Summer Wrap Up Part Three: July

Summer in July started off quite strong I thought. One of the most anticipated films I was looking forward to was the release of Michael Mann's "Public Enemies". The film follows the somewhat fictional/factual exploits of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) through his years of infamy right up to the point of of his demise. The film was given quite a cool reception for the most part, although some found it to be well constructed in the usual Michael Mann way.

While I do not consider this to be as strong as past work from Mann, notably "Heat" and "The Insider", I was fascinated with the docudrama tone the film took. The film tends to withdraw from emotion and show us a man at a high point in his life. We see his successes and failures, and in the end, although not much is revealed about the man that we already didn't know, we get a sense as to why he was such a charismatic figure. Depp gives a great performance as usual and I felt it was one of the stronger films to come out in the summer.



Next up for me was "Bruno", Sascha Baron Cohen's follow up to "Borat". As a film it became quite clear to me right away that "Borat" was by far more clever and funnier, however that's not to say "Bruno" didn't have his moments of inspiration. I film balances nicely the idea what people do to become famous as well as a challenge on public perception of homosexuality in general. Cohen's hi jinx work beautifully in some sequences, no better than the climactic finale which has Bruno in a wrestling ring with his gay lover much to the chagrin of onlooking spectators. However in some parts the film falls flat. Cohen seems to focus more on shock this time, and less on comedy, which I think is why some his stunts aren't pulled off as well. However, like "Borat", Cohen continues to challenge our prejudices and I give him kudos for his bravery.



"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was the primary movie to see in July. So far it is second only to "Transformers" in the box office race. It seems hard to believe that Harry Potter has gotten so old. The first film is nearing its ten year anniversary, it's getting to be a tradition. I was not that impressed with the last Harry Potter film, however there is something endearing about this unique mythology that is hard to ignore. The fact that Harry grows older with every film, it's an interesting experiment in the history of film.

The only thing "The Half Blood Prince" has against it, is its familiar world. This being the sixth film, we pretty much know what to expect, but the great thing about this franchise is how it can surprise us even in this late stage. That being said, I would say this entry is one of the funniest ones, yet also one of its darkest. There is a particularly humorous sequence where Harry drinks a potion where everything brings him good luck, which he uses in order to gather information. Of course those familiar with the story will find the ending satisfactory as it sets us up for the final two installments which will no doubt be an event unto itself.



"500 Days of Summer" was this year's indie movie sleeper hit, it had a sweet gimmick, and two appealing stars, however I found it somewhat too cute for its own good, but still fairly clever. The story follows the rocky relationship of Summer (Zooey Deschanel) and Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt). Tom is a hardcore romantic who sees Summer as his ultimate soulmate, however the film tells us almost out of the gate that things don't turn out so well. Summer is a more realistic person and even tells Tom at the beginning, she's not looking for anything meaningful. That doesn't stop Tom from falling in love with her right away.

Although the film is an anti-romance, it's never cynical or depressing, it has a hopeful message for anyone who thinks they have lost the love of their life, it even has a musical number and a parody of foreign films. However the cuteness factor wears out its welcome sometimes, but it's all very harmless and likable which made me kind of ignore all that.



The month ended with "Funny People" which was a huge disappointment. I give credit to Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler for stretching their talents, however that can't take away my feeling of utter boredom at the last part of the film.

The movie opens promising enough, with Sandler a self-absorbed comedian who finds out he's dying. A young up and coming comic (Seth Rogen) becomes his assistant. We are taken through the world of a comic's life that hasn't been depicted at all. It's only when Apatow takes a detour towards the domestic life of Sandler's former flame that it derails completely. The last third of the film should've been shorter, but Apatow dwells too long on the blissful life that should've been Sandler's had he not been such a jerk. Other sub-plots are either given too quick a resolution, or aren't referred to at all, and you have to wonder why they were put in the film in the first place.

Apatow always has a problem of adding too much weight in his films, the one time all his ideas came so perfectly was in "Knocked Up". I appreciate what he did, and I know he will make another great comedy again, but this was a misfire.

