One Million Yen Girl (Hyakuman-en to Nigamushi Onna) (Japan, 2008)
Rating: Qualified rotten 5 out of 10 tomatoes.

The rotten rating is for the one-dimensional, mean-spirited first third of the film – the set-up – which unfortunately is so unsubtle and effective that it incurably tainted the rest of the film for me, which is otherwise not that bad.

The film is about a young woman, Suzuko, who after some unfortunate incidents with minor characters, who can simply be described as mind-bogglingly insensitive idiots (read: unrealistic), does a stint in jail. After she gets out, she gets such abuse heaped upon her that she decides to leave Tokyo once she has saved one million yen (ballpark in excess of US$10,000).

She subsequently decides that wherever she goes, once she saves one million yen she will pack up and move on to a new place. That's the interesting premise of the film, and the "journey" part of the film that is pretty good – if not for the nefarious first third of the film, which made it impossible for me to view the film in a way unbiased by the early tone created by the film.

Another infuriatingly clumsy aspect of the first third of the film is that just after the opening scene, there is a flashback with no indication that it's a flashback, no "2 months earlier" title card or however long it was. The film credibly looks like it's just continuing in sequence, and watching it that way, it becomes a mess. Remember, if you don't know you went into a flashback, you don't know when you've come out of it.

Upon second viewing, it all makes sense, and the flashback is incredibly subtly book-ended by a shot, but a second viewing shouldn't have been necessary to avoid such confusion. Maybe it's the Japanese characteristic of non-communication/non-directness which is prevalent between the characters in the film (and many Japanese films, actually), but if it's the director who's deciding not to communicate with me, the viewer, why am I watching her film?

As I mentioned, although the rest of the film may be decent, even pretty good, I was prejudiced against everyone because of the tone of the first third of the film and when it turns out she starts running into nicer people out of the city, I just couldn't like them or trust them.

There is some questionable redemption in the end. There is a sub-plot involving Suzuko's elementary school-aged brother who is constantly bullied. The prevalent theme in the film, I think, is how we respond to the consequences to our actions. This may also tie into the attitudes of Japanese to crime and criminal behavior.

Coincidentally, while I was renting this DVD, I saw Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservation" episode in Osaka, Japan, on the cable Travel & Living Channel. He mentions how Osaka has the shameful distinction of being the most crime-riddled city in Japan. And for comparison, he notes that for every 10,000 people, in New York, a little over 300 people are victims of crime. In St. Louis, over 1,000 people for every 10,000 become victims of crime. In Osaka? I forget what he said, but it was like 3.

I don't know, but maybe the severe social stigma on any criminal record, regardless of how small or non-violent, helps keep the crime rate down. Back to the film, though, unfortunately this attitude sweeps up people who act in a way that may be questionably a criminal or civil offense, but if it ends up criminal on a technicality, they're screwed.

Although, I give it a rotten rating, I also realize there are decent reviews of this film out there, and as I mentioned, it does get better. It's not that I don't recommend the film, but the first third pretty much ruins the rest of it for me. The lead actress Yu Aoi, who also starred in "Hula Girls" which I reviewed before, is quite extraordinary in this film.



Au Revoir Taipei 一頁台北 (2010, Taiwan)

What's not to like about this light, cute, entertaining little local film? Well, if you don't like light, cute and entertaining, maybe take a pass. It's a light comedy, or a light drama with comic elements.

It's about a guy whose girlfriend leaves for Paris and they make indefinite plans for him to visit her, but then she dumps him over the phone and he becomes determined to go there and win her back. He asks for help from a low-level mob boss, but he gets embroiled with a nitwit crew of even lower level "wiseguys" equivalents and cops who are trying to break the case.

There's not a whole lot of substance to the film, just light, clean entertainment, with some clumsy chases and unlikely moments, as well as some hilarious moments, but ultimately it held together for me. At 89 minutes, it's short and sweet and not to be taken too seriously. Actress Amber Kuo is cute as a button, the best friend character is pretty funny in a low-key way, and the wiseguy crew leader, Hong, steals several scenes as the ambitious gangster who gets no respect.

Fresh 7 out of 10 tomatoes.