tapio_hietamaki Reviews

Samurai Rauni (2016)

A bizarre combination of Finnish insider humor and samurai tragedy

[8/10 · 30 October 2017]

Samurai Rauni Reposaarelainen is a film based on an art performance staged by Finnish artist Mika Rättö, best known for his music projects Kuusumun profeetta, Eleanoora Rosenholm and Circle. He has also written two novels, proving his command of narrative media. This film is his first feature length film.

It tells the story of a samurai living in the middle of nowhere in a small Finnish town. This premise already makes the film inaccessible to a general audience. The story is a classic samurai tragedy in the vein of Kurosawa and Kobayashi, spiced with surreal elements and insider humor about the Finnish boonies. So you can see that it's a bizarre movie.

Filmed on a low budget, the film has some laughably bad special effects scenes, but mostly it is surprisingly competent visually. The shots are composed beautifully, with much emphasis on light and shadow. There is a lot of detail, and most of the draw of the film is in these funny little details that make the world feel rich and alive.

Into the Inferno (2016)

Mesmerizing shots of magma and unexpected detours

[9/10 · 2 May 2017]

The first, but definitely not the last, documentary by Werner Herzog that I've seen, 'Into the Inferno' is a movie about volcanoes and the attitudes and beliefs people have toward them.

For a documentary, the film isn't particularly informative. It's an art film, like you'd expect from Herzog. Most of all, it includes mesmerizingly beautiful footage of volcanoes. The sights feel otherworldly, chthonic, dreamlike: the red blood of the earth that flows from unfathomable depths.

We are introduced to the volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer that Herzog met in Antarctica working on another documentary film of his. Together the two men traverse Indonesia, Africa, Iceland and even North Korea looking at volcanoes and interviewing people who live in their vicinity. The elements of science and religion are constantly intertwining. In addition to learning about prehistoric eruptions and various seismographic trinkets, we get introduced to cargo cults, ancestral spirits, doomsday prophecies and political cults of personality.

Very interesting and thoughtful film. There are some very unexpected detours in the narrative: Herzog takes us where opportunity presents itself, not always focusing on the volcano theme but instead looking at paleonthology or the effects of propaganda on the human psyche.

Song to Song (I) (2017)

An engaging examination of the spiritual turmoil of wealthy music professionals: a movie that captures the beauty of fleeting moments as well as any Terrence Malick production

[8/10 · 2 May 2017]

People are saying that Terrence Malick is losing touch, a great auteur is going down and he's run out of things to say. Of course there are also those who don't see anything worthwhile in any of Malick's work and don't understand the praise he's getting from film critics, citing his films as an example of pretentiousness.

Personally I thought 'Song to Song' was actually an improvement over 'To the Wonder', probably because the latter dealt with issues of marriage and living abroad, themes that didn't resonate with my experiences like the themes of 'Song to Song' did. Malick's films are very consistent, he has his signature style that he utilizes to great effect in all of his films and putting one over the other is really just personal preference. The universe-embracing end-all, be-all epic 'The Tree of Life' is a turn-off for people looking for something subdued and intimate, while the quiet contemplation of 'Days of Heaven' will seem boring to some.

'Song to Song' examines the modern musical business, the life of successful music producers, musicians and the people who are drawn to that success, wealth and power. The movie has footage from real live shows and many stars like Iggy Pop and Patti Smith appear as themselves, engaging in intimate discussions with the characters of the movie.

The theme of the movie is Christian, like with all of Malick's films. He takes a look at the spiritual turmoil residing in the modern man, looking for an inner peace and trying to achieve something worthwhile, never finding it due to the absence of God. These religious themes are not as overt as in some of his movies, so it's still a good watch for people who aren't religious.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Influential, larger-than-life movie that brings depth and humanity to the fantasy story

[10/10 · 28 March 2017]

The Two Towers is one of the biggest and most successful sequels ever. It's not really even a sequel in the sense that the word is usually used, because The Lord of the Rings movies were filmed back to back and were always intended to be a single colossal story. Other successful sequels (Terminator 2, Aliens, The Godfather Part 2, even The Empire Strikes Back) are follow-ups to self-contained stories. The Lord of the Rings was largely unprecedented in that the creators knew in advance that there would be three movies to tell their story. It isn't that uncommon nowadays but in the early 2000's it was a big deal. The Lord of the Rings functions as a 9-hour movie (or 10-hour if you watch the extended edition).