Summer Wrap Up Part Two: June

June proved to be yet another slow month movie watching wise. Not much came out that interested me, but I was busy with other things to even notice the amount of cruminess that was coming our way. About mid-June I mozied back to the movie house to see "Up" again but this time in 3-D. I found it to be somewhat of a waste of money. "Up" was still the same wonderful film I saw the first time, however I regretted paying the extra dough for those 3-D glasses. I have to say that I'm leaning towards the anti-3D minority, I haven't seen one shred of evidence so far that has caused me to think this is the way movies should be made for future audiences. However I was delighted to see "Up" again and it proved to be the highlight of the month.

Around the same time, comedy came into the forefront yet again with the release of "The Hangover". The story concerns four buddies, one of whom is getting married, who spend an unforgettable weekend in Las Vegas. Three of the men wake up one morning to find out the groom to be is missing. The rest of the film is one surprise after another as the three piece together what happened the night before. I had a fun time at "The Hangover", it is one of the best comedies of the year. Some people seemed to moan and groan at the somewhat simple solution, yet the film itself is full of so many convoluted happenings, it would be hard to come up with an ending to suit all that. This is the kind of film where you sit and enjoy the ride and I did.



The final days of June ended with a sigh of relief for most critics when an actual intelligent film made its way in mainstream theatres. "The Hurtlocker" is an Iraq war film unlike any other. It focuses on a squad who's job it is to dismantle bombs. The film has been hailed by critics as one of the years best. While I agree it was more intelligent and pulse pounding than others, the one fatal flaw was its overuse of handheld camera techniques. For some, this would be an example of effective use of the handheld camera, however I didn't see it as that. There is a grittiness to this film however, but I felt it interrupted the flow. Sometimes it interrupted the flow, and the character's faces were lost in pivotal moments. That being said, there were moments of extreme suspense and action that were some of the best I saw this year.

New Survey from the Movie Survey Gods!

What movie have you watched the most time? It would probably have to be "It's a Wonderful Life". I've watched it every Christmas and many times since I was a kid. "Casablanca" would probably up there too, as well as "The Apartment".



What is the first DVD youve owned? I was so excited getting a DVD player for the first time, and although my brother got me "Minority Report" for Christmas, I would say the first DVD I ever purchased myself was Robert Altman's "MASH"



What is the first movie you saw in theaters which you remember clearly? I distinctly remember seeing "An American Tale"

Genres


What is youre favorite comedy? Pretty much all the early Marx Brothers comedies, but I think "Horse Feathers" has my favorite comedy bit they ever did, "The password is Swordfish". It also has my favorite Groucho song "I'm against it"



What is the scariest movie of all time? Hitchcock's "The Birds" freaks me out, but if I really want a scare I go with the original "Halloween"



What is the best thriller? "Vertigo" has a lot of thriller elements to it, and it is my favorite Hitchcock film, but ultimatley as an all out thriller, I would have to go with "Double Indemnity" which is my favorite film noir ever.



What is the ultimate action movie? I kinda have a soft spot for the first two "Lethal Weapon" movies, to me they are the ultimate in that kind of 80s action film. I would have to say though that Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies are the best action films in recent memory.



What is your favorite adventure movie? "Raiders of the Lost Ark", nothing has come near in pure adventure even before or after it.



What is your favorite fantasy movie? If you consider the "It's a Wonderful Life" a fantasy I would say that. And even though you could argue it being in science fiction, "E.T." has a lot of fantasy elements in it as well, so I would choose those two.



What is your favorite Sci-Fi movie? Spielberg has made some of the most significant science fiction films from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" to "War of the Worlds" (Yes everything up to the phony happy ending was pretty brilliant. but I have to go with Kubrick's masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" which is one of the greatest films of all time.



What is the most historically sgnificant movie in film history? There's no doubt about it, "Citizen Kane" changed the ways movies were made. It created a whole new kind of film language, and no matter what your thoughts are of it as a film, that aspect cannot be denied.

Themes



What is the most romatic movie? This is tough. There are many romantic films that deserve this title, starting with "Casablanca". Some might even argue "Annie Hall" which I look as somewhat of an anit-romance. My kind of romance that fits with my personality is "The Apartment". But if I were to choose a great no-nonsense romantic comedy with two appealing and likable people you really want to see get together, look no further than "The Shop Around the Corner". Also for those who haven't, take a look at "Once", the best modern romance in years.

What is the best movie about friendship? I mentioned it above, but not many films come close to showing a true friendship better than "E.T." Elliot and E.T. share a common need for eachother at a time when they need a friend the most.

