Hanagatami

Probably the best snoozefest I have ever browsed my phone to.

Not quite such a wild fast-paced ride as House or Labyrinth of Cinema, but still supremely weird in style. At the core this is a coming-of-age movie about teens who mostly will not be allowed to do that due to the looming specter of war.

Unlike many (who have rated this highly) found the visual style to be so awkward that it proved near unwatchable and the plot completely swamped. Just about entirely filmed in front of a green screen (or looking that way) with obvious & appalling CGI as background. The effect may be intentional (to lazily avoid all period authenticity costs IMO) but it killed it for me. That and the obviously older male actors playing the late teens characters... errrrkkkk. Cheap looking tosh was my impression.

Life is joy, and war is the opposite of life. No movie has tried to convince us of the evil of war more and more through every frame, every sound, every line

Definitely recommended for fans of Obayashi's House. Going into this film, I expected his style to have matured over time with his uniquely idiosyncratic visual flares fading into the background. Happily, that is not the case with the visuals of this film being perhaps even more outlandish than his 1977 cult favorite. Still, with this film's more subtle dramatic narrative, investing oneself requires some effort. If you're willing to put in the effort though, it can be a very rewarding watch.

Em honra de Nobuhiko Obayashi (1938 - 2020) filme #4. Obayashi já sabia de seu câncer quando fez esse filme, o resultado foi o mais belo filme que vi dele, tematica e esteticamente, sobre a juventude perdida para a guerra, cheio de melancolia de alguém que viveu a grande guerra na infância e que agora estava perdendo a batalha para a doença. BlurayRip VXT.