As promised I said I would write my film reviews monthly as well. You might be disappointed though as I didn't take advantage of my local DVD rental stores half-price campaign. Which means I didn't watch a lot of films. Only four to be exact - and two of those were movies that were aired on television.
チームバティスタの栄光 「Team Batista no Eiko」[THE GLORIOUS TEAM BATISTA] (2008) - Spawned from the popular television drama "Team Batista" - a medical drama that showcases the difficult "Batista" procedure - a high risk operation to shrink the size of enlarged heart. The ratings did so well that the next thing you know, a silver screen edition of a new story. Starring Yuko Takeuchi and Hiroshi Abe (two of Japan's major television and movie stars). The group of doctors - known as "Team Batista" had completed over twenty successful Batista operations but suddenly the last three patients have died on the operating table. The lead doctor requests an independent investigation to solve this mystery.
佐賀のばがいばあちゃん 「Saga no Gabai Baachan」[GRANNY GABAI] (2006) - Based on the bestselling book by comedian Yoshichi Shimada - a personal story of his childhood as he is sent to live with his grandmother he hardly knows in Saga Prefecture, far from the big city of Hiroshima that he knows. The era is shortly after the end of World War 2 when Japan was still trying to climb out of the ashes from the loss of war. Shimada's mother was trying to make ends meet but could not support her family, so she sends Shimada to his grandmother's. The grandmother, played by Kazuko Yoshiyuki, makes this such a great film to watch. But your guess is as good as mine about the availability of this film in the U.S. Check your foreign film section, it will be worth the search.
EASTERN PROMISES (2007) - A review I read somewhere made this out to be a continuation of "A History of Violence" which I truly enjoyed. Unfortunately, that was not the case. And although this wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't anything to write home about either. This stars Viggo Mortensen as a clean-up man for the Russian mafia, and Naomi Watts who plays a doctor at a hospital who treats a young and pregnant Russian girl. Although Watts saves the baby, the mother dies, leaving only a diary thats written in Russian and a piece of paper that shows the address of a local Russian restaurant. I think you can figure out the rest.
IRONMAN (2008) - The Marvel Universe spawns another comic based hero with Robert Downey, Jr. in the starring role. Cool CG. Its also nice to see Downey, Jr. on the silver screen again. He's aged fairly well I think. For those of you who aren't familiar - Downey plays Tony Stark - inheritor of Stark Industries from his father which makes the most modern and technically advanced weapons for the military. As Stark nearly gets killed by warlords in Afghanistan, who have a stock of weapons - with Stark Industries written all over them, he has an epiphany - his company shouldn't be making weapons. The Warlord is forcing Stark to build him a massive weapon against his will. But his father's partner, played by Jeff Bridges, has been making deals without Stark's knowledge to any kind of people who will pay him big money. Anyway, Stark manages to escape the warlord by building a body armor from the scraps around the hideout - oh, they were forcing him against his will to build the latest missile that Stark Industries had just perfected. And for the rest...aw, just go rent the film.Yep, that's it. That's all I watched this month. Really. No kidding. Unbelievable isn't it? I spent more time reading and taking walks in unexplored neighborhoods (that is unexplored to me and Mikako).
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