Minamata

"Minamata" is a Drama movie in which we follow the photographer William Eugene Smith traveling to some coastal villages in Japan to capture with his camera the effect of mercury poisoning on people.

I was simply amazed by this movie because it had an interesting plot that was based on real events and since I did not know about them I was shocked. The direction which was made by Andrew Levitas was very good and he presented very well the whole story behind mercury poisoning and he also did a good job on the way he used some old footage of that time. The interpretation of Johnny Depp who played as William Eugene Smith was simply outstanding. Some other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Minami's who played as Aileen, Hiroyuki Sanada's who played as Mitsuo Yamazaki and Jun Kunimura's who played as Junichi Nojima. In conclusion, I have to say that "Minamata" is an amazing movie and I highly recommend everyone to watch it because you will learn something about a huge environmental problem that affected many people and many families.

Mr. Depp once again showed what a powerful actor he is. I am not going to write about charm and charisma, I will only note that all actors fall into two categories. The play of the first ceases to be perceived as a game and begins to be seen as life. The character comes to life. The play of the latter can be good or bad, but it is always clear that it is just a play. Depp belongs to the first category.

"Minamata" is a disease that I was curious about while studying at the Faculty of Medicine.

An amazing person, a unique photographer, W. Eugene Smith.

The movie has a pretty good biography and stays away from fake drama. Because the story itself is already very painful.

Andrew Levitas has done a great job of directing.

Benoit Delhomme has created a magnificent composition with Sony camera and lenses.

Ryuichi Sakamoto exclaimed that he was a master with every note of the music.

And I was very happy to see J. Depp, whom I missed for a long time.

Hiroyuki Sanada, you are an amazing detail.

A solid and important film, especially these days with very recent topics. Its a story that deserved to be told at the cinema as it is groundbreaking, shocking and absolutely relevant. It also brings back Johnny Depp to his actually acting standards. Depp is wonderful, and not only because he successfully de-glammed for the role, but also because he found his acting weapons back. He truly gives a great performance in a film that sometimes suffers from its lengths. Because although the story is absolutely important to tell, director Andrew Levitas didn't really do where to go with it. He knew he wanted to tell it, he knew what he wanted to tell, but he didn't know how to put this in a 2 hours movie as there are some major lengths , especially in the midsection of the film And you sometimes had the impression this wold have worked better as a short film. To see Depp back to business it is worth to see and also to encounter newcomer Minami in the female lead is really something. She did great and shared a great chemistry with Johnny Depp. Bill Nighy also has his moments but can do better, his role was a bit underdeveloped. The song is amazing and there are many moments that are worth to mention, however as a whole it felt sometimes a bit too slow and without a definite direction.

Minamata is a must-watch for all cinema lovers to appreciate the cinematography, direction and the choice of background scores used, about the Minamata disease that caused havoc in the early 1970s.

Johnny Depp, perhaps one of the greatest and most versatile actors of all time, turns in a powerful and sombre performance where he is able to emote mostly from his eyes. Once again, he goes right into the skin of the character in this case, the late Eugene Smith and is definitely worthy a performance to ATLEAST an Academy Award nomination. Bill Nighy is good in an extended cameo. Minami is very good in her role as well.

To summarise, this movie is a must watch for Johnny Depp's excellent performance, his best since Black Mass, and the topic of mercury poising and the environmental damage by conglomerates, which I personally believe needs to receive more attention. This movie personofies art & cinema's true purpose.