What is the best movie about sacrifice? This is a good spot to use "Casablanca". I mean come on, Rick gives up everything, his freedom, his cafe, and the woman he loves for a cause greater than all of them put together.

What is the best movie about war? From "The Thin Red Line" and "Saving Private Ryan" to "Flags of our Fathers" and "Letters from Iwo Jima", I have to say they got something right in depicting the harsh realities of war. However as a throwback to a good old fashioned war adventure movie, I'll go with "The Great Escape."

Which movie is the biggest in terms of epic scale? After just re-watching "The Lord of the Rings" films, it's easy to say those are pretty epic in the biggest terms possible. But I have so far seen nothing in the scope of "Lawrence of Arabia" when it comes to portraying a huge adventure but also being part character study.

What is the best coming of age movie? I'm not a big fan of these kind of movies, maybe I was back in the day. I'm not sure if "American Graffiti" can be put under this but that would be my pick.

Scenes
What is the best action scene?Love the truck chase scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"

What is the best sex scene? I'm stumped. There's something really unsenuous about actual sex scenes. It's the build up to one I like. So I'm going to go with Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint in "North by Northwest". They are alone in a train car, together in bed. Cut to the outside of the train going into a tunnel and fade to black, that's all you need.

What is the funniest comedic scene? I mentioned The Marx Brothers Swordfish routine. Also love Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck confusing Elmer Fudd as to weather or not it's rabbit season or duck season. Also love the "puttin on the ritz" scene in "Young Frankenstein", and I don't know, did I mention the Marx Brothers?

Decades
Waht is the best film of the 30s? Impossible to pick one. "The Thin Man" would be up there, but so would "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", "The Grand Illusion", ""City Lights" and "The Bride of Frankenstein". So that would be my top five

40s? "It's a Wonderful Life", but I don't want to forget "Late Spring", "Double Indemnity", "Citizen Kane", "The Big Sleep" and "Notorious"

50s?"Tokyo Story", but also "The Searchers" and "Vertigo". Oh and "Seven Samurai"

60s? "Jules and Jim" hands down, but practically anything by Jean-Luc Godard at this time is worth seeing. And "2001: A Space Odyssey". And "Psycho"

70? "Mean Streets" which is my favorite Scorsese (probably) but I also like Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third kind", and Woody Allen's "Manhattan". And you know what I like "Rocky" there I said it.

80s? "Raging Bull", "E.T.", "My Dinner with Andre", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Do the Right Thing", "Raising Arizona"

90s? "Miller's Crossing", "Schindler's List", "Fargo", "The Three Colors Trilogy", "Unforgiven"

sicne 2000? "Once", "No Country for Old Men", "The Terminal", "Kill Bill" Vol 1 and 2",

Sorry forgot one in scenes. what is the best battle scene? The Normandy invasion at the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan" is pretty stellar.

Charactors?
Who is the best movie hero? In a way people like Groucho Marx, Charlie Chaplin, and Woody Allen are all movie heroes to me. Indiana Jones is like the ultimate movie action/adventure hero. I would also go with Capra heroes like Jefferson Smith, Longfellow Deeds, and George Bailey.

Who is the best movie villian? Of recent movies I would go with Anton Chigurh from "No Country for Old Men". But you know what? Women haven't been given their due for great movie villanesses, so in honor of the ladies, I'll choose the great Barbara Stanwyck in "Double Indemnity". She's as cold as ice.

Who is the best movie charactor in terms of complexity? You could make a good case for Charles Foster Kane. I think Michael Corleone from "The Godfather" deserves a mention. I'm gonna go with a somewhat obscure reference and choose Gabriel Byrne's character in "Miller's Crossing". The thing that fascinates me about that movie is his characters motives, he keeps you guessing till the very end just what he's up to.

And finally

What is the best movie of all time? As I have probably shown here in my list, I don't think there is a best movie of all time. I love so many movies for so many different reasons. As a default I always seem to go with "It's a Wonderful Life" since it probably is my favorite. However I'm gonna change my tune a bit in an effort for people to try something new. In many ways I think Yasujiro Ozu's masterpiece "Tokyo Story" is the greatest film of all time. It's a film that indeed demands your attention, but it is probably the greatest film I've seen about life, and death, and family, and how people should be treated.

