Ritual

Another example of a film I should have watched when it came out...at least for me it would have been a quintessential teenage movie that would have changed my life, at least a bit.

Now, I see it how it is. A meandering and pandering movie about angst, depression, grief and that trendy thing in Japan, suicide - feelings I've also been through as a teenager. I cannot, however, deny the somewhat unique visual style and the powerful effect it has on the viewer. The visual style created by the camera of the very talented director Hideaki Anno - who previously directed Evangelion (similar themes in both), the set design and filming locations. From a visual standpoint, it's great, it's a must-see.

From the story's point of view, it depends on everyone. On a teenager or early 20-year-old, the story would have a much greater effect than it has on me, and that's understandable. If I think for myself from a point of view of a teenager then yeah, it's moody, enigmatic, unpredictable, cool, random...everything I would have wanted to be. And all set in Japan. The ultimate cool.

But because it's not for everyone and because it's too up its own butt I cannot appreciate it more.

Ayako Fujitani is gorgeous and amazing in this film, it's hard to believe that her only other significant credits are three giant monster Gamera movies! (Which I would now like to see!)

Anno, for those who know his anime, is well-suited for film. The type of fun visual metaphors that filled "KareKano" from wall to wall are here, too, but used a bit more sparingly.

The plot concerns a burnt-out animator/filmmaker who, running away from his career, returns to the industrial town where he was born. There he encounters a waif, a half-crazy, suicidal, obsessive-compulsive girl who nevertheless has an incredible charm about her. By just listening to her (and eventually filming her), he becomes a part of her life.

As the two grow ever closer, of course disaster looms. Will he need to retreat from this crazy girl? Will his retreat destroy her fragile heart?

The end of the film is a bit disappointing. Anno offers some explanations of why she is like she is, but there really is no revelation. Without revelation, it would be better if left mysterious. This may be the novelist's fault but, given his history, Anno does seem to have problems with endings.

The cinematography is quite beautiful, even the polluted landscape of an industry town is gorgeous here.

Another viewer complained about metaphors, wondering specifically about the girl liking railroad tracks because they are always together but never meet. Well, the girl begs the guy to always be with her, and she also says that she does not like sex. Simple if you use your brain, but you do have to have one.

Any metaphors or philosophizing in this movie are just as simple. Nothing high-faluting or divorced from real experience.

If you liked Evangelion and think you will like this, please remember that there are no giant robots in this movie. If that's cool with you, you will probably have a good time. Thank you.

addendum: a year after writing the above, I learned that Fujitani is the daughter of action star Steven Seagal, and (between Gamera films) appeared in his 1998 movie The Patriot. Her novella "Shiki-Jitsu," which Anno adapted to the screen was inspired by the difficulties she experienced during the time she spent in Los Angeles. Now I'm even more in awe!

Ritual is without a doubt one of my favorite films of all time. Interestingly its from a from a very unexpected director.

I had seen Evangelion a few years back and thought it lacked maturity and was way too pretentious for its own good. I had heard some good things about Anno's live action work but didn't pursue it until some of my friends online came across this film and loved it.

This is the film where all the talent I thought Anno was capable of in Evangelion springs to life. This film has some of the most stunning photography I've seen, the performances are spot on, the writing is a tad on the pretentious side, but still feels very personal and is very much the voice of the director in his jaded post-anime days.

The film is subtle, beautiful and very creative. Its full of wonderful camera-work and cinematography that have a polish and subtlety lacking in his other work. If I had to complain about one thing I'd say that it drags a bit around the 1:45 mark.

One thing that surprised me about the acting is that Fujitani is actually Stephen Segal's daughter, showing that their is some acting talent in that family...

Its a real shame that Anno took a step backwards with his next film Cutey Honey (2004), because here is a film where one gets to see the beginnings of a brilliant auteur - I hope Anno directs something of this caliber again. (particularly if its animated, animation needs less trash and more art on the par with Isao Takahata's work) If you didn't care for Anno's anime work but thought he had talent I'd highly recommend checking this film out.

When I say this movie is for "fans of poetry", I mean simply that it is for people who enjoy delving into the subtlety and brevity of thoughts, for people who enjoy symbolism and are unafraid to dive into a challenging puzzle of seemingly disjoint ideas, for people who can appreciate the fantasy in--as Anno puts it--"the ennui of everyday life".

And if you were bored by the first sentence of my review, then you're probably not the person I'm describing. If you haven't guessed, I'm trying to scare off most of the crowd. ;)

Yes, people who rely heavily on plot shouldn't bother. But I'm not saying that this film lacks in plot. On the contrary, it has one of the most complicated plots if you manage to piece it together. This is not a movie to be taken lightly, and its beauty & meaning runs not on the surface but somewhere deep beneath--as in the movie where her innermost thoughts are stashed away in the "secret basement" of a 7-story building.

I would compare this movie to Fellini, Godard and Tarkovsky--except that I generally don't like any of those directors at all. In this case, however, Hideaki Anno is able to take all the brilliant elements of those classic directors and fuse it with vivid colours, imagery, a spectacular dialogue, and phenomenal acting, which is something those European directors may have overlooked in their unidirectional approach to "New Wave" cinema back in the 60s-70s. This is a film unlike any I have ever seen, because it challenges the mind while keeping the senses alive. It can be taken either philosophically or simply as a feast for the eyes, whichever you like.

The dialogue, which I've already mentioned, bears further mentioning. Unfortunately I had to rely on the English subtitles, but even that was a work of literature. It's as if the philosophical works of Confucious, Descartes and Kant had been given a real-world, human voice. Heady stuff. And the script is expertly delivered by Ayako Fujitani in a performance that ranks up there with the best portraits of creeping madness I've ever seen.

On a final note, I just want to touch on the ending--don't worry I won't ruin a thing. I've read some criticism; apparently people have been disappointed. I admit that I, too, had been expecting something different. But now, having watched the film several times over (a requirement!), I see that the ending couldn't have been more perfect. I can't find a single flaw in this movie. 10/10.

This felt a good 20 to 30 minutes too long for me, which holds it back from greatness in my eyes. That being said, I still liked a good amount of this film, and there were moments throughout that were very effective and powerful.

It's clear to see it as a personal film for Hideaki Anno, and it's different to anything else I've seen from him. I think with this, he proves he can do grounded drama without the sort of sci-fi elements found in his best known movies/shows... but I just wish this had been assembled and edited to be a bit tighter, because to me, it didn't feel like it needed to be more than two hours.