The Two Towers isn't recommended to be watched on its own. But if you've seen the other movies and want to revisit it, The Two Towers does have its own arc, although the story goes on the central conflicts are resolved.

The last part, The Return of the King, won 11 Oscars and is regarded as one of the greatest movies ever (currently sitting at the 8th spot on the IMDb Top 250 list), but I think that movie is too bloated and blinded by special effects. I prefer The Two Towers. This part introduces new characters and settings and ups the stakes, while retaining the humanity and groundedness of the first part.

The Two Towers is known for its exploration of the country of Rohan and its people. They have an iconic piece of theme music, you get chills just remembering it. Their people is a proud and old one, designed to be stylistically reminiscent of Old Anglo-Saxons or Celts, yet we get the sense that they live in the shadow of Gondor where the real power of Men lies. They fight the corruption of the traitorous wizard Saruman and his orc army. They bring depth to the fantastical world: good and evil both have various forms.

The Rohan story is really only half of the movie, the other half follows the Hobbits Frodo and Sam through abandoned Gondorian country, hindered by the noble yet struggling hero Faramir and aided by the treacherous Gollum, a wonder of CGI special effects who largely influenced future filmmakers.

Smallville (2001–2017)

Campy but nostalgic

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Smallville' is not a good television show. It's campy, it's stupid, the character progression is deathly slow, the acting is bad, the special effects suck. Anybody saying that Tom Welling should've been cast as Superman in a live action blockbuster movie has got their head buried in the sand.

Still, 'Smallville' has some good things going for it, too. For one thing, it's got Allison Mack as Chloe Sullivan, a high school reporter and friend to our hero, Young Superman. She's just a great character and her presence elevates the whole show. The other female lead, Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang isn't that great besides being easy on the eyes.

Another thing is the nostalgia factor. 'Smallville' embodies its era, the fashion, the music, the campiness. There's a generation of former teenagers who grew up with 'Smallville' and there's no denying that it was good times back then.

Then there's the central theme of any Superman story: he was put on Earth as a symbol of hope. 'Smallville' has a positive outlook, it's hopeful. We know that Clark and young Lex Luthor will have their eventual falling out and become mortal enemies, but seeing them as friends lifts your spirits. The whole series is coated in charming optimism.

Also: Lex's character is interesting, and Michael Rosenbaum is a good actor. He brings a bit of grey into a world of simple morality.

Charmed (1998–2006)

A harmless, fun fantasy show that gets really old really fast

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

As a fan of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', I don't think there's anybody who would seriously argue that 'Charmed' is the better show.

Comparing the two is easy. They're from the same time period, both are fantasy shows with female leads, focusing on relationship drama and monster-of-the-week episodes while also having season-long story lines. 'Buffy' has vampires and demons, 'Charmed' has warlocks and demons.

The difference is that 'Buffy' takes itself seriously. That's a risky move - being serious in a show about a high school girl fighting the forces of evil is harder than taking the 'Sabrina the Teenage Witch' carefree comedy route. 'Buffy' makes it work. It builds a world with deep mythology, remembers the rules of its own world even when it breaks them, and doesn't discard characters without a good reason.

'Charmed' is halfway there. It's lighthearted and fun, and sometimes it takes steps towards actual drama, with characters making difficult choices, but things always end up neatly resolved and we don't really learn anything. It's just senseless feelgood drama.

And there's all that pointless pandering. Do we really need an episode of the hot young sister turning into a creature that physically cannot wear clothes? 'Buffy' was a true feminist show that never reduced its characters to sex objects. 'Charmed' does it all the time.

Revenge (2011–2015)

A show with a working premise but annoying acting

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

Inspired by the literary classic 'The Count of Monte Cristo', the TV show 'Revenge' is a story about a young lady who suffered wrongfully and returns years later to take vengeance on everyone who was responsible. The story explores the questionable morality of revenge, but this central theme often gets lost in the mess of details. Mostly the series is about high class society, the engagement of the heroine to the son of the enemy, and the smug plotting of various characters.

One of my pet peeves on this show was how everybody had some dark secret and mysterious purpose, which was always made irritatingly clear by the plentiful shots of constipated faces.

There are some good episodes but to get to the good ones you have to watch the ones in between, to get a handle on what's going on. There's not a lot to carry the experience. I feel like the show is missing a bit of sex and murder to spice things up. As it is things are a little bland.

