Kaori Shoji - The Japan Times

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Kaori Shoji

Kaori Shoji writes about movies and movie-makers for the Film Page, plus takes a turn at the Bilingual Column. Biggest mistake of her career: taking the very dignified Nagisa Oshima to McDonald's for an iced coffee.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Apr 8, 2015

Woody Allen's sweet tooth, polished till it shines

In an interview back in the late 1990s Woody Allen described himself as "thin but fun," and the exact same thing could be said about many of his movies — doubly so for his latest film "Magic in the Moonlight." This pleasant, diverting film is a sweet hit to the senses before it melts away in your...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle

Apr 8, 2015

Documentary on Japanese 'war brides' is gaining steam

The documentary-film scene just keeps getting better, and here's one recent example that strikes a chord. Three women (Kathryn Tolbert, Lucy Craft and Karen Kasmauski) — all first-born daughters of Japanese war brides who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s to wed Americans — have gotten...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Apr 1, 2015

'Pride' is a brilliant film that comes before the fall of U.K. mining

The lesbian and gay communities have come a long, long way in both real life and cinema, and "Pride" is evidence of that. The film is set in 1984-85 England, when miners across the country went on strike to protest the government's closing of a large number of mines and the loss of more than 20,000 jobs....

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 25, 2015

Jean-Marc Vallee's interlocking tales of heartbreak and lovesickness

It can be hard to find a movie with soul, but "Cafe de Flore" may have too much. This 2011 film by Quebecois filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee tells an ambitious multilayered story that explores love and the idea of soulmates across two eras and cities.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 25, 2015

Ex-MMA fighter Gina Carano whips 'In the Blood' into submission

If you like watching strong athletic women in film, look no further than "In the Blood." Former mixed martial artist Gina Carano not only stars here, she practically whips this movie into weepy submission. Though I wasn't the one getting beaten up by her considerably large fists, 20 minutes in it felt...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 25, 2015

Disappointment, delusion and eternal love in 'Cafe de Flore'

Jean-Marc Vallee, whose "Dallas Buyers Club" bagged three Oscars last year, released a film in 2011 called "Cafe de Flore." The two works are radically different in style and content but it feels like they share a common thread. In both films, Vallee treats love as a precious, mysterious and ultimately...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 25, 2015

The Expendables 3

Director: Patrick Hughes Language: English

Japan Times

LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL

Mar 23, 2015

Where did all the Japanese fathers go?

Aside from ikumen (イクメン, men who play a role in raising their children), Nihon no otōsan (日本のお父さん, Japanese fathers) are a pretty sad lot. The vast majority of them have been and continue to be kaya no soto (蚊帳の外, literally "outside the mosquito net," meaning "left out")...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 18, 2015

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

It isn't the greatest of franchises but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to "Night at the Museum." The third and final installment, "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb," of the zany, entertainment-for-all vehicle also marks the last screen appearance of Robin Williams, who died last...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 18, 2015

Clown: 'father trapped in a clown costume begins to hunt children'

Fans of horror, rejoice: "Clown" is a horrifically effective sampling from the genre, and definitely not for solitary viewing. It's probably best to get a posse of friends and plan on a party afterwards because this will induce a serious scream-fest with weeping on the side. Yes, it's that scary.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 18, 2015

Blended (Japan title: Kozureja Damekashira)

Director: Frank Coraci Language: English

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 11, 2015

Capturing Raf Simons and the ghost of Christian Dior

You may not "J'adore Dior," but it's hard not to be fascinated by the goings on within the French fashion house, which is now one of the fashion industry's two remaining haute couture maisons.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 11, 2015

The Terrorizers: 'a masterpiece about Taiwan under the influence of money and globalization'

Along with Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, Edward Yang was one of the leading auteurs of Taiwan's New Wave Cinema. Yang, who died in 2007, was considered one of the most talented filmmakers of his generation and though most of his titles never made it the U.S., he was respected by film buffs and...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 11, 2015

Jessabelle: 'she doesn't have a whole lot going for her'

Although "Jessabelle" was all set for a nationwide release in the U.S. in 2014, the powers that be decided to shelve her. There she was, gathering dust, when Blumhouse Productions (known for its low-budget films) picked it up for a VOD release two months ago. Then she crossed the Pacific to show in theaters...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 11, 2015

Director: David Ayer Language: English

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 4, 2015

Coming Home: 'a woman victimized by Chinese politics, who retains an inner core of resilience'

"Coming Home" celebrates two relationships: the one depicted in the movie, of a man reuniting with his wife after two decades in prison during China's Cultural Revolution, and the other of director Zhang Yimou partnering once again with his iconic leading lady Gong Li. Together, the pair made their international...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 4, 2015

Diplomacy: 'arguing, raging and spluttering over the destruction of Paris'

One of the miracles of World War II was the preservation of Paris. In 1944, as the Allies drew close, "the City of Light" only narrowly missed being totally demolished by the Nazis.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Mar 4, 2015

Director: Brett Ratner Language: English

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Feb 25, 2015

Chef: 'battle cry of an artist who dreams of being his own master'

Heads up to "Iron Man" fans, "Chef" is director Jon Favreau's fabulous stress-vanquishing vehicle after all his superhero ventures, and it lets off more steam than all the potholes in New York City. There is not one superhero sighting here. Although "Iron Man" himself, Robert Downey Jr., makes an appearance,...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Film

Feb 25, 2015

Annabelle: 'a low-budget porcelain Satan from doll hell'

Now that "Ted" has made it OK for stuffed animals to have a life and hang out with Mark Wahlberg, you'd think cinema would open that door to dolls as well. No such luck: Annabelle, a creepy girl doll resembling Chucky from "Child's Play," turns out to be a porcelain Satan from doll hell.

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.

Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.

The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'

By Tomoko Otake

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