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Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy review - a trio of tales from Japan
Hot on the heels of the Oscar-nominated 'Drive My Car' comes another elliptical gem from Hamaguchi Ryusuke With some films it’s all about the editing, a brisk parade of striking images accompanied by a...
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Blu-ray: In the Realm of the Senses
★★★★ BLU-RAY: IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES Nagisa Ōshima's subversive study of an obsessive sexual relationshipNagisa Ōshima's subversive study of an obsessive sexual relationshipPublishing this review...
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Mieko Kawakami: All the Lovers in the Night review - the raw relatability of...
★★★★ MIEKO KAWAMAKI: ALL THE LOVERS IN THE NIGHT The raw relatability of lonelinessA sumptuous, subtle novel on darkness and hope Mieko Kawakami is the champion of the loner. Since achieving immense...
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The Fire of Love review - awe-inspiring footage of volcanoes marred by...
A love affair conducted in a volcanic cauldronKatia and Maurice Krafft spent their married life going from one volcanic eruption to the next. These self-styled “volcano runners” were not just thrill...
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Album: Boris - Heavy Rocks
Chaos and fury born in JapanBoris are an eclectic Japanese band, with over 20 albums to their name. Following their creative instincts and often recording live with no overdubs, they are never less...
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My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican review - dazzling stage adaptation of a...
OLIVIER AWARDS 2023 - Best Entertainment & other awards - MY NEIGHBOUR TOTOROIngenious puppetry and music brings a classic 2-D animation to life on stageAs 10-year-old Satsuki observes as she...
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Tokyo Vice, BBC One review - murder, extortion and corruption in the Japanese...
★★★★ TOKYO VICE, BBC ONE Murder, extortion and corruption in the Japanese capitalEager American reporter Jake Adelstein plunges into the murky world of the YakuzaThere was originally a plan to make...
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DVD/Blu-ray: Living
★★★★ DVD/BLU-RAY: LIVING Bill Nighy owns Oliver Hermanus' delicate Kurosawa remakeBill Nighy owns Oliver Hermanus' delicate Kurosawa remake scripted by Kazuo Ishiguro Mr Williams (a wonderfully...
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John Wick: Chapter 4 review - is this the El Cid of shoot-'em-up movies?
★★★★★ JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Is this the El Cid of shoot-'em-up movies?Keanu Reeves's Zen assassin scales new heights of awesomenessSince the first John Wick film from 2014 became an unexpected hit, the...
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Blu-ray: The Bullet Train
★★★★ BLU-RAY: THE BULLET TRAIN The 1975 Japanese action thriller that inspired 'Speed'The 1975 Japanese action thriller that inspired 'Speed'Last year’s Brad Pitt vehicle Bullet Train was an affable...
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Plan 75 review - dystopian vision of euthanasia in Japan
Nothing certain in this world but death and taxes...It’s not a great moment for older audiences contemplating an outing to the cinema. They could have their intelligence insulted with the feeble,...
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Edinburgh Fringe 2023 reviews: PLEASE LEAVE (a message) / Shadow Kingdom
Communicating with the far future and dream-like shadows for children in two contrasting showsPLEASE LEAVE (a message), Underbelly, Cowgate ★★★★
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Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine, Hayward Gallery review - a Japanese...
★★★★ HIROSHI SUGIMOTO: TIME MACHINE, HAYWARD GALLERY A Japanese photographer uses droll humour to ask big questions Bringing the dead to life and looking at the world before and after humansA polar...
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Pacific Overtures, Menier Chocolate Factory review - lesser-known Sondheim...
★★★★ PACIFIC OVERTURES, MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY Enriches aurally and visuallyStephen Sondheim's fascinating 1976 show enriches aurally and, this time round, visually This is, by my reckoning at least,...
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The Boy and the Heron review - elegiac swan song by the Japanese anime master
★★★★★ THE BOY AND THE HERON Elegiac swan song by the Japanese anime masterHayao Miyazaki creates a final visionary celebration of all that animation can achieveAdmirers of Hayao Miyazaki will find much...
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theartsdesk Q&A: Wim Wenders on 'Perfect Days'
THEARTSDESK Q&A: WIM WENDERS ON PERFECT DAYS The German director explains why he made a drama about a Tokyo toilet cleanerThe German director explains why he made a drama about a Tokyo toilet...
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Monster review - superbly elliptical tale of a troubled boy
★★★★★ MONSTER Superbly elliptical tale of a troubled boyHirakazu Kore-eda, on top form in his native Japan, directs an intricate psychological drama Monster is one of those films that you really...
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Evil Does Not Exist review - Ryusuke Hamaguchi's nuanced follow-up to 'Drive...
A parable about the perils of eco-tourism with a violent twistWhile Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist doesn’t cast a spell as strongly as his Oscar-winning hit Drive My Car, it is a...
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