The O.C. (2003–2007)

A phenomenon of its time period

[8/10 · 27 March 2017]

When 'The O.C.' aired, it was a phenomenon. I can only imagine what the craze was like in America, but here in Finland it aired when I was in high school and the teachers would talk about it in class. Everybody watched 'The O.C.' and it's no wonder why.

It's not like the show is the pinnacle of television, there are certainly many flaws in it. Some seasons are better than others, some characters are annoying and others totally irrelevant, some plot lines are stupid and some unrealistic, and some jokes fall flat. Actually, the whole premise lacks credibility. A wealthy lawyer adopts a criminal teenage boy because he sees something worthwhile in him? But the show is lovable for its familiar early 2000's music and fashion and its charming and memorable characters. Every teenage boy wants to be confident and good-looking like Ryan, while relating to his tortured brooding. If you don't identify with the nerdy Seth, you will at least know somebody who is exactly like him. The girls are equally familiar and rounded characters, from the troubled and sheltered Marissa to the carefree and sexy Summer and the intelligent and adorable Anna. I'm sure that even now, a decade later, it would still be easy to get into a heated discussion about who should've ended up with whom and how horrible it was that a certain character died...

Heroes (II) (2006–2010)

A satisfying and diverse superhero drama

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

I watched seasons 1 and 2 of 'Heroes'. I liked the first season and disliked the second season, so much so that I barely remember anything about the latter and didn't feel inclined to watch any more.

However, the first season pretty much works on its own as a story about emerging superheroes coming together in various ways to fight an evil adversary. I haven't watched any of the Netflix Marvel superhero TV shows so I don't know how those compare to 'Heroes' but I think that this show still holds up pretty well despite being over ten years old already.

'Heroes' is not about any costume-wearing comic book heroes. It's got its own cast of original characters, each getting an origin story and starting its own franchise (not that much came of it). There's the self-regenerating cheerleader (Hayden Panettiere), the time-travelling Japanese office worker, the super-strong schizophrenic stripper, and the power-replicating nurse (Milo Ventimiglia from 'Gilmore Girls'). All these fates end up tying together in a very satisfying manner.

BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

Incongruous combination of colorful visuals and dark subject matter

[8/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Bojack Horseman' is a unique TV show. I haven't seen anything like it. It's a dark comedy that goes really dark, plumbs the depths of human misery, but still remains a comedy, and that subject matter is very incongruous with the visual style: it's a colorful cartoon and the protagonist has a horse's head. This really striking combination makes an intriguing watch.

The story follows Bojack Horseman, a washed-up actor who is still wealthy and connected but much past his peak popularity. He is surrounded by ex-girlfriend/agent Princess Carolyn (a cat), a friend/rival Mr. Peanutbutter (a dog), a social media expert doing a book on him, Diane (a human), and Todd, a freeloader who has no business living with a celebrity. The show chronicles Bojack's ups and downs, but mostly downs. The opening credits show him drunk at a Hollywood house party, overcome by an anxiety attack and almost drowning in a pool.

Both the opening and ending credits songs are really great, too. I actually hated the ending credits song at first, but after a few episodes I started to get used to it, and a little later I realized its brilliance.

Haven (2010–2015)

Lackluster supernatural crime show

[5/10 · 27 March 2017]

Despite being based on a Stephen King book, 'Haven' is not a horror show. It's a supernatural crime drama and it's not scary in the least and not meant to be.

It's about a woman detective solving crime in a small town, each episode having a new crime which is somehow connected to the inexplicable 'Troubles' going around town. Sounds ominous but actually it's just the townspeople gaining some magic power and each time everything is neatly resolved.

The show is nice to watch but very bland. It doesn't really pull off the thriller style, it's not suspenseful enough. There rarely seems to be any real sense of danger, and the characters are not interesting enough for the audience to care about the inconsequential small-town drama.

Northern Exposure (1990–1995)

A cast of characters you will end up liking very much

[9/10 · 27 March 2017]

There are TV shows like 'Lost' or 'Breaking Bad' that have a relentlessly advancing plot that forces you to keep watching. Every episode something important happens, some crucial piece of information is revealed, some shocking twist pulls the rug from under your feet, and each episode you're glued to your seat.

Then there's shows like 'Northern Exposure' where nothing ever really happens and you still love it with all your heart.

It's difficult to explain exactly why, but I think the feeling is familiar to everybody. It's how you grow to like the characters - even if you don't actually like them you feel like you know them and you just want to see them again and again. It's not even that you want to know what happens to them - of course you do want to know, but you also know that life in a small town in Canada never really changes. It's more that you simply want to spend time with these characters. They become your friends.

