Gojo Reisenki: Gojoe (五条霊戦記 -2000)

Starring:
Tadanobu Asano - Shanao
Masatoshi Nagase - Tetsukichi
Daisuke Ryu - Benkei
Masakatsu Funaki - Tankai
Jun Kunimura - Suzaku-hougan
Urara Awata - Asagiri
Wui Sin Chong - Shoshinbo
Takato Hosoyamada
Ryo Kase - Kamuro
Naruki Matsukawa

“Gojoe” is set in ancient Japan, and the opening narration informs us that it’s a “dark time” for the country. In the aftermath of a bloody civil war for control of a local countryside, a “demon” entity has appeared to slaughter the soldiers of the winning side. Into the fray walks Benkei (Daisuke Ryu), a monk who was once a murderer of some renown. Benkei is intent on stopping the demon, believing that this action may, once and for all, cleanse his tortured soul of his murderous past.

As Benkei sets about hunting the demon with the help of Tetsukichi (Masatoshi Nagase), a former swordsmith who has given up the craft to steal swords of dead men killed by the demon, the film begins to shift gears. When Benkei encounters the demon for the first time, it becomes readily apparent that the “demon” is actually 3 swordsmen with terrifying, but awesome, killing abilities. The trio is led by Shanao (Tadanobu Asano), a Prince who survived the bloody civil war that saw most of his family dead; Shanao is originally intent on vengeance, but that quickly gives way to something else — something much more seductive…

“Gojoe” uses the word, and the meaning of, “demon” in many forms. Benkei himself is called a demon, not because he has monstrous features, but because of his monstrous past. Shanao, by the same token, has become such a relentless killing machine that his soul no longer resembles that of a man’s. Although compared to the brutish Benkei, the effeminate and regal Shanao seems like a mere pretender to the throne. When the two first meet, the intensity boils to unbearable proportions even though they never attack each other.

This was definitely a dark, DARK movie. I guess that would be expected from a Asano film. But respectively, it wasn't overly gory or harsh. The feelings of the movie were that of sorrow and remorse.

Supposedly the dark ages, Japan style, this movie got a wee bit confusing. I guess I really didn't know who to route for. Understandibly Shanao took revenge on the Heike clan because his family were murdered when he was a young boy. So it wasn't like he was just out to murder people because he felt like it, but yet as time went on revenge was no longer a factor. I think at that point his character felt that to become great he had to beat a certain force that was holding him back.....hence, Benkei.

Benkei came across as this great guy who was seen as the bad guy but yet as we go on in the story, he had used to be a bad guy and gone into "monk-dom" (Is that even a word? LOL!) to cleanse his soul of his wrong doings. While in seclusion, a supposed god came to him in a dream and told him to kill the two headed demon.

The story goes on...slowly...but this story was more interesting when it came upon Tetsukichi. I thought he was more fascinating and his history should have been more delved into. Ahh...but that is movie life. Ehh.

But in all, the movie was pretty good. Another best rented than seen at the movies. Asano Tadanobu, again, rocked my world.

The Taste of Tea (Cha no Aji/茶の味-2004)

Starring:
Maya Banno - Sachiko Haruno - daughter
Takahiro Sato - Hajime Haruno - son
Tadanobu Asano - Ayano Haruno - uncle
Satomi Tezuka - Yoshiko Haruno - mother
Tatsuya Gashuin - Akira Todoroki - grandpa
Tomoko Nakajima - Akira Terako
Ikki Todoroki - Himself
Tomokazu Miura - Nobuo Haruno - father
Anna Tsuchiya - Aoi Suzuishi
Saki Aibu - Hotaru
Hideaki Anno - Kasugabe
Keisuke Horibe - Man in Noodle Shop
Ryo Kase - Rokutaro Hamadayama
Rinko Kikuchi
Kirin Kin - Grandma
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi - Projectionist
Ken'ichi Matsuyama - Young Man in Red T-Shirt
Shunichiro Miki
Kenji Mizuhashi - Maki Hoshino
Yoshiyuki Morishita
Kaiji Moriyama - Dancer
Yuka Nomura - Woman in Noodle Shop
Yoshinori Okada - Omiya
Machiko Ono
Daigaku Sekine - Detective
Kotaro Shiga
Issei Takahashi - Chairman of Go Club
Shinji Takeda - CM Director
Seiji Tanaka
Yoji Tanaka
Susumu Terajima - Tattooed Man
Emi Wakui - Narrator (voice)

Eight-year old Sachiko (Maya Banno) is bothered at inopportune moments by her own giant-sized double, who hangs around sitting on buildings staring at her, while her older brother Hajime (Takahiro Sato) privately wrestles with raging hormones and a love-struck crush on a pretty new classmate (Anna Tsuchiya from Kamikaze Girls).

The grown-ups have their difficulties too: the mother (Satomi Tezuka) struggles to come out of retirement as an animator, and the father (Tomokazu Miura) is a professional hypnotist who occasionally plies his trade on his own family with often-funny results. An uncle (Tadanobu Asano from Ichi the Killer) drops in for a visit, but he also has a hidden agenda as he comes to terms with a romance that ended years ago.



This was a most interesting movie. It's very slooooooooooooooooooooooow. I'll admit I dropped off a bit. This movie is not for everyone. Tellin' ya right now.

