Monday, January 7, 2013

Melancholia, Mystic River, Kaseifu no Mita Eps.7

This weekend was one of the more productive ones film wise.

Melancholia it has become interesting to me how one's tastes change as time goes by and one gets older. I used to love Von Trier films. Maybe they were better or maybe I was trying to be more intelligent by loading more meaning to them, I don't know. But with Anti Christ and now Melancholia, Von Trier kind of lost me. I still love his powerful imagery though, many of the scenes in the film are almost paintings and I don't think I yawned once during. Kirsten Dunst and Alexander Skarsgard are both faves. I think Charlotte Gainsborough is one of the best living actors but I can't like her and do not active seek the films she is in out. But whenever I watch anything she is in, I'm awed by her talent. Anyway this film was interesting to watch but I didn't feel any of the previous thrill while I watch other Von Trier films.

Mystic River this one too left me cold. It is very loyal to the novel but in the end, ended up being not a good film. The most guilty is the dialogue. The leads are all accomplished actors but the dialogues were silly and I don't think anyone would have made them sound better. This one Eastwood film that I don't really care for. The novel, on the other hand is very good and highly recommended. All the sentences that feel so fake in the film are organic and alive in the novel.

I have also started Kaseifu no Mita, a Japanese drama. The title translates as Housekeeper Mita. The story is that an unusual housekeeper starts work at the house of a dysfunctional family and changes the lives of family members for the better (yeah it does sound like Mary Poppins or the The Sound of Music no?). Mita is very odd and the family is not your usual one. The mom committed suicide the night after Dad asked for a divorce (due to an affair with a subordiante where he works). In the first episodes they hide this from the kids but at the end of episode 7 everyone knows everything and now we are slowly getting into Mita's story. Meanwhile Dad is fired from his job, kids suffered through some serious issues but came out in flying colours with Mita being on hand supplying the things they need.
There is also maternal Grandpa (who understandably doesn't like his Son in Law very much) and Clumsy Aunt, who manages to look at things more wisely and tries not to judge anyone. She is the only one who voices my thoughts being suprised by her Sister's suicide just because her husband asked for a divorce. How can he leave her children behind like that? Yeah Aunt Urara, that's what I was thinking but then again, I try not to judge.

I have been crying rivers in almost each episode. The kids are adorable (and my weakness in fiction) and the issues sound real.


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