A modern idea tackled by the rage of the young director. Strange, socially inept, immature, careless, unvalued, and frail are characteristics that can be used to describe Kazuhiko. Irish. Kazuhiko isn’t enjoying his life, despite his degree from a top university. His first feature film Melancholic won the Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival, and the White Mulberry Award at the Far East Film Festival. The Top 10 films were selected from over 500 votes, chosen out of 300+ reviews on the site this year. 4. Melancholic is released by Third Window Film on UK Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) on 7 September 2020. Content Rating: 18+ Restricted (violence & profanity) That film is Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 opus, Tokyo Story. The certificate, framed on his wall, looms over and antagonizes him. Melancholic earned Tanaka the Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, and it is clear to see why. Description. To them, change is destabilizing. This FAQ is empty. Kazuhiko’s graduation certificate roots the film in modern reality. One day, he runs into a high-school classmate, Yuri, at a bathhouse and later starts working there. Kazuhiko pulls you in with his hand gestures, ticks, extremely awkward eye movement, and charming energy. New doors aren’t opening for him and he’s just as he was before attending university–jobless. Celebrate Irish films with Volta’s St Patrick’s Day Film Festival. Romance and relationships play a big role in “Melancholic”. A barkeeper saves a Yakuza boss' life and thus makes his way up in the organization. Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival announces Aer Lingus Discovery Award and Shorts Awards recipients. Cherry blossoms epitomize this transience: the ethereal beauty of the fluffy pink flowers against the blue sky; the bittersweet sadness of the petals twirling to the ground in a cold rain. She inherits a small fortune that allows her to pursue various interests, many of which are abnormal. “You must be a genius!”, and “Wow you graduated from..?!”. Director: Seiji Tanaka Year: 2018 Duration: 113′ Language: VOSE Genre: Quirky noirish drama. 1 of 1 people found this review helpful. Melancholic (Japan, 2018) Melancholic follows Kazuhiko (Yoji Minagawa), a young man who graduated from the prestigious Tokyo University, but who has been content with just getting by. "Melancholic" won the "Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award" at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. The addition of melodrama forces you to reconsider what kind of film you’re watching. After studying theater at Nihon University College of Art, TANAKA went on to study film in California. This life is a … It threatens their power and place in society. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. While that is a downer of a moral, Tanaka did call his film Melancholic, so it is safe to assume this resentful summation of Japan’s lost post-grads is entirely intentional. Kazuhiko, a graduate of a prestigious university, wasn't enjoying his life, until he takes a job at a bathhouse. The genre-blending works because of how Kazuhiko deals with the hands he’s given, with his awkward and messy self. "Melancholic" won the "White Mulberry Award for First time director" at the 21st Far East Film Festival. “Melancholic” succeeds In that genre blending, in a way that many films have not been able to master. It’s a through-line within the film with the stage set for young adults versus middle-aged and older adults. “Melancholic” succeeds In that genre blending, in a way that many films have not been able to master. Slowly he is pulled deeper into a world of crime against his will and in order to protect himself, his friends, and his family from a yakuza boss, he must fight for a way out. These anime have an atmosphere of pensive sadness. Turns out the place also serves as a yakuza killhouse at night. It is a genuine attempt at combining different genres within its narrative while dealing with the coming-of-age journey of its central character. They witness deaths during the closing days of Japan's feudal... See full summary ». Melancholic follows Kazuhiko (Yôji Minagawa). Cast. It’s constantly brought up and questioned in amazement. MELANCHOLIC Japan Official Panorama Section. Use the HTML below. Soo-hyuk, an elementary school teacher in a rural village, has a secret. One that implicates a theme of generations colliding. 54 min. Almost every year at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) at least one film by a new Japanese director gets talked up by visiting programmers, journalists and critics as a find. I enjoyed it. Both Ennis (Heath Ledger) and Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) are married to women, living out the life expected of rural men. They refuse to be defined by their current circumstance as they are subject to change at any given moment, nor do they care. What starts off as a coming-of-age film, morphs towards an ode to V-Cinema and Hong Kong action films, and finally, emerges as a touching human drama. Kazuto has a lifelong dream of becoming an actor, but has been suffering from a special medical condition where he faints and collapses when he gets nervous. From here on we get an interesting combination of something reminiscent of the TV show Dexter and a romance/comedy. Kazuhiko ends up at the job he gets instead of the job society implies he can get, because of society’s very nature. Director Tanaka explores societal ideas of education and institution starkly contrasted against the post-college students’ reality. In 2019, it was released in Japanese cinemas and is being released on BluRay in September 2020. He’s on par with the best out there and believably steps into his character as he becomes Kazuhiko. Then he discovers that the baths are used as a space for killing people after closing hours. It is a strikingly impressive blend of crime, gentle humor, and character study, and I have no doubt this team