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tampinator
Reviews
Maiko-san chi no makanai-san (2023)
Sweet, loving & moving
Such a lovely series, I managed to watch all nine programmes over the course of a couple days and can't wait for more. I don't know much about Japanese films/TV progs having only watched a handful of them but I love the slow pace and obvious care with which they're made, from the quite simple stories thru to intimate closeup shots, all very moving, it had me in tears at times for the shear intensity of it all, it was almost exhausting.
I thought much of this film was about friendship, bonds between women who have a closeness which, as a man, I can only envy. This against a background of Japanese food and feeding people together with the ritual and business of the Maiko House. One fascinating thing I learned was that their dressers were men, a father and son team in this instance, I've no idea if this is common.
I Think We're Alone Now (2018)
I can't understand what they're saying.
This film was frustrating to watch since chunks of dialogue were incomprehensible.
Mighty Trains (2016)
Train driver verses engineer
I like these programmes, lovely scenery and they also go into some detail about the engineering involved in the locomotives etc.
But one thing which drives me nuts is the constant referral to anyone who drives or maintains the trains as 'engineers'. They're not engineers. They are either train drivers or mechanics/fitters/maintenance people. Engineers are people who have studied for several years to obtain a university/college degree in their chosen field, they do not drive or work on equipment full time tho they may be involved when doing research or prototyping.
This is very much due to the American habit of inflating job titles or using euphemisms. e.g. a toilet cleaner becomes a sanitation engineer, a lavatory becomes a rest room, and it's laughed at by the rest of the world.
The Turning Point (1977)
For Lovers of Dance
A very cleverly titled film, The Turning Point, it has as we discover two meanings, one literal and the other metaphoric. I must say, I loved this film, one of the best dance based stories I've seen, with some excellent acting and outstanding ballet dancing, and a leading female character who actually could dance ballet beautifully, no need of a body double.....not to mention Baryshnikov who's dancing was stunning to put it mildly. For a dance based film the 'plot' was seemingly quite straight forward until the two leading lady characters finally got around to having it out with each other, it was then we could see how layered their relationship had been. Highly recommend it.
The Other Woman (2014)
Don't Waste Your Time With This Potboiler.
What an excruciating film this is, thank Christ I sort of watched it for free on TV. Every cliché in the book from the bloody annoying largest dog they could find to any opportunity to do some kind of faux girlie intoxicated squabble involving lots of garbled script. the sole thing that kept me from turning it off was to see what kind of clichéd comeuppance the two-timing husband was going to get. It certainly didn't disappoint, the ending was predictably bland. All the girls having seen off the scheming husband end up in clover one way or the other, the antihero presumably on skid row. I don't blame the acting, except Niki Minaj.....what was all that about, why was she even in this film...the guilty party was the director who's supposed to be in charge....dreadful.