This was more of a artsy film. It's a slice of life, photogenic, nostalgic, revealing look of a family. No violence...okay, someone got beat up but it's not what you think. No bad language. No sex. No car chases. Lots of visuals. The end was the most stimulating you'll see. Lots of sitting around saying nuttin'. Lots of fast cuts to other scenes.

There were a few funny scenes. Grandpa was a hoot. OMG! When he sang with his son at the recording studio. I was laughing my butt off!!

Very strange.

I really don't know how to describe this movie. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't my "taste of tea". But hey, Asano Tadanobu looked great even though his part was minor..........

Swallowtail Butterfly (スワロウテイル-1996)

Starring:
Hiroshi Mikami - Feihong
Chara - Glico
Ayumi Ito - Ageha
Yosuke Eguchi - Ryou Ryanki
Andy Hui Chi -On - Maofuu
Atsuro Watabe - Ran
Tomoko Yamaguchi - Shenmei
Nene Otsuka - Reiko
Kaori Momoi - Suzukino
Yoriko Douguchi - Hoshino
Mickey Curtis - Doctor
Tetsu Watanabe - Yakuza boss
Tadanobu Asano - Customer in club
Ken Enomoto - Voice work
Kent Frick
Kahori Fujii - Yuriko
Akio Jo
Sumie Kamogawa
Toshiyuki Kitami
Kenji Kohashi - Hoan
Shiek Mahmud-Bey - Arrow
Kae Minami
Ken Mitsuishi
Ryuushi Mizukami
Chris Peppler
Rolly
Toshiya Sakai
Sansei Shiomi
Keiichi Suzuki
Tomorowo Taguchi
Siro Takehatsu
Hua Rong Weng
Hajime Yamazaki

An industrial section of Japan got the name of Yentown as many immigrants come to make money and hope to go home rich. A small group of people in Yentown try to work together to survive, there is a girl named Ageha who has no family, Glico the hooker, Fei Hong a poor immigrant from Shanghai, Arrow an ex boxer from the US and Ren the mysterious guy who seems to know too much about guns. Fortune shines upon them when they find a cassette that we'll get them rich but along with money trouble will always follow.


This movie was off the scale over-my-head, under-my-feet. I was so confused.

First off, this movie was spoken in English, Japanese, and Chinese. It got so confusing. The English spoken, most of it anyway that was not spoken by an English speaker, was robotic and not fluid.

Second, the script, well.......the story was just wrong! It made no sense in my head. It was just stupid.

Third, well...there is no third. The actors were fine and dandy. Surprised to see a few that our now aged looking so young. I had to cut back a few times to look them up to make sure that the person speaking was really the person that was said to be the actor. Asano Tadanobu was more of a mere glance.

This movie wasn't great, in fact, I think I wasted a good two hours for nothing.

Taboo (Gohatto-1999)

Starring:
Takeshi Kitano - Captain Toshizo Hijikata (as 'Beat' Takeshi)
Ryuhei Matsuda - Samurai Sozaburo Kano
Shinji Takeda - Lieutenant Soji Okita
Tadanobu Asano - Samurai Hyozo Tashiro
Koji Matoba - Samurai Heibei Sugano
Masa Tommies - Inspector Jo Yamazaki
Masato Ibu - Officer Koshitaro Ito
Uno Kanda - The Geisha Nishikigi-Dayû
Kazuko Yoshiyuki - The Servant Omatsu
Tomorowo Taguchi - Samurai Tojiro Yuzawa
Yoichi Sai - Commander Isami Kondo
Jiro Sakagami - Lieutenant Genzaburo Inoue
Zakoba Katsura - Wachigaiya
Kei Sato - The Narrator (voice)

The movie takes place in Kyoto around 1865, in the last days of traditional samurai. Threatened by new kinds of fighting, new channels of power and the opening of the country to the West, the men of the Shinsen-gumi troop adhere all the more rigidly to the samurai code, even enforcing death as a punishment for severe violations. It is strange that a candidate as effeminate as Sozaburo would be one of two finalists chosen after sword-fighting auditions, but then again there is a look in the eye of Capt. Hijikata (Beat Takeshi) that hints of hidden agendas.



OMG! I'm totally freaked out! I just had to see one of the most beautiful Japanese men get it on with an ugly guy. WTH?? Yaoi in the earlier times was considered beautiful and wasn't forbidden. That being said, Kano is an effiminate male. He is young with womanly features and some of the shogunate militia he is assigned to have a "thing" for him. He is constantly being approached for some hot lovin'. OMG! This was a freaky ass movie but it was done soooooooo seriously. It was not funny. We all know the movies that Ryu-san likes to act in. He rarely smiles. Well this one was no exception.

I have to say it was so intriguing...with the exception of watching Rhu-san having sex. OMG! That was just freaking disgusting but yet I couldn't turn away. It was like a massive car wreck and you can't help but rubberneck as you pass by. Okay, okay, I won't lie. It was a little bit erotic. Okay, there. I confessed. I'm so glad I watched this..............

This was a hypnotic, fascinating movie. A total have to see it to believe it movie. Wonderful!!

Matsuda Ryuhei


Takeda Shinji


Asano Tadanobu