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Being an Iwai Shunji-produced and co-written film, I was quick to pick up BANDAGE, hoping for something original and enjoyable. I'm not sure how involved Iwai was with the film (I'm guessing not too much, though there are undoubtedly Iwai inspirations scattered throughout the film), but it mostly delivered on my hopes.

Casting Akanishi Jin as one of the leads was a smart move by director Kobayashi Takeshi. He brings massive fan support to the movie, not to mention experience in the Japanese music industry. Playing the lead singer of a rock band, Akanishi undoubtedly draws from personal experience (he's a very popular member of the Johnny's boy band KAT-TUN– actually, former member now; he decided to go solo using this film as a base) as he plays the carefree yet troubled character of Natsu. His band, LANDS, is quickly gaining mass popularity but encounters problems– the band members just don't completely gel. A genius musician, Yukiya (Kora Kengo), and a brilliant composer, Arumi (Shibamoto Yuki), form the heart of the band with Natsu supposedly still remaining just because of his indie fan base. It also helps that he can sing.

Asako (Kitano Kii) is a high school girl who loves LANDS. One day, her friend invites her to one of their concerts and they miraculously stumble upon backstage passes. The girls soon find themselves at the band's after-concert drinking party and Asako strikes up a relationship with Natsu. He's soon bringing her to rehearsals and calling her up to solve band problems. The rest of the band obviously sees this as a hindrance, though they can't convince Natsu of that. He really likes her, in his own strange and laid-back way.

Akanishi Jin plays a damn good rocker. Although his character is quite one-dimensional, Akanishi embodies the rocker spirit, entertaining and involving us in the film. Johnny's Entertainment boys are typically unimpressive actors whose roles are often restrained or stiff. It's surprising that Akanishi plays such a dark and adult character (yes, he really kissed a girl–a real kiss!). Akanishi's rock star is seemingly drunk throughout the film (this is his personality) as he rambles and babbles along. It's all very entertaining, no doubt. Kitano Kii, who also previously starred in the Iwai-produced Halfway (2009), is a pleasure to watch as well. It's nice to see a young actress so in- control of her characters, I'm always impressed with her. The casting for each character is very good. I especially liked the inclusion of Ito Ayumi (who emerged out of Iwai's Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)), as the beautiful and smart manager of LANDS.

The cinematography is on-and-off, employing the Iwai-inspired hand-held style which is both effective and annoying. This style of camera-work can either bring extreme originality or make the film appear amateurish. For example, in a few scenes the camera is far too unstable, mostly noticeable towards the beginning, making for an uncomfortable viewing experience (thankfully, these scenes are low in quantity). In other scenes, the camera works well, particularly when filming during performances or when the intimacy that the hand-held camera can bring is needed. I found myself enjoying the cinematography more as the film progressed. Cinematographer Onomichi Koji seems to be Iwai's new go-to cameraman after the death of his friend Shinoda Noboru, as he is using him here and in his next directorial feature, the English-language Vampire (2011).

Since BANDAGE is a film about music, the songs must be good–and they are. Akanishi's voice is well-suited to the neo-rock/alternative sound and is pleasing overall. The songs are all original compositions by Kobayashi, who usually produces soundtracks for Iwai's films (unless he does it himself). The tracks are great, which helps raise the enjoyment scale of the movie. There is a particular scene in the film that gave me goosebumps: Yuichi is playing around with a recording of one of LANDS's songs in darkness, hair in his face. He alters the voice to be robotic-sounding and plays the guitar with a violin bow. It's a powerful and dark moment in the film in which we discover the extent of Yukiya's talent and his deep loneliness.

BANDAGE is ultimately a film about self-discovery. It is effective in portraying the life of an indie band in 1990′s Japan, when the rise and fall of these bands was commonplace due to TV talent shows. With a strong cast, great music, and effective camera-work for the genre, BANDAGE manages to entertain while being an interesting commentary on the music industry at the time. Recommended!

I first watched Tokyo Story in a classroom some time ago and witnessed something curious. I have never seen a group of people so choked up over a film, ever. The most curious thing about it though is that most could not place what exactly made them so emotional. There are moments in Tokyo Story in which you are hit with a wall of emotions, surprised and overwhelmed that this simple little film could evoke such feelings. It's something about the characters, the honesty, the way everything hits home despite the cultural and time-period barriers.

Tokyo Story takes a deep look at familial relations in postwar Japan. Simply, it boils down to this: two aging parents (played by Ryu Chishu and Higashiyama Chieko) live far away from their children, who are in a quickly modernizing Tokyo. The children in Tokyo are quite selfish and focused on their own busy lives in the hustle-and-bustle of the city. The key character in this film, though, is Noriko (Hara Setsuko), the widow of one of the parents' sons who died in the war. Noriko turns out to be more active with her husband's parents than their own children are.