Summer Wrap Up Part One: May

It was the first day of fall today, which means the summer movie season has ended. Is it just me or does it seem like summer movies just keep popping up no matter where you are. While it's true, the fall is the time for more artsy or "prestigious" films to come out, but when it comes to box office, I don't see many people lining up to see them. But let's with hold my cynical view of movie-goers for the moment and reflect on a season gone by. While I dread most of what comes out in the summer, I was met with some pleasant surprises. I avoided some of the more talked about movies (ie. "Transformers 2" and that 3-D guinea pig movie), so I was able to catch some of the more hidden gems of the summer. We'll start with May.

As it turned out, I didn't really get to the cinema much during this month, it mostly had to do with the crumminess of the movies. But I'm here to talk about the ones I did see. My summer started with "Star Trek" a reboot to the old television series starring new faces playing the old characters. "Star Trek" became an acclaimed main stream hit and proved to the wide audience that the franchise wasn't dead. What I failed to realize was why so much fuss? The film was praised for its depiction of a more character driven story where we get to see the emergence of Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the clan, but this is deceiving. Because we get to see Kirk's father die in an overly sappy way that could've been played for laughs , and we get to see Spock's mother die, means this film can suddenly be called character driven? Wrong, if you look at those scenes, they are cut from any real emotion, they serve as merely explanations as to why the characters act the way they do. The scenes were played as too melodramatic and didn't have the right tone to give an emotional response.



J.J Abrams who is some kind of television wonderkind missed the boat on the emotional level, but he did get the right actors to play the roles. When the film stopped trying for the phony emotion, it became somewhat enjoyable thanks mainly to the cast who could make this new reboot worth watching.

After "Star Trek", I waited patiently till near the end of the month, passing by "Terminator:Salvation" (McG's just not my cup of tea), "Angels and Demons" (Couldn't bring myself to watching "The DaVinci Code") and "Night at the Museum 2" (Never saw the first one). I finally came to a film I wanted to see which was Pixar's "Up". As I've said before, it is without a doubt Pixar's finest hour, and deserves to be mentioned with some of the classic animated films ever made. "Up" is a special treat for film lovers of all ages. The beginning starts with the meeting of two young kids name Ellie and Carl. Ellie craves adventure, while Carl does have the spirit, he's the more timid of the two. We are treated with a long wordless montage of Ellie and Carl as they grow up, get married, and grow old together. Ellie dies leaving Carl a lonely widower. Spending his life as a balloon salesman, he decides to turn his house into a flying machine, escaping spending his life in a retirement home, and pursuing his and Ellie's dream of going to Paradise Falls. His trip is interrupted by a rather bothersome boyscout who accidentally hitches a ride with him. When they get to Paradise Falls, even more surprises develop involving a talking dog named Doug, and a species of bird long thought to be extinct.



"Up" is a special movie of its kind, a mature film for both adults and children. The great thing about "Up" and all of Pixar films is how they can handle serious subjects in such a joyful and accessible manner. We start with one of the most poignant moments this year in movies with a summary of a married life. These were two people who were deeply in love with eachother, you get the sense that they really did share a life together, and not a word is spoken. Ellie is barely shown, but after her death, her loss is felt throughout the rest of the film. This might seem too dark for an animated film directed towards kids, but like the title, the remaining film lifts us up into something that transcends the usual animated movie. "Up" becomes a warm, funny, and heartwarming, when I think about it I can't help but smile.

The month of May ended the same week "Up" came out, for since I missed the last couple of weeks, I thought a double feature was the perfect remedy. I then indulged my darker side and went to see Sam Raimi's fun horror film "Drag Me to Hell". I can't say horror is my favorite genre. Horror seems to be going through a downward spiral these past few years mistaking the genre for torture porn. Yes I am one of those who doesn't feel "Saw" and "Hostel" have much horror elements in them. Raimi of course began his career in horror, and "Drag Me to Hell" was a return to his roots. The story is simple, a poor bank clerk (Allison Lohman) who has a moment of weakness and selfishly denies an old gypsy woman an extension on her mortgage is then told by said gypsy that in four days, she will be DRAGGED TO HELL! The rest of the film is filled with nifty BOO! moments. The film is actually rated PG-13 which means most gore is left off screen, Raimi depends more on sound effects, and lighting cues to create a spooky mood. The best way to watch "Drag Me to Hell" is to dim the lights in your house and snuggle close to someone who doesn't mind being grabbed when there during scary parts.

