awards season, winning some 80 honors from film festivals and various awards bodies, recently picking up six prizes at the British Academy Film Awards. It's tied with Avatar for most Oscar nominations.

An action drama about a US Army bomb squad in Iraq, Jeremy Renner stars as an adrenaline-junkie. He's the new leader of a bomb squad, and the risks he takes put all their lives in jeopardy. He's up for best actor.

The Hurt Locker is also nominated for original screenplay, original score, editing, cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing and director for Kathryn Bigelow, who, coincidentally, was once married to Avatar director James Cameron.

Just watch the trailer and see if it doesn't make you want to see it. I know I do. Critical response is nearly universal in approval. At House, Paragon and SFW CentralWorld. Rated 18+.

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Also opening



Up in the Air -- The Oscars' best-actor hopeful George Clooney is an executive who is obsessed with racking up frequent-flier miles. And he's got a great job for that -- he's a corporate hatchet man, flying around telling workers they are fired. He's satisfied with his empty life of living out of a suitcase, but is soon confronted by an existential crisis. It has two supporting actress nominees, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, and is up for adapted screenplay and director for Jason Reitman. Critical response is overwhelmingly positive. Rated 13+.


The Book of Eli -- Denzel Washington stars in this post-apocalyptic thriller. He's a lone drifter who carries a Bible in one hand and smacks down his enemies with the other. He arrives in a small settlement looking for water and comes into conflict with the town’s owner (Gary Oldman). Jennifer Beals and Mila Kunis also star. It's directed by the Hughes Brothers (Menace II Society, Dead Presidents). Critical response is mixed. Rated 18+.


Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel -- The shrill-voiced singing rodents are back for a second big-screen adventure. Alvin, Theodore and Simon are packed off to live with a cousin (Zachary Levi from Chuck). They join a battle of the bands in hopes of saving a high school's music program. Critical response is generally unfavorable. Perhaps let the kids go see this while you check out The Hurt Locker. Rated G.


Kongphan Kruekkruen Tor Tahan Kuekkuk (The Jolly Rangers) -- Four very different young men draw the red slip in the draft and are packed off to army training camp. Note Chern-yim directs this slapstick farce and teen-oriented romance. Rated 15+.

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Also showing


My Name Is Khan -- This is revenge for all the ham-fisted portrayals of foreign cultures by Hollywood. Director Karan Johar invades America with this sweeping, over-generalized tale of a Muslim Indian man suffering from Asperger Syndrome who is wrongfully accused of being a terrorist. Shah Rukh Khan emulates Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump as the socially awkward protagonist. He somehow captivates the heart of a beautiful San Francisco hairdresser (Kajol). They soon move to a small town, where after 9/11, hate crimes lead to tragedy. Khan is compelled to wander the U.S. in hopes of convincing the president that "my name is Khan and I am not a terrorist". At one point, the miracle-working handicapped man finds spiritual salvation in a community of church-going African-American minstrels who live in the squalor of wooden shacks like it's still the 1850s in the southern US. Their tiny village outside Atlanta looks suspiciously like it's set in the Himalayan foothills, complete with scrawy cows. BollywoodThai brings My Name Is Khan back for another screening at EGV Metropolis in the Big C Rajdarmi on Sunday at 4. Visit www.BollywoodThai.com or call (02) 225 7500 or (089) 488 2620.

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Sneak preview


A Serious Man –- The Coen Brothers latest effort is set in the 1960s and based on the their experience in growing in a Jewish suburb of Minneapolis. The comedy is about a physics professor (Michael Stuhlbarg) who is in the midst of a mid-life spiritual crisis. The Coens sure do know how the throw a curve ball. This is nothing like their previous Oscar winner No Country for Old Men. It's more akin to the existential screwball comedies like Barton Fink or maybe The Hudsucker Proxy. It's also nominated for original screenplay. Critical response is overwhelmingly positive. It's in sneak previews this week, with showtimes at around 8 nightly and then opens for more showtimes next Thursday at Apex in Siam Square and SF World Cinema. Rated 18+.

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Take note

Invictus was scheduled to open this week. There were posters for it. It was on the various schedules on the various websites and was in the final draft of this week's post here, but today's opening day, and ... where is it? Why does Thailand's major cinema chain frequently do that -- advertise a movie and then never show it?

Be careful out there in the coming days as the Thaksin verdict is read. Security will be tightened. Travel light. And watch your back.

Bangkok Cinema Scene: Movies opening February 18-24, 2010

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus


Heath Ledger stars in his last role as the barker of a traveling theater troupe. He changes whenever he steps through a magical mirror.

When Ledger died in January 2008, production was stopped, but director Terry Gilliam was able to work cinematic magic to salvage this fantasy by having Ledger's "physically transformed versions" played by Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell. The three actors, all friends of Ledger, donated their fees to Ledger's daughter.

