Category: Slice of Life

Watching Ozu Movies

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/55 sec, ISO3200
 “An Autumn Afternoon” Cedar Park, 2021

I’ve been watching movies by the director Yasujirō Ozu lately. When I first watched an Ozu movie, I wasn’t too impressed by this “master of cinema” but the more I watched, the more I enjoyed it and now he’s one of my favorite directors. Ozu utilized the same actors for many of his films and when one appears on the screen for the first time in a film it’s like an old friend has come for a visit. I love that.

Today I watched “An Autumn Afternoon / 秋刀魚の味” (1962) and think it may be my favorite Ozu movie. There’s a special charm to the visual aesthetic of 1960s Japan that I am attracted to, and this film has plenty of images of the era to admire. It’s fun to see!

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO1600
 “Michiko” Cedar Park, 2021

Watching A Scene at the Sea / あの夏、いちばん静かな海。

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/3.6, 1/25 sec, ISO800
 “Yuzu & Takako” Cedar Park, 2021

I have a bunch of movies on my computer that I need to watch, and looking at the list, I decided to just start alphabetically. A Scene at the Sea / あの夏、いちばん静かな海。 is a 1991 Takeshi Kitano movie about a deaf man who starts surfing.

I enjoyed the relaxed vibe and 90s-era clothes. So uncool and yet so kakkoi (cool). The story was not anything to write home about and the end was kind of a head-scratcher, but it was an interesting movie, if only for the nostalgia. On a positive note, the soundtrack was really good, which can be expected from the great Joe Hisaishi.

Watching Lupin III: The First (2019)

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/30 sec, ISO3200
 “Laeticia and Lupin” Austin, 2021

I met my anime move-watching partner Mikey this evening to watch Lupin III: The First at the theater. The movie was excellent! The animation, dialog, action, and soundtrack were outstanding. Such a fun film! And I was happy to see Fujiko kick some butt as she usually does. In fact, all the other main characters were pretty much perfect in this movie. I’m not a Lupin expert, but to me, this movie captured the essence of the franchise quite well.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/25 sec, ISO3200
 “Fujiko” Austin, 2021

I definitely recommend Lupin III: The First!