"Drag Me to Hell" was sadly treated as another mindless horror film, when it was something with a bit more intelligence and humour. It unfortunately died a box office death, but I'm thinking Raimiphiles will resurrect this film on DVD and it will gain the cult status it deserves.

Best Films of the Year So Far...

I try to stay steady with my movie going experiences this past year, I at least average one movie per week at the theatre. Due to my long absences over the summer, I haven't had time to write about every film I saw, but I hope to make up a Summer overview of films within the coming days. For now, before we get into the main awards season push of the film season, I just thought I'd share with you the films that stood out for me so far...

1. Good Bye Solo: My first film I saw directed by Ramin Bahrani who has become the new director to see over the past few years. "Good Bye Solo" is so far my favorite film of the year. It tells the story of a cab driver named Solo who goes out of his way to help a lonely old man who has thoughts of suicide. What could've been a run of the mill Hollywood movie with big inspirational music becomes something unexpected. Bahrani makes it more about the lives of these men than about any big moral to be learned. I also appreciated Bahrani's minimal approach to the story by not adding anything to take us away from the characters, nor feeling the need to explain everything in great detail to us. This is a film that respects its audience, and when I left the theatre, my heart was full. Both lead actors give two of the best performances of the year.

2. Up: Pixar's strongest film to date about old widower who turns his house into one big hot air baloon to travel to Paradise Falls, where he and his wife always wanted to go. A very mature film for younger audiences, but like "Good Bye Solo", it respects them enough without having to dumb it down. Pixar always takes on challenging themes for their subjects, this may be their most soulful picture. Add to that, a bunch of robot talking dogs, and you also a hilarious films that's full of pathos.

3. Inglorious Basterds: A film I actually had to see a second time in order to decide whether or not I liked it. Quentin Tarantino's war epic sometimes seems to be a jumbled up mess of a movie, but after looking at it again, I found method in its madness, not only does it include some of Tarantino's best dialogue and most intense scenes, it can also be seen as commentary on the power of cinema itself.

4. I Love you Man:: Paul Rudd should get an Oscar nomination for his dead on, original portrayal of a poor yuppy schlub who's in search a best man at his wedding, but I have a feeling, he'll get looked over. The film probably wouldn't have worked as well without Rudd's performance, nor Jason Segal as the man who would become his true bromance.

5. The Hangover: The second funniest movie I've seen this year is this tribute to "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". While some people were disappointed with the films rather simple solution, I found the trip to be more fun than its destination. Some great comic moments happen after a night in Vegas goes horribly wrong leaving one of their buddies missing on his wedding day. The film takes some unexpected turns, that keeps you guessing all the way through. It's not just a comedy, but also a mystery where you just gotta ask yourself, what exactly happened the night before?

Some honorable mentions: Steven Sodebergh's "The Informant!", the stop motion animated movie "Coraline", the pleasant if self-conscious "(500) Days of Summer", the Iraq war drama "The Hurt Locker", Michael Mann's somewhat misunderstood "Public Enemies", and Sam Raimi's triumphant return to horror with "Drag me to Hell".

A Swell Movie: Sita Sings the Blues

Nina Paley's "Sita Sings the Blues" is a film so special and unique, it deserves a wider audience. I've just viewed a copy of the film which is available to purchase, or you could even download it for free from Paley's website it's Paley's protest against copyright laws which have prohibited her to use the songs in her film. Whether you agree on this or not, you can still send a donation to the website if you'd like.

Small films like these are the type that don't get enough distribution, it's different and original and I dare you not to like it.

"I Was Born But..." Lesson Learned

"I Was Born But..." is possibly the most intelligent film to deal with the lives of children. It is not only rich in theme and clever in its execution, it's one of those rare films that can still surprise you even after seeing it multiple times. This isn't just a film about children, it also deals with the harsh truth one must face as they reach adulthood.

By it's description, "I Was Born But..." may not sound like a joyful and playful silent comedy, but indeed it is, directed by one of the masters of cinema who today is mostly known for his sad elegies about growing old.

