You know you care! Mark Tuppence has chimed in with his take on Matsugane Ransha Jiken, the bold story of Ken, who seeks to find the best method for taking marijuana intravenously. This children's film/cautionary tale comes from the director (whose name escapes me) that brought us the delightful Linda Linda Linda, and it's much too repetitive sequel Linda Linda Linda Linda.
Here's an excerpt from the review with pronouns and articles removed to liven things up a bit (it doesn't really help, but I giggled):
"In new film, 'Matsugane Ransha Jiken (Matsugane Potshot Affair),' Yamashita attempts to stretch farther, into something resembling serious drama. No, is not doing version of 'Interiors' -- Woody Allen's 1978 impersonation of Ingmar Bergman; "Matsugane" is still recognizably Yamashita. What has gone missing, however, is humor."
"What passes for comedy in Japanese mass media is often little better than ijime (bullying) played for laughs -- one comedian baiting or beating another -- so in sense Yamashita is simply going mainstream, but, no fan of ijime in any of infinitely varied forms, watched much of film stone-faced. At same time, appreciated ingeniously pointed and layered observations of life's frustrations and absurdities. In other words, Yamashita like and admire hasn't gone completely missing -- perhaps into hiding."
"Still, hard to hate film -- Yamashita is generous toward all characters, even ones, like hapless Hikari, uses as comic props. But also hard to care much about assorted dilemmas. Like potshots of title, make bit of noise, but leave little impression, echoes dissipate in cold air."
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