Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

Tokyo Godfathers

Call No: TEMP 1333

I thought that I might as well review one more anime film before the end. And since my previous two anime reviews (Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away) were Miyazaki films, I decided to review one that wasn’t. The premise of the film is similar to that of an old Western called Three Godfathers, in which three gunslingers come across an abandoned baby and decide to try and raise it between the three of them. I was expecting something similar from Tokyo Godfathers. I was expecting more of a quiet and thought-provoking drama. While there is a great deal of drama, it’s not all subtle. There’s a shooting, a car chase, and more than one pursuit on foot. The film is a unique concoction of drama, action, suspense and silly fun, all told in a beautifully animated film.

When three homeless people find an abandoned baby while rummaging through the trash, they each have a different opinion of what to do. Miss Hana, the transvestite, has always wanted to raise a baby and wants to keep it. The cantankerous Gin wants to hand it over to the police. And the young runaway Miyuki doesn’t care what they do, so long as they can make the baby stop crying. Hana finally comes up with a compromise – let her find the baby’s mother to ask and understand why she abandoned her baby, and then she’ll turn it over to the police. The trio set out to find the mother, and find a lot more than they bargained for in the process.

Central Station (1998)

Central Station

Call No: PN1997 .C3857 1998

Every once and a while, I come across a film that uses the quest motif. This is typically a film in which the main characters must go on a journey or quest, and undergo an emotional transformation during the physical movement of travelling. I first learned about this kind of story and film motif in elementary school, where the example used was the classic The Lion King and The Lord of the Rings. While I have seen other films and read other stories that employ this technique, those two examples have always been the ones that I’ve found embody the conventions best. I’m now happy to include Central Station into that list.

When a tragic accident kills his mother, Josue is left without any family in Rio. Familiar with the boy because of a chance encounter, the unmarried and embittered Isadora offers to find somewhere for him to stay. But the stubborn Josue has plans of his own – he’s going to travel to find the father he’s never known. With a combination of guilt and anger, Isadora comes along. This is the trip that will change two complete strangers into friends, and transform their trip into a journey that will stay with them forever.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code

Call No: PN1995.9.S87 D3 2006

Every once and a while, a bandwagon full of people comes along with some new book or show that everybody absolutely loves and everyone else must see. That was how I was unfortunately introduced to The Da Vinci Code. The fastest way to turn me off of a book or movie is to tell me that it’s the greatest thing ever written/filmed/watched, etc (my only exception is top 100 film lists, collaborated from dozens of people). I like to have a reason to sit down and watch a movie, be it the actors, writers, directors, plot or just general interest. If you’re one of my closest friends, you learn that the best way to get me to read a book or watch a movie is to give me a bit of the plot and let curiosity gnaw away at me until I finally track it down. That was how my housemate and close friend got me to watch The Da Vinci Code.

“It’s not bad,” she’d said, “You know, huge religious conspiracy that could threaten Christianity.” Then she said the magic words: “Also, it’s got Tom Hanks and Paul Bettany.”

I haven’t been disappointed by them yet, so needless to say, I gave it a shot.

Almost everyone knows the premise: For thousands of years, an underground society has protected a great secret, one that would throw into question the entire foundation of Christianity. Caught in the middle of a war over the vital information are Robert Langdon (Hanks) and his newfound ally Sophie Neveu. The two must work together to stay alive and decode the clues to lead them to the truth, before someone gets to them first.

Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away

Call No: TEMP 1317

Back in November, I reviewed Hayao Miyazaki’s film Howl’s Moving Castle. This time, I’ll be reviewing his film Spirited Away. It was the first foreign film to win in the Best Animated Feature category at the 2003 Oscars and as a result, it gained a great deal of publicity, both for the film and the Japanese filmmaker. Many have considered it to be his masterpiece. After seeing the beauty and magic of this film, it’s hard to disagree.

The film centers around Chihiro, a young girl who wanders into a magical world inhabited by spirits, ghosts, demons and witches. When her parents are turned into pigs by Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse where the spirits come to replenish themselves, Chihiro is forced to stay in this world until she can find a way to save them. With the help of a mysterious boy named Haku, Kamaji the boiler man, and Lin, a fellow bathhouse worker, Chihiro sets off on the adventure of a lifetime full of wonder, excitement, and enchantment.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Call No: PN1995.9.A75 M66 2003

I had a difficult time deciding which film to review first. I went through the shelves carefully. I looked at old films, newer films, imported and animated. I made notes of films on my “to watch” list, and considered donating my DVD copies of Casablanca and The Shawshank Redemption to the library (mental note: see if that is allowed). When my housemates asked about my progress, I spouted off the most recognizable movies I’d come across. The Day After Tomorrow. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

One of my housemates stopped me. “I haven’t seen that movie.”

Bingo. Problem solved.

Now I know what some of you are going to say. “How has somebody not seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail?”. As someone who hadn’t seen any of the Terminator movies until last year and The Exorcist this past Halloween, I’m not about to pass judgement. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Holy Grail in high school. My friend had the same reaction. “How have you not seen it?”, he said. He began spouting off lines about coconuts and the average wing speed velocity of a swallow, and started saying “Ni” incessantly. After seeing the movie, I understood, and found myself doing the same thing to my housemate.