Japanese Films at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival takes place from June 17th to the 28th and yesterday it launched its programme revealing the films that will be playing over the course of the event. While there is no anime on the bill there are a number of interesting live-action titles which will be screened:
100 Yen Love (百円の恋, Hyaku-en no Koi)
Duration: 113 mins.
Director: Masaharu Take
Starring: Sakura Ando, Hirofumi Arai,
Ichiko (Sakura Ando) is a hikikomori who still lives with her parents until her newly divorced and much-hated sister moves back in with her child. Following an epic fight, she moves out and takes up a job at a 100 Yen shop where a middle-aged boxer (Hirofumi Arai) stops by before his practice at a local boxing gym. She takes a liking to him but her life proves miserable and a series of bad events and her new-found crush prompt her to take up boxing and change her life.
Makeup Room (メイクルム, Meikurumu)
Duration: 86 mins.
Director: Kei Morikawa
Starring: Aki Morita, Beni Itoh,
Director Kei Morikawa has crafted a low-budget comedy that takes place entirely in the make-up room on a porn shoot. He draws from his experiences as a former adult-video director for this comedy which stars some AV actresses.
Parasyte Part 1 (寄生獣 Part 1, Kiseiju Part 1)
Duration: 109 mins.
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Starring: Shota Sometani, Ai Hashimoto, Eri Fukatsu,
Mysterious worm-like aliens tumble from the sky and penetrate people through their ears, nose and mouth and head to the brain to live-off and control it. Shinichi Izumi (Shota Sometani) was an ordinary high school student who was suddenly attacked by a parasite but he fought it off. For the most part. The thing still exists inside him but it lives in his right hand. Izumi learns to co-exist with the parasite and because of this he discovers the presence of the others. He’s being monitored by another parasite that inhabits the body of his teacher Ryoko Tamiya (Eri Fukatsu). With only his best friend Satomi Murano (Ai Hashimoto) to rely on, what can Izumi do? We all know what. He can learn to work with the parasite who lives inside of him and battle the others who see humans as merely food.
La La La At Rock Bottom / Misono Universe (味園ユニバース, Misono Yunibasu)
Duration: 103 mins.
Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita
Starring: Fumi Nikaido, Subaru Shibutani, Akainu, Sarina Suzuki,
When Shigeo (Subaru Shibutani) is released from prison he is brutally attacked and the beating he takes is so bad he loses his memory. It looks bad but a fateful encounter happens when he steals the mic at an outdoor concert and impresses everyone with his voice. The band’s manager Kasumi (Fumi Nikaido) takes him in and lets. However, as Shigeo begins to recover and make a new life for himself his old memories resurface and we find out why he was attacked…
Our Family (ぼくたちの家族, Bokutachi no Kazoku)
Duration: 117 mins
Director: Yuya Ishii
Starring: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Mieko Harada, Sosuke Ikematsu,
An ordinary suburban family pushed apart by resentments, secrets and financial worries find themselves at a turning point when they have to deal with the sudden and very serious illness of matriarch Reiko (Mieko Harada)…
Kyoto Elegy (マンガ肉と僕, Manga Niku to Boku)
Duration: 94 mins
Director: Kiki Sugino
Starring: Takahiro Miura, Kiki Sugino, Eri Tokunaga, Chisun, Shima Ohnishi, Taiga,
A selfish university student named Watabe (Takahiro Miura) finds his life complicated by a trio of women including an overweight student named Satomi (Kiki Sugino) who follows him around all day…
It’s an interesting line-up and if you get the chance to go to the festival I would certainly suggest watching 100 Yen Love which has gotten a lot of excellent reviews.
