モンスター

No amount of polishing can cover-up a dirty soul....

I never knew they made it into a movie! Got to watch... if only to see how they did the make-up! >_<

Himitsu no Akko-chan

Imagine you are an 11 year old girl who loves testing out her mothers make-up and dressing up as an adult. Imagine if that girl were to receive a magical mirror that allows her to transform herself into anything she wishes. 

Obviously, she transforms herself into herself 10 years on. She gets a job, falls in love, stops her primary school friends from fighting and attempts to save a company from being sold. 

...And then goes home for her mothers cooked food as an 11 year old girl. 

Fun story with hilarious acting :)

Bolt from the blue

Haruo is a failing magician. He can't get any job offers and his rent is overdue. A freak thunderstorm hits and his home is flooded. All of his magician equipment inside is ruined. He can't afford to buy more. He then gets a phone call. A homeless man has committed suicide and it appears to be his dad. What more can go wrong? 

Haruo goes to the bridge where his father died and is struck by lightening. When he comes round he realises he has time slipped 40 years. With no idea of how to get back to the future, he starts performing as a magician - the only thing he knows. His "futuristic" magic tricks amaze people and he somehow teams up with Shotaro - his father. He meets the mother he never met and finally finds out why she left when he was born. 

A funny, entertaining film that is well worth watching!

Go see!!

All Round Appraiser Q

Riko is a highly respected appraiser with a supernaturally sharp eye for detail and a quick thinking mind. The Louvre temporarily employ her for a Mona Lisa exhibition in Japan. Her judgements are challenged amongst rumours and threats of theft. Can she solve a 500 year old curse? Which is the original painting? Who is stealing what? 

I like Haruka Ayase. 

I like mystery. 

I like thrillers. 

I like The DaVinci Code. 

I like Sherlock Holmes. 

But I didn't like this movie. 

This movie tries to copy The DaVinci code and Sherlock Holmes so much it just ends up dull. The storyline was predictable and acting dull. 

Maybe it was because I was half jet-lagged when I watched this movie, but...

zzz

About Time

What if you could relive each moment of your life until it was perfect?

A tad stressed out, I held a pizza and movie night this Sunday. My friend came with a great choice of film; "About Time". I admit, I hated the gooey-ness of "Love Actually", but this Nighy chick flick was something that the stressed out me needed - an easy-going happy-end romantic comedy. :)

Plot: A 21 year old Tim gets told by his father that all the male members of the family can time travel. Tim doesn't believe it until he tries it himself. He decides to use this power to try and find love. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes you have to let terrible things happen in order for happiness to bloom. 

"Worrying about the future is like trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing bubble gum."

...うんうん！

No drama. No life.

I'm coming out of hiding just to rave and recommend a few things I've been watching this year. 

Firstly, the hyped up Japanese war movie, "Eien no zero". Some rave about this film, whilst others worry about its nationalistic war-hero views, but I just watched it as a film regardless of opinions floating around it.

 A young man and his sister find out their true grandfather died in the war. They interview lots of people in order to try and piece together what kind of man he was. Some information is not what they wanted to hear. However, through interviewing lots of different people, they gain a good idea of the kind of man their grandfather was, his hopes, his wishes, and the reasons why he chose to die. 

It's true that it does seem to suggest that "war sacrifice" is a heroic thing, but as a film, it's great. As a girl brought up on Hollywood, I tend to find a lot of Japanese cinema a little slow..., but this movie is fast paced and the characters are well introduced. 

******

Secondly, the last (but hopefully not last) TRICK movie. I've been a fan of this series since the beginning and if this really is the very last edition to the series, then thankfully it is worthy of it. There's TRICK gags galore and even lots of special appearances from faces of the past. It's comical, it's serious, it plays with the audience, its sad, it's a cliffhanger, it's everything all at the same time and yet it works. I admit to being moved at the ending, which left me and my friends sitting in the cinema silently reflecting for a good few minutes even after the lights had come on.  

******

And finally, British drama at its best, Sherlock. As others like to put it, this new series sees the "humanization" of Sherlock. He gets a girlfriend, he makes a wedding speech that brings a tear to the guests' eyes, he finds himself getting the clues wrong... I won't say much for fear of ruining it for those who haven't seen it, but.... to John, Mary and.... Others... The Last Vow has to be the best episode ever. 

2014 has started well in the land of TV and cinema... Hehe

Here's to "terumae romae 2" >_<;

後で睡眠不足じゃない時にこのポストを日本語に翻訳します。少しだけ時間をください！(＞人＜;)