'Northern Exposure' is a world of its own, a setting and a cast of characters that draws you in and before you know what happened you're part of the town and never want to leave.

There's the Jewish bigshot doctor who got cheated and has to stay even though he doesn't really want to. There's the headstrong amateur pilot. There's the old and dumb innkeeper who somehow managed to marry the hottest girl in town. There's the tortured teenager filmmaker. There's the laid-back philosopher radio DJ. There's even the shunned legendary Creature of the Woods who may or may not be Bigfoot.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996–2003)

A simple, light-hearted teen drama that just works

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

I watched three seasons of 'Sabrina' as an adult and don't regret doing so. It's not 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' but it's fun, charming and harmless.

This is a standard teen drama suitable for everybody. It's not brooding or mysterious, it doesn't really even have a story, it's just a collection of fun episodes about a 90's high school girl with magic powers, a talking cat and two crazy aunts.

A TV show this simple just works. It's like 'Friends' - it doesn't need any flashy special effects, plot twists or long story arcs. It just needs light-hearted jokes and imaginative ideas, and 'Sabrina' delivers.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009)

Surprisingly a TV show strives for the greatness of the original Terminator movies

[7/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Terminator' creator and mastermind James Cameron has allowed his franchise to be repeatedly expanded on with apparently no supervision on his part. There's 'Terminator 3', the pointless 'Terminator Salvation', the failed reboot 'Terminator Genisys' and the TV show 'Sarah Connor Chronicles'.

You might think that the expensive blockbuster franchise known for its brutal action would be ill suited for network television. Think again. 'Terminator' is a big story and the time travel plot allows for endless revisions and interpretations. The TV show is actually one of the more worthy followers to the two original movies.

While John Connor, future savior of humanity, is an annoying emo teenager, the other characters are strong additions to the franchise. Summer Glau is something of a cult classic of actresses and this might be her best role: a soulless killing machine reprogrammed to help our heroes. Garret Dillahunt as Cromartie, the terminator, is no Schwarzenegger, but has a chilling lack of expression suitable for a robot, and portrays the faceless, anonymous sense of inevitable danger very well. Brian Austin Green as Kyle Reese's brother Derek gives us an action hero to root for, a balance between handling weapons and drawing battle strategies and acting as a father figure for John.

Lena Headey is such a good fit for Sarah Connor herself that she actually rivals Linda Hamilton's original performance.

The Secret Circle (2011–2012)

If you want a show about teenage witches, your options are limited

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

Watching shows by The CW has proved a rather unfruitful experience. Their shows entertain and hit the notes they want to hit, but never break the mold or strive for greatness. After seeing 'The Secret Circle', 'The Vampire Diaries', later seasons of 'Supernatural', 'Ringer' and 'Hart of Dixie' it starts to feel like all those shows are the same. There are no standalone episodes but the longer story arcs don't feel particularly engaging and rarely really go anywhere. There's never any shocking twists - if a character actually leaves the show, it's done in an overblown dramatic way, and even that barely ever happens.

Still, a show like 'The Secret Circle' has its strengths, especially to the undiscerning eye. If you want a show about pretty teenage witches, your options are limited, and 'The Secret Circle' delivers. By the way, you should check out the 90's movie 'The Craft' if you want more of something like this.

The show is story-driven, and the story works. I disliked the parts that dealt with the adult characters, I thought the interesting stuff was with the teenagers, them coming to terms with their powers and learning about them and themselves.

The characters are the weak point. The actors are not that good. It seems they were hired because they were good-looking - every single person in the show (or any other CW show) looks like they were pulled from an underwear commercial. This makes for nice posters and promotional material but cringe-inducing dialog.

Dollhouse (2009–2010)

With a concept this good this show has no chance of failure

[8/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Dollhouse' has such a good concept that failure would be a big surprise. In the hands of Joss Whedon, a capable showrunner, it shines. 'Dollhouse' stars 'Buffy' alumna Eliza Dushku as an agent of a secret organization that completely erases the minds of its operatives and replaces them with a temporary artificial mind that is perfectly suited to each individual operation. This means that if they're tasked with a hostage mission, they will implant the mind of a hostage negotiator into their agent - and if their customer wants a night of perfect sex, they will implant the mind of a high-class prostitute.