Yasujiro Ozu was probably Japan's greatest directors and deserves to be mentioned along with Welles, Renoir, and Ford, as one of the masters of the medium. He was not really discovered by western audiences until the 1970s, but he was widely popular in his native country during his lifetime. Ozu's films were defined as "too Japanese" to really reach a wider audience, that term has since become cliche. Even though Ozu dealt specifically with the modern Japanese family, his films were universal in their themes. Although Ozu is probably better regarded for his later masterpieces like "Late Spring", and "Tokyo Story", which dealt with issues about families who had to separate either by the marriage of one member, or the death of another So it might be surprising to find his earlier work to be more on the playful side.

If one were to only his late masterpieces, Ozu might be thought of as an old man's director, but he started filmmaking quite young. He was 29 when he directed "I Was Born But...", which was already his 23rd film. He was also a regular cinephile who was greatly influenced by the silent comedies of Harold Lloyd and Ernst Lubitsch. However despite having what looks to be a less disciplined approach in those early films, Ozu was always aware about what he was trying to say in them, and you can even see in those films a certain somberness that would become his trademark.

"I Was Born But..." is probably best early film of his that I have seen. It tells the story of two young brothers (Hideo Sugawara and Tokkan Kozo) who move to a new neighborhood when their father Yoshii (Tatsuo Saito) gets a new job. The boys soon get in trouble with the neighborhood kids, and are in fear of getting beaten up if they dare go to school. When Yoshii finds out about this, he follows the boys to school to make sure they get there. However there is a change in leadership in the children, when the brothers are able to convince an even bigger kid to beat up the head bully of the group. The brothers then become the leaders and demand the respect of the rest of the kids. They even have a system where they pretend to kill someone who misbehaves or speaks out of turn, then having a fake christian funeral for them. The two boys become the alpha males of their group, we learn their dad on the other hand is below the totem poll at his work.

Yoshii is seen constantly greeting his boss and sucking up to him as much as he can in order to keep in his favour. As the audience, we can see this happening, but the boys seem to be completely oblivious, that is until they are invited to the bosses house to watch home movies. In the movies, the boys see their dad as a buffoon acting out for the camera doing funny walks, and making ridiculous faces. Everyone in the room is laughing, but the boys are utterly humiliated (The look on their faces is priceless). They come to realize the truth, that their father is a subservient at work. This leads to a memorable climactic hunger strike the boys take in rebellion to their father's low status.

Even though this can be defined as a comedy, and one of the best ever made, "I Was Born But..." does carry a familiar thread that can be seen even more clearly in Ozu's later work. Life becomes a little different for the boys after this revelation by their father. In the film's most touching scene, Yoshii is awake with his wife while the boys are asleep. He confesses he doesn't suck up to the boss because he likes it, but because he has to in order for his family to eat. He and his wife then kneel by the sleeping boys, and Yoshii wishes they would grow up not being "an apple polisher" like their old man.

The next morning the boys do realize why their father does what he does, and that's when the hunger strike ends.

Though all is resolved, and things go back to the way they were in the end, Ozu makes a very profound statement about the places we are put in life. For the boys, it is probably the first time they find out that perhaps they might not be able to become the people they hope to be. The idea hearkens towards "Tokyo Story" with those famous lines "Life is disappointing".

However, through all these harsh realities Ozu reminds us of, he still seems to keep a sense of optimism in keeping with the family unit. Families seem to be the saving grace in his films, which is why in his later ones, when they break up, Ozu sees it as a tragedy. But there is genuine love between the boys and their father, and a special bond between them that probably is what makes Yoshii bear through his low status as an employee.

It is with this type of optimism and joy that keeps "I Was Born But..." one of the most likable and charming movies ever made. Ozu has a great flare for physical comedy and sight gags, the two boys as played by Suguwara and Kozo give two of the most natural performances by children ever put on screen. Ozu makes great use in their acting in unison to portray some the film's best sight gags.

There's also a great fluidity in Ozu's work as demonstrated by how he transitions from the father's work place to the boys school so effortlessly, that it just looks like one take.

I have never seen an Ozu film I wouldn't want to see again and again, in some ways I believe he has created the perfect films. For me he's depicted reality in films better than anyone else, and his humanity in his characters is second to none. I go to his films for a nourishment of comfort and a certain reassurance. Ozu is the kind of director I will continue to revisit only to rediscover something I hadn't seen before.