will have more to show us. He is a listless young man wandering through life. Kazuhiko falls in love with Yuri, his classmate from high school. Add the first question. He won the Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award for his first feature film MELANCHOLIC at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. This unemployed typical japanese shy guy starts working at a neighborhood bathhouse, after running into an old female classmate there. Then he discovers that the baths are used as a space for killing people after closing hours. Kazuhiko, a graduate of a prestigious university, wasn't enjoying his life, until he takes a job at a bathhouse. The incredible melding of all these elements paves way for this film to have the ending it does. Melancholic They may explore themes such as Loneliness, depression, or tragedy. ‘ Melancholic ’ is Seiji Tanaka’s debut feature. Melancholic is a mostly low-key thriller about a well-educated young man called Kazuhiko (Yôji Minagawa), who takes a job at a bathhouse. Taking one step further back, Tanaka also uses this as a metaphor for the filmmaking itself. Complete list of melancholy anime, and watch online. A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the Japanese mafia but quickly loses his self control. Despite the danger, Kazuhiko discovers career satisfaction. View production, box office, & company info, 'Peaky Blinders': Cillian Murphy Talks Season 5, Getting in the Mind of "Melancholic" Gangster. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa. Several of the actors who fail to win roles participate as extras. He has graduated from a prestigious university, yet his efforts to find a decent job are to no avail, but eventually, he lands a job at a bathhouse. by Mark Schilling. Think Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver”, or Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate”. After leaving work one night, he gets the feeling that something’s off and returns to the bathhouse again through the side exit only to find a murder taking place under the watchful eye of his boss. Hiroshi Takamura has a wife, Hatsuno, and a son Akira. Mike wants to make a film for closure, an epitaph and swan song. https://onedio.co/content/30-melancholic-movies-about-loneliness-11738 The story centers on a group of young people who travel back in time when they are in a movie theater just before closing time. After studying theater at Nihon University College of Art, Seiji TANAKA, born in 1987, went to study film in California. After studying theater at Nihon University College of Art, Seiji TANAKA, born in 1987, went to study film in California. (2018). Melancholic is a test in stretching genre conventions, and this is as far from a standard Yakuza movie as you could expect. This fusion creates the style of the film. Azuma, the bathhouse owner, and Tanaka, the yakuza boss both want to desperately preserve what they have. Review: Melancholic Richard Gray November 12, 2019 Film, Film Festivals, Film Reviews, Japanese Film Festival. The sister takes on the task of informing the deceased's ... See full summary », When it rains it pours. A strong debut that takes you to the unexpected repeatedly and stays that way to the bittersweet ending. TANAKA Seiji is a theater and film director. Votes: 419,213 | Gross: $44.59M The easternKicks Top 10 Films of 2019 was voted on by 12 writers from the team. Synopsis. A grand idea tackled in the film is the idea of old vs new, the traditional versus the contemporary. The film is ripe with melancholy for the lost times, the emotion that the younger days can never be matched to the old age boldly proclaimed in the form of various allegories. Spoiler alert! The Melancholy of the Roupeiro (Japanese Movie); ホペイロの憂鬱; Hopeiro no Yuuutsu;Roupeiro no Yuuutsu; Sakagami Eisaku is the roupeiro, someone who is It’s the lens in which the story is framed, the eyes through which we see through, and how elements of other genres are woven together that make it such a unique and fantastical debut. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. A 30 Year old woman, a hostess past her time working at a shady club and an aspiring actress living in Tokyo. Ang Lee’s magnum opus, “Brokeback Mountain”, is probably the most prominent film depicting the struggles of gay men. He returns there in order ... See full summary ». Arguably, change is inevitable and within every generation, it is ingrained within the young. The niece is now a grown girl. While the subject matters is a little dark, it's quite a mellow and warm movie and the characters are all quite likeable. Even our happiest moments—falling in love, giving birth—are infused with melancholy. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. To encapsulate the film’s essence in a logline: Melancholic is about a befuddled man who unknowingly secures an ingenuous part-time job at a bathhouse – but soon discovers that its after-hours are used to murder yakuza targets and clean up their remains. Following his return to Japan, he started writing and directing plays and movies, as well as working at a start-up company. Title: In his debut feature, “ Melancholic ”, director Seiji Tanaka and actor/producer Yoji Minagawa create a menagerie of overused but fun Yakuza movie plotlines, scenes of familial domesticity, dating life, friendship, young vs old, and notions on college education. After Hiroshi learns about Eisuke's past, he decides to take his job and family more seriously. Summary. Kazuhiko isn’t enjoying his life, despite his degree from a top university. Still living with his parents, Kazuhiko takes a part time job at a public bathhouse, where he begins dating Yuri (Mebuki Yoshida), an old high school classmate. Plot Summary | Add Synopsis Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinemas, The Takashi Miike Project (101/105 complete), Film Review: Forest of Oppression – A Record of the Struggle at Takasaki City (1967) by Shinsuke Ogawa, Film Review: Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku (2020) by Yuichi Fukuda Screening at Fantasia, Film Review: Rolling Marbles (2020) by Kenichi Ugana, Film Review: Wild Tour (2018) by Sho Miyake, Film Review: Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) by Toshio Matsumoto. He runs into a high-school classmate, Yuri, at a bathhouse and later starts working there. By taking the heart, guts, and tropes of V-Cinema, and subverting them, Tanaka reinvents and invents a beautiful and contemporary genre hybrid. Melancholy in Japan is related to the ephemeral nature of things. In the West, a comparable present-day director would be Britain’s Mike Leigh (who cites Ozu as an influence) in terms of an auteur who crafts everyday stories with complex emotional undercurrents. Director Tanaka is able to respect and innovate upon the Japanese action cinema of the late 80’s and 90’s, through the eyes and constant disbelief of a 20-something college graduate. Ozu was one of the great masters of 20th century Japanese cinema. Take a look ahead at some of our most anticipated superhero series arriving in 2021 and beyond. Several seemingly unrelated but surprisingly intertwined tales reveal how a Japanese band that independently invented punk rock in 1975 is, 37 years later, connected to a comet that is about to destroy the world. But because they are working within the pre-existing systems set by the older generations–Azuma and Tanaka, it’s inevitable that their thinking will clash. In his debut feature, “Melancholic”, director Seiji Tanaka and actor/producer Yoji Minagawa create a menagerie of overused but fun Yakuza movie plotlines, scenes of familial domesticity, dating life, friendship, young vs old, and notions on college education. Melancholia is a 2011 science fiction drama art film written and directed by Lars von Trier and starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Kiefer Sutherland, with Alexander Skarsgård, Brady Corbet, Cameron Spurr, Charlotte Rampling, Jesper Christensen, John Hurt, Stellan Skarsgård, and Udo Kier in supporting roles. Tweet . He discovers that the bathhouse is a front for organised criminal activity. Kazuhiko promises to keep his mouth shut and consequently takes the late-night janitor shift which consists of ridding the bathhouse of dead bodies. Following his return to Japan, he started writing and directing plays and movies, as well as working at a start-up company. In 2018, though, Melancholic won the director award at the Tokyo International Film Festival, as well as several other awards the same year. One day, Hiroshi's old friend, Eisuke Okiyama, comes back to his hometown. The tone and flow of the narrative are a lot slower paced, we rarely experience the hits and instead explore the emotional aftermath of each death. Irish. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Was this review helpful to you? Film / Reviews Jul 31, 2019 'Melancholic': When cleaning the tub brings dirtier jobs. One of the establishment’s patrons is called Yuri (Mebuki Yoshida), a woman he vaguely remembers from school; they strike up a friendship. Even though Kazuhiko has graduated from a prestigious university, it means nothing. A rush of love, a lesson on kinship, loyalty, kindness, and giving back. It follows a filmmaker who holds auditions for his net project. Betrayed by her lover and her dreams crushed, the broken woman leaves Tokyo for... See full summary », It is only at their sister's and mother's funeral when a woman meets her niece after many years. Another young guy, Matsumoto (Yoshitomo Isozaki), starts working at the bathhouse at the same time as Kazuhiko and … Then he discovers that the baths are used as a space for killing people after closing hours. Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris. Every night, his wife Yi-young turns into another person. Kazuhiko and Matsumoto are progressive in where they place their values; family and friends. Check out our gallery of the 2021 Oscar nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life. He won the Japanese Cinema Splash Best Director Award for his first feature film MELANCHOLIC at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival. Director Tanaka is able to respect and innovate upon the Japanese action cinema of the late 80’s and 90’s, through the eyes and constant disbelief of a 20-something college graduate. Yoji Minagawa has the potential for many intriguing characters in what would be an exciting future for Japanese Cinema. Casting actor Yoji Minagawa couldn’t have been a better choice, as he shines amongst his well-rounded cast. This is an awkward protagonist, an image uncommon in both family dramas and gangster flicks. It brings different elements to the table that try to elevate it, occasionally to a more surreal ground. As Yuri and his parent’s lives are threatened, love and family become roots for realism that are endangered by over-the-top gangster violence. There he begins new relationships with boss Azuma and coworker Matsumoto. Because Kazuhiko is deeply grounded in both worlds, he is the bridge between them for the viewer. A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo. Melancholic was screened as part of the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2020 line-up. Melancholic is available 7th September on Blu-ray from Third Window Films; including a behind the scenes featurette, a Q&A with writer/director Seiji Tanaka and cast, and … Winner of the Best Director Award at 2018 Tokyo International Film Festival: Japanese Cinema Splash, writer/director Seiji Tanaka’s debut film features a unique story full of sudden transitions in tone, all the while paying tribute to Japanese action cinema of the late 80s and 90s and Yakuza movie tropes. “Melancholic” does not belong solely to one genre. Kenji divorced his wife, lost his job and his old squeeze Naoko is getting married back home in the north of Japan, specifically in Akita. However his fear of nothing soon causes problems. #JapaneseFilmFestivalIreland . 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