The parents decide to make their first, and possibly final, trip to Tokyo in order to see their children and view the spectacle of the city. The only person that can make significant time for them, however, is Noriko; the children are busy with work and even send their parents away to a spa! In one heartfelt scene, the mother, Tomi, spends the night at Noriko's in which she begs her to re-marry and apologizes for the burden that her son has caused. During this time, the father, Shukichi, is out drinking with old friends and admits to them that he is disappointed with his children, agreeing with his friends who feel the same way.

Ozu Yasujiro is considered to be one of the world's greatest filmmakers and Tokyo Story is considered his masterpiece. There is no reason to deny this. Ozu's camera is often a topic of discussion–it usually sets itself at the level of people sitting on the floor (tatami), which allows the viewer to feel like they are sitting right with the characters. It is usually always a calm camera, and very rarely pans. His films are also often slowly paced and meditative, choosing to avoid showing important events which later are revealed through dialogue. Ozu's direction of children has always been brilliant, they are never a weak point in his films and he often bases his stories on child characters (though not here).

Tokyo Story contains all of the elements that make Ozu's films popular with film students and cinephiles today. His calm, observant camera; his real-life, non-embellished characters; his attention to detail and the emotional emphasis on certain objects; his perfectly timed music; among other things, contribute ultimately to the warmth and effectiveness of the film. Ozu's passion for filmmaking knew no bounds.

Tokyo Story will not appeal to everybody, especially today. The typical moviegoer will either dismiss the film because it is "old" or "black and white," or find it boring. To the cautious and attentive viewers who allow themselves to connect with the characters and feel the story, Tokyo Story is a rewarding experience. Tokyo Story, along with Ozu's other films, is a good example of film as an art. Aimed at telling a story and depicting true life on camera, it is much less of the "entertainment" experience that people have come to expect from the movies today. There are no explosions, violence, chase scenes, or over- the-top characters here. This is Ozu. This is one of the greatest films ever made.

Who doesn't love food?

Itami Juzo's Tampopo is a heartwarming film about people who love, and are often obsessed with, food. The main narrative follows two truck drivers, Gun (Yamazaki Tsutomu) and Goro (Watanabe Ken) who stumble upon a run down, unpopular ramen noodle shop. The shop's owner, Tampopo (Miyamoto Nobuko), is running it all by herself and isn't too experienced in the "art" of making good ramen. After a brawl, Gun and Goro take it upon themselves to improve Tampopo's cooking and redefine her shop. The film not only focuses on this narrative, but is interspersed with brilliantly transitioned scenes of people's interaction with food: a white-suited yakuza (Yakusho Koji) and his mistress perform erotic acts with food, a group of homeless turn out to be master chefs, a young corporate subordinate upstages all of his superiors with his knowledge of French cuisine at an expensive dinner, an old lady sneaks around in a supermarket just to feel the food, among others.

Never missing a step, Yamazaki Tsutomu fully embodies the character of Gun. His tough assertiveness, along with the willingness to fight and instigate others, gives him many of the characteristics that John Wayne's famous cowboy persona's had. In fact, the entire cast is filled with likable, charismatic characters. Tampopo is spunky, determined, and easy to root for–we want her to succeed in her quest for ramen- making perfection. Yakusho Koji is also a welcome presence with his depiction of the erotic possibilities of food; in one scene he cracks an egg and the yolk is passed around between his mouth and his beautiful mistress's. It is ultimately the way in which these characters are portrayed on screen that gives them such a likable presence. Food is universally loved–showing characters and their intense passion for food strikes a chord with everybody. It also makes you hungry.

Itami's use of scene transitions is brilliant in its unobtrusiveness. Scenes suddenly shift without the viewer even noticing–it's seamless perfection. For example, there is a scene in which Tampopo is exercising outside under Gun's supervision when a group of businessmen in suits walks past. The camera decides to follow the businessmen to their destination, a French restaurant, to watch them order their food, then follows the waiter out into the main seating area where it stops to observe a group of women receiving a lesson on proper Western dining etiquette (eating without slurping…although a Western man in the restaurant is slurping his noodles loudly, much to the chagrin of the teacher). As the businessmen's waiter passes through, the camera follows him back to the business party. You can't help but enjoy the way this all works–the transitions make for a creative and ultimately successful approach to telling a story with multiple plot lines and random happenings.

Itami created a masterpiece here, one that should be seen and loved by everyone. There are not many films that display the kind of warm splendor that Tampopo emanates. You cannot avoid smiling throughout the movie. The characters become deeply involving and one cannot help but feel connected with them. This is the ultimate film for food lovers. Try to avoid the pangs hunger while watching. I couldn't.