With this concept the show can go pretty much anywhere in its standalone episodes - there's nightclubbing, bank robberies, woodland hikes with human hunting, stalked pop stars, religious cults and of course a misunderstood FBI agent trying to uncover a conspiracy. Actually I think that one of the faults of the show is that it has too few episodes that center around a single operation ordered by a client of the Dollhouse.

Mostly that doesn't matter, though, as the main story arc of the show launches early and is very suspenseful and compelling. The places Season 2 goes are really unexpected and the show is constantly pulling the rug from under your feet.

Smash (2012–2013)

Compelling drama about what goes on behind the scenes at Broadway

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

I didn't watch Season 2 so this review is only about Season 1. Based on what I hear I didn't miss much.

'Smash' is a great drama about what goes on behind the scenes on Broadway. It's a show about show business, competition, ambition, disillusionment, pressure, being a creator and music. Debra Messing is great as a producer who wants to create a big musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. The other central characters are the two actresses who compete for the role of Marilyn, the director and the writer/composer.

Karen is pretty much a nobody who strikes gold in an audition, but does she have what it takes? She's not even blonde! Ivy, on the other hand, has worked with the minds behind the play before, is a great singer and rocks that bombshell body, but seems like a safe choice whereas the producers want to go for something bold.

Lives will be changed, relationships tried and ambitions shattered under pressure, but the show always retains a middle-of-the-road drama style, never going for too dark material or forgetting levity.

Pushing Daisies (2007–2009)

Colorful, fast-paced and funny, this is the craziest crime-solving method you'll encounter

[9/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Pushing Daisies' has a premise that is on the surface similar to an early 2000's supernatural thriller show 'Tru Calling' starring Eliza Dushku. Both are about people who, when they come into contact with human cadavers, are able to supernaturally gain information through the body and solve their murder. Each episode has a dead body and a case to be solved.

But where 'Tru Calling' was a thriller and had that campy dark 2003 quality, bad acting and low production values, 'Pushing Daisies' is fast-paced, funny and endlessly lovable.

The first thing that strikes you when you start watching 'Pushing Daisies' is the blistering pacing. There is a lot of crazy stuff happening, often so fast that the characters don't really have time to react. There is a lot that you have to just accept with a shrug.

The second thing you will notice is the photography. 'Pushing Daisies' is very colorful and the sets are always quirky and unique. It's expertly shot, just a feast for the eyes.

A must-watch. You'll probably be hooked, but I thought the second season didn't really match up and was just more of the same, though in this case that might be good enough.

Ringer (2011–2012)

A show that had a lot of promise but a disappointing ending

[6/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Ringer' was a lot of fun to watch when it aired, but if you marathon it nowadays you're setting yourself up for a disappointment. The show was cancelled and the creators had to write the season into a dead end.

Sarah Michelle Gellar of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' fame does a pretty great role here as white trash whose life takes a sharp, unexpected turn when her twin sister is lost at sea. Bridget is an ex-druggie, stripper and loser, whereas her sister Siobhan was wealthy and connected to the New York socialites. But Bridget almost accidentally ends up in a position where she can steal her sister's life - her husband, her house, her stepdaughter, her lover. Soon it turns out that Siobhan's outwardly picture-perfect life had a couple of hardships, too, and they're all thrust on Bridget's less-than-capable shoulders.

The premise is endlessly entertaining with all its possibilities of delicious misunderstandings and embarrassing situations. The show takes a turn into thriller territory and has a lot of suspense, cliffhangers and surprises.

It also has its faults. It treats its viewers as morons by having endless pointless flashbacks that irritatingly remind us of something that everybody remembers, and the anticlimactic ending ruins the build-up. Still, it was a lot of fun to watch and anticipate future episodes.

Dead Like Me (2003–2004)

Early 2000's cynical comedy about collecting souls of the dying

[7/10 · 27 March 2017]

'Dead Like Me' perfectly captures that early 2000's cynical comedy style. It's a dark comedy, but not too dark to be uncomfortable. It starts with the main girl getting squashed by a falling toilet seat, and instead of moving onto the next world she is recruited as a grim reaper to collect the souls of others.

The cast consists of the other reapers - all rather eccentric characters who don't take their jobs as collectors of souls very seriously - and Georgia's grieving family. The episodes are a mix of stand-alone and longer story arcs - I don't recommend skipping episodes, but you won't be lost even if you do.

