Takeshi Kitano

^
It's playig here at the Vancouver Film Festival this month. Reviews forthcoming...I've always liked my Kitano the weirded the better so we shall see..

Hmmm, unconvinced by Kitano, to be honest. 'Dolls' left me cold too, and 'Hana-bi', whilst visually overwhelming, contained too many 'oh look how profound this glance is' moments rather than moments of genuine profundity for my liking. I like his films, don't get me wrong, but I think there is certainly an element of the Emperor's New Clothes amongst those who label him a genius.

I've liked most of the films that I've seen of his, Hana Bi being the best IMHO.

Apparently there will be a Zatoichi 2 directed by and starring Kitano. I really liked the 1st one..and the ending was great, cracked me up.

Diggedy Derek said:

Anyone like Kids Return, by the way?

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Kids return is my favourite film, of all films.
Drop a pebble in a pond ripples will cross the water. After while the water stills and everything seems the same, however underneath things are different.
plus it taught me that you can plan everything, but it will probably turn out different and thats ok.
I like the fact that when the characters think you can intertepet for yourself, instead being force fed their thoughts through narration.

Jezmi said:

Kids return is my favourite film, of all films.
Drop a pebble in a pond ripples will cross the water. After while the water stills and everything seems the same, however underneath things are different.
plus it taught me that you can plan everything, but it will probably turn out different and thats ok.
I like the fact that when the characters think you can intertepet for yourself, instead being force fed their thoughts through narration.

Click to expand...

haha, how did this entire thread escape me..........

i loved Kid's Return. it's my second, or perhaps 3rd favourite Kitano flick, right after Boling Point and Sonatine. i havent watched any of these films in years though, so i'm not sure how i'd feel about them now. did anyone watch Glory to the filmaker? if memory serves me correct it follows on from his self portrait work, a bit like Takeshi's in that respect.

but yeah, about Kids Return, in terms of narrative it's his most simpliistic film to date, not to be fooled though i found it to be one of his most rewarding films imo. in much the same way as how Lynch's Straight Story effected me.

have i formulated my own equation by thinking Takeshi's Castle stems from Kitano's loyal fan base? i remember reading about his select group of next level hardcore fans, so just put 2+2 together.
they have been known to do anything for kitano; including 'jackass' stunts for his films i believe - the firework scene in Sonatine springs to mind -. but more notoriously his fans ransacked a tabloid newspaper office, after having written bad press about Kitano during his days in hospital.