heikidesu
A slow paced but enchanting movie... like Cafe Lumiere, it has some great shots of modern Tokyo and an even more realistic feel. However, I, for one, would probably not have watched an identical movie set in New York, for me much of the fun is in the Tokyo setting.I have added it to the list of 10 or so Japanese/Japan-related movies that I recommend to friends.* A simple story, based on a young Tokyo woman who is obsessed with the man who lives above her in their apartment house, and sorts almost religiously through his trash. Eventually she schemes to run into him in real life and, maybe, the collision between dreams and reality sets her off on a different course. (Not much of a spoiler, but better safe than sorry).The subtitles I saw seemed a bit weak in spots and it was a shame that they didn't translate Yume no Shima**... the place where the main action of the movie ends... kind of stops from completing the loop of the story.The Netflix disc that I saw also had an interesting biography of the director's previous work. The other review on this site says that the movie seems a bit amateurish, but this information makes it clear he's earned his chops.* let's see: Stray DogCafe Lumiere Mr. Baseball Walk Don't Run Bounce KO Gals Tony Takitani Tokyo Monogatari TenKouSei (Changing Schools... I haven't seen a translated version) Always San Choume no Yuuhi (Always 3rd Precinct Evening Sun) Stupeur et Tremblements (Fear and Trembling)** Dream Island (might also be construed as a spoiler)
Albert Fish
This was a surprise to me, since I usually watch (hardcore) Japanese horror movies. The fact that I'm very interested in learning Japanese also helped a lot with this particular kind of movie, since most horror movies use a lot of slang, that much I can recognize. It was also interesting to see that *SPOILER* once the girl was involved with the guy she was in love with, she wasn't all too interested anymore (maybe because he told her she wasn't all that good in bed after they slept with each other?), whereas with the persistent guy she pushed off time and time again, she seemed to be more receptive and satisfied.*END SPOILER* All in all, Tokyo Garbage Girl is a pretty interesting character study of an obsessed woman who doesn't seem to be sure what she really wants.
followingfleet
I actually found this movie fascinating. It had nice shots and the lead actress was captivating. The protagonist showed sanity in her insane little world. The plot wasn't in the foreground here, it was more an exploration of character, and i couldn't stop watching it. There were a few frustrations, mostly to do with the plot, but it made up for all that with the use of the cute lead. It has a really made-at-home sort of look which i usually don't go for, but it worked. Perhaps some of the shots went on a minute too long, but the point got through. The ending was a little slow to deliver but the movie as a whole was still interesting and worth a watch. Maybe just for those with patience.
d0ppelganger
The title of the movie comes from the fact that the lead female character Miyuki, played by the delightful Mami Nakamura, goes through garbage. Not just general garbage, but that of Yoshinori, a musician/rock star played by Kazuma Suzuki.Miyuki works as a waitress in a small cafe and lives in a tiny apartment, a very dead end for a very young woman like herself. Her only delight in life comes from having a *huge* crush on Yoshinori living in the same building. She is too timid to actually strike up a conversation with him, so she resorts to going through his garbage looking for mementos and insights to the man. She is a scavenger and a stalker.An interesting twist of this film is that there is another stalker. A male patron to her cafe has a crush on Miyuki. Unlike her this person is a much more vocal stalker, he actually asks her out on strange dates. What makes him a stalker is that he wouldn't take 'no' as an answer.As the stage is set, the film investigates Miyuki's strange world. There are quite a few twists and turns related to the thing she finds in the garbage and to her own stalker. The most intelligent part of the film, from the perspective of the screenplay, directing and the acting, is on her reactions to all those. The loneliness of modern life (or towards modern Japan in particular?), lust and shame find concrete manifestation in Mami Nakamura. You have to see to believe it.
AD