Tru Calling (2003–2005)

Interesting premise but the show fizzles out

[4/10 · 27 March 2017]

The premise is promising: a girl working at the morgue starts getting flashbacks where she goes back in time and has a chance to save the life of a person who ended up as a cadaver at the morgue. But why does this happen, and who is the mysterious guy who also starts working there and seems to know more than he lets on?

I stumbled across Tru Calling on broadcast television, and as a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer I thought I'd check it out. Well, if you want Eliza Dushku, I recommend you go for Dollhouse instead. Tru Calling has its merits but overall it's a bit of a disappointment. It sets up a mystery but doesn't really know what to do with it, nothing ever gets resolved and the show fizzles out.

Point Pleasant (2005)

Supernatural teen drama with a slightly darker tone

[4/10 · 27 March 2017]

Okay so this show was a cancelled supernatural teen drama that was a bit darker in tone. Recommended for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and campy horror movies. Don't expect a lot of fancy special effects.

The story is about a pretty blonde called Christina who has a symbol representing the number 666 engraved in her eye and who seems to have a power that causes bad things to happen around her. Yes, she's the daughter of the Devil, no surprises there.

The show is set in a small coastal town called 'Point Pleasant' and mostly focuses on the relationships of the teen characters. If you liked the show and are looking for something similar, I recommend you watch The CW's 'The Secret Circle'.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)

A man's journey of self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment

[10/10 · 23 March 2017]

This is not a boring art movie. Do not skip this movie thinking it's going to go over your head, even though some of it probably will. This movie will make you think and feel, and it's not a difficult watch like some Tarkovsky film or There Will Be Blood or something like that. It's less than two hours long, it's easy to follow and it has some really profound messages.

There is plenty of symbolism that requires knowledge of Buddhism to fully grasp, like the animals present in the movie, or the meaning of the ending sequence, but even without context you can appreciate the story and the characters.

Kim Ki-duk's movies are great, some of them are really weird but this one just works even if you go into it totally clueless.

So why is it that good? It's got it all - love, passion, crime, forgiveness, repentance. It's got a totally ripped kung fu master, a beautiful young lady totally naked, it's got a floating Buddhist temple in the middle of an idyllic valley, it's got a spell inscribed onto the floor by a cat's tail. It will leave you with questions, but it will also give you answers to questions you didn't know you even had.

Sailor Moon R: The Movie: The Promise of the Rose (1993)

Fantastic imagery and gay lovers

[8/10 · 23 March 2017]

I haven't really watched Sailor Moon more than a couple of episodes, I checked out this movie to see what it's about because apparently it's one of the best things that came out of the franchise.

It's great.

It starts in the middle but having seen the first episode of 'Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon' I already knew the gist of the thing so it wasn't hard to follow, and the movie actually introduces us to characters that I surmise are already familiar to those who saw the entire series. Very helpful.

Ikuhara likes his homosexual overtones, and here it's guy-on-guy more than girl-on-girl. Mamoru-kun alias Tuxedo Mask meets a mysterious man from the past who claims ownership to his heart, much to the chagrin of Usagi alias Sailor Moon. Turns out the man Fiore is an alien from outer space and plans to destroy the earth with an ocean of pink flowers - or is he being manipulated by the flower itself? There's some surreal, fantastical imagery. The final fight takes place in space. The one flaw of the movie is that it's so short.

Café Society (2016)

A blue story that says a lot but also leaves some things unsaid

[7/10 · 23 March 2017]

There's not really a 'typical' Woody Allen movie because there are so many of them and they're all so much alike that they're all typical, except maybe 'Match Point'.

'Café Society' has its similarities to Allen's other movies, and some dissimilarities, too. The similarities: the protagonist is Jewish, the movie explores identities of cities, there's a love triangle and infidelity, it resembles a stage play, it's a comedy but has some sad material, there's no villain, it stars a beautiful young star (Kristen Stewart joins Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, Evan Rachel Wood, Hayley Atwell and Christina Ricci as a Woody Allen movie love interest) and it has many unpredictable twists and is rather fast-paced.

The dissimilarities are harder to describe. 'Café Society' feels somber, and it leaves much unresolved. It's not a neat little package like many Woody Allen movies are. Typically Woody characters talk way too much. 'Café Society' has things left unsaid. It's a very blue movie (fittingly in color scheme as well).

It's about ambitions and priorities, and the winding roads of fate that take us to unexpected places. As usual, Woody Allen takes a setting and situation that seems distant and makes it easy to relate to.

Bonus points for the scene with Anna Camp as a prostitute, that whole sequence was absolutely hilarious.