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Let me be clear, I don't mean it's not for everyone with any kind of condescension, it's just that The Prisoners of Ghostland leans more towards the surreal then it does towards a typical Sci-Fi Action flick. And, I think, it would be perfectly reasonable for someone to expect that, especially with Nicolas Cage and Sofia Boutella in it.

Trust me. It that's what you are looking for, Prisoners of Ghostland will be a disappointment. I think that is reflective of many of the low rated reviews here.

Plot wise, essentially, it is a kind of "Escape from New York" set in a dystopian future resembling a mash up of Japan and the Old West. Nicolas Cage plays, "Hero," a bank robber allowed at a chance of freedom if he finds a man's granddaughter. The man is called the Governor and runs a bizarre future town that has saloons and bordellos with gunslingers, geishas, and samurai. The Governor is played by Bill Moseley, doing every bit his best to channel his inner Dennis Hopper.

So, Hero is imprisoned after a bank robbery gone horribly wrong, and to regain his freedom he must find the Governor's granddaughter as I mentioned.

This dystopian future appears to be Japan, but there is no rhyme nor reason that I could detect why there is a Western styled town with gunslinging cowboys in it. There are a lot of fun set pieces and colorful geishas that might wear some people thin, but I found entertaining. As, Hero heads out into the wasteland, we later learn there was a nuclear disaster that created the dystopia. He goes on a few adventures before finding the granddaughter, played by Sofia Boutella. Each adventure is a little stranger then the last and is reminiscent of the film Road Warrior. If you try to follow the film as a straight narrative, you'll most likely get bored and/or irritated. But, if you watch it, with a sense of fun and let go and some of the more surreal elements, it can be just that. Fun.

Since the film's strength relies on its visual elements, it's a little hard to describe each scene and I don't want to spoil anything. Safe to say, Hero, does make it back to see the Governor and that's where the Prisoners of Ghostland has its explosive climax.

The film's director Sion Sono also directed the films, Why don't You Play in Hell? And Suicide Club. More accessible, in my opinion, but also on the strange side. I didn't realize, at first, that he was the director.

This film aside, I must admit, I'm really enjoying seeing the journey Nicolas Cage is taking as an actor. Definitely hit or miss, but it's fun to see what he'll be in next.

My Sweet Grappa Remedies is a film based on a novel by the same name. Both the film and novel are Japanese. I haven't read the book, but I was lucky enough to see the film recently. It is directed by Akiko Ohku who directed two other films, Tremble All You Want and Marriage Hunting Beauty.

Not having read the novel, I was able to judge the film on its own merits and, I must say, I really enjoyed it and was struck by how well it reflects the loneliness so many people feel throughout the world. The film centers around a mid-forties woman named Yoshiko. Yoshiko works in a non-descript job and lives alone in a small apartment. No cat, no dog. Just herself.

Yoshiko narrates the film by writing in her diary. Yoshiko admits that it is a diary that no one will read. She says this with some humor, but she absolutely means it. She is more resigned with her station in life then depressed, but we never get the impression she is anything but unhappy. Her days are spent working, walking home and drinking. Each day is more or less the same. There are brief moments when we get to see some smiles, such as her playfully walking backwards home one night and riding her bike. But, mostly, it's working, walking home and drinking. This changes when two younger people join her office. A young woman, Wakabayashi and a young man, Okamoto. Wakabayashi is very playful and sets her sights on Yoshiko to both tease and befriend. With this new friendship, Yoshiko starts to open up more. In a funny scene while they are having lunch together, Wakabayashi chastises Yoshiko for not letting her know that it was her birthday. She punishes Yoshiko by sucking up noodles loudly every time Yoshiko talks. Yoshiko is taken aback that someone cares. A touching moment.

The younger man, Okamoto, we see less of, but he also takes an interest in Yoshiko. He's a little odd, but Wakabayashi pushes Yoshiko and him together. We never really see much of their relationship develop as we have with the younger woman. But we hear and see the effect it has on Yoshiko. She narrates a range of emotions. Eventually, they become a couple. Again, we don't see so much of this develop as we hear Yoshiko's narration of it. It didn't really seem necessary since so much of the film relies on her narration. He is much younger then Yoshiko, by 24 years, but their romance comes across as believable.

The ending was very sweet and comes full circle with Yoshiko's birthday a full year later. I won't say much about it. Nothing particularly surprising but a nice way to close after following Yoshiko's life for a cinematic year. There's hope and friendship in her life.

So, My Sweet Grappa Remedies, touches on a very topical subject. Loneliness. I think it's a film that should resonate with a lot of people at various stages in their life. So, if you get a chance, it's definitely worth seeing. You might find that it resonates with you, as it did for me.