The story involves the leader of the theater troupe, played Christopher Plummer, who has sold his daughter's soul to the devil. Model Lily Cole is daughter. Verne "Mini Me" Troyer is featured as Parnassus' confidant. And singer Tom Waits is Mr. Nick -- the Devil. Critical reception has been slightly favorable, with praise for the performances and visual spectacle expected of a Terry Gilliam film. At SFX The Emporium and SF Cinema City The Mall Bangkapi. Rated 13+.

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Also opening

True Legend -- Su Chan wasn't always the old alcoholic beggar you've seen in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master movies. Martial-arts choreographer Yuen Woo Ping, perhaps best known for his work in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix, seeks to set the record straight with this fact-based drama about the life of Beggar Su, who was once a wealthy man who dreamed of creating his own martial-arts discipline. But his ego caused his downfall and a tragic loss, and he turned to the bottle as he sank into poverty. Vincent Zhao portrays the master. Michelle Yeoh also stars with Jay Chou as "the God of Martial Arts". Notably, this is the last film David Carradine completed before his death last year in a Bangkok hotel room. Thailand-based 7-foot-tall Australian actor and stuntman Conan Stevens is also featured. Portions are in 3D in some cinemas. Thai-dubbed soundtrack only, with no subtitles. Rated 13+.


Little Big Soldier -- Jackie Chan stars in this historical comedy drama, set during China's Warring States period, playing a old farmer footsoldier who kidnaps the young general of a rival army (Wang Lee-Hom) in hopes of collecting a reward and earning his way out of the military so he can go back to farming. It's taken 20 years for Jackie to bring this project to the screen. Originally, he was supposed to play the young general. Thai-dubbed soundtrack only and no subtitles. Rated 15+.

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Also showing


My Name Is Khan -- Overcoming a politicized controversy involving Pakistan, cricket and protesting right-wingers that had nothing to do with the film, this sweeping drama opened last weekend worldwide, setting records in the U.S. and the U.K. and could be on track to top the record set by 3 Idiots. Superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan portrays a man suffering from Asperger Syndrome -- a mild form of autism in that causes those afflicted to appear socially awkward -- who's mistaken for a terrorist in post-9/11 America. He undertakes a long journey across America to prove his innocence to the love of his life (Kajol). It's directed Karan Johar. BollywoodThai brings it back for another weekend, and advises that reservations aren't a bad idea. And it's true -- the Bangkok Bollywood screenings are usually packed with families of eager Indian filmgoers. It's showing at SFW CentralWorld on Friday and Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 4. Visit www.BollywoodThai.com or call (02) 225 7500 or (089) 488 2620.


Pinoy Classics -- Filipino indie director Lav Diaz is perhaps best known for his films that push the boundaries of cinema, with sprawling, all encompassing, free-length movies that run for seven, nine, even 11 hours. This weekend's Pinoy Classics series offers a chance to see his more-conventional length features. Lav Diaz: The Early Years The Criminal of Barrio Concepcion from 1998 and Hesus the Revolutionary from 2002.

Criminal (Serafin Geronimo, kriminal ng Baryo Concepcion), Diaz's debut, involves an investigative journalist (Angel Aquino) who listens to the story of Serafin (Raymond Bagatsing), who claims he's an infamous kidnapper in a scheme that went horribly wrong.

One of Diaz's commercial efforts for Regal Studios, Hesus Rebolusyonaryo is set in a dystopian, military-ruled Philippines of 2011, though as critic Noel Vera pointed out in a 2005 review, "the film is really a commentary on the Philippines in the year 2002. Manila's streets have not changed; if anything, they look seedier and more garbage-strewn ... Diaz in effect took his budget constraints--no money for sets, or crowd extras--and turned them
into a political point: that Manila in the future will be more of the same, only worse." The loner Hesus (Mark Anthony Fernandez) stirs up trouble.

Organized by Film Virus, the screenings start at 12.30 on Sunday at Thammasat University Phra Chan in the Pridi Banomyong Library’s Rewat Buddinan Room. You'll have to check any bags you have and present your ID to the information desk.

This series is dedicated to Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc, film experts who were killed last year September in a robbery at their home in the Philippines.

Next for Film Virus is Salty Video Day, on February 28, with the Thai indie features Color of the Streets (director's cut) and The Cruelty of Soysauce Man (extended version).

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Sneak previews


Up in the Air -- George Clooney stars in this comedy-drama, a nominee for six Academy Awards, including best actor for Clooney, best director for Jason Reitman and best picture. He plays an executive who makes a living firing people from their jobs. In this economy, it's a great job to have. Up in the Air is in sneak previews this weekend, with showtimes at around 8pm at various cinemas. It opens in a wide release next week, along with six other big films, so maybe get it out of the way this weekend if you have a chance. Rated 13+.