Missed Deadline

Lack of sleep for a couple of days, and barely had a quality time to sit and write (as if i had some considerable skills in writing that justified me, needed so called 'quality time' to write a lousy article. But like it or not, i DO need a quality time to sit and write), i missed my deadline for today, and hence, i had to force myself to squeeze something out of my tiny brain. So, here goes nothing, the last two films i saw at this year's Jiffest.

Bushi no Ichibun / Love and Honor (2006)
Whoever never heard of Samurai and its renowned honor should really get out of whatever confined space he was in. Love and Honor was yet another Japan film that dealt and highlighted the relationship between Samurai and their honor. A Samurai, who was a food taster at the castle, poisoned. He was spared from death, yet, he lost his sight due to its poison. Unable to support his family, he felt that he was a dishonor and tried to kill himself. His wife, of course, had anticipated it and hid her husband's samurai sword. To support the family, the Samurai's relative suggests the wife to ask for help from the higher authority who happened to know her. Reluctantly, the wife agrees and seek for this higher authority for help. We, of course, know what would happened next.

There's no mistaken about the quality of the film's production. Its beautiful scenery, color shows exactly what state-of-the-art film equipments were capable of. The characters varies, from the ever loyal, comic-relief servant, a magnificent scene-stealer gossiping aunt, a beautiful (a very beautiful, i MUST add) wife, an ever good Samurai (Takuya Kimura), to a vile, poisonous antagonist Samurai.

I was whispering to my gf at one point and said, "if i direct this film, this is where it ends". After the said scene, i was confused. Because clearly, i think the Love part outweighs the Honor part, and when i thought about it, ironically, in the end, the poisonous antagonist Samurai had more honor than the protagonist Samurai. All in all, it was an uplifting film, a feel-good film that made you at least smile a little when you leave the theater. My gf loved the film. On the other hand, i loved the film up to a point where i whispered to my gf, "If i direct the film, this is where it ends".

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
So, how do you spell overhyped? Probably this film's title one of how. I was wary about the film even before i purchased the ticket to its screening at Jiffest. More because the film has garnered nothing but at best, a mediocre reviews, and none that i know of, not even a single gleaming review save for the main lady part which was rested on the shoulder of Cate Blanchett, shouldn't be any surprise. In short, i was prepared to NOT enjoying the film save for Ms.Blanchett's performance. I found out later, after the film ended, that i held a simple glimmer of hope that i would enjoy the film. A hope that wasn't satisfied, and thus, leaving me with some unwanted feeling that left a vile, bitter taste on the tip of my tongue. The film was too crowded to my taste, too many chanting-orchestra-whatever-was-that-supposedly-be-called-scores that very much distracted me and left me trailing (and subsequently lost) in the dusts that resulting from the pace and its rather jumpy (to my taste) montages. I was probably needed another viewing, because as was Elizabeth (the first film), the first time is not really a pleasant experience.