Raised under the wings of Shunji Iwai, Yukisada grew up to be one of Japan's better contemporary drama directors. His oeuvre is one of the most consistent I know, so when looking for solid Japanese drama, look no further.
Movies
Pink and Gray is a pretty great film, but some familiarity with the director will definitely help you to appreciate it to its fullest.
Parade is quite a lengthy film and the first hour you might be excused for wondering what all the fuzz is about.
Considering the film as a whole it's not that much different from a normal feature-length Japanese drama, though the change in characters and perspectives do add some welcome variation.
It's not always easy tracking down Yukisada's films, but for fans of this type of films it's definitely worth the trouble.
Yukisada being Yukisada. The biggest difference is that he plays around with LGBTQ elements, I don't think I've ever seen him do that before. Not that it changes a lot, it's still a very typical romantic drama with the usual woes and worries, but it's nice to see the Japanese mainstream is getting a bit more accepting of these topics. It's nice to see something different from the usual coming out stories, sadly there's a bit too much back and forth between Kyoichi and various partners, which puts a little strain on the second half. The performances are decent but not exceptional, the cinematography and score are polished but expected. It's a very solid drama, but having seen so much of Yukisada already it's not a film that stands out from his other work.Read all
A sweet but rather familiar romance by Yukisada. In recent years Yukisada's been exploring some different genre niches, with Theater: A Love Story he seems to return to what he knows best: a solid combination of romance and drama. It works well enough, but at this point I expect more (or something different). Nagata is a play writer for an underground theater group. He's somewhat of a recluse, but when he meets Saki he has finally found someone he can open up to. He's finally able to write a popular play and the relationship between the two seems to be going into the right direction, until Nagata starts sabotaging himself. Performances are great, the film looks nice and the score is very pleasant. There's really nothing wrong with this film, except that I've seen Yukisada do the exact same thing better in the past. His latest is just very safe and by the numbers. It's perfect filler when you're looking for quality drama, but it didn't get to me the way his best work can.Read all
That Moment, My Heart Cried
A pretty peculiar anthology. This was marketed as something a bit more experimental, heralding new forms of film making and all that. The result: five pretty basic Japanese drama shorts, some of them with a little fantastical twist, but none of them really doing anything special or out of the ordinary. Miike's short feels like a live action version of a Shinkai film, but the execution is a little flat, the 2nd and 3rd shorts aren't all that remarkable either. Horanai's film is the first to really show some promise, but it's Yukisada's 5th and final entry that finally delivers the goods. It's certainly not a bad collection of films, but I honestly expected more. There are no weak films, but no stand-outs either.Read all
Lately Yukisada's films have turned a little grittier. River's Edge has dark edges that I'm not used to seeing in his films. Yukisada handles it well, though the 90s setting (ugly 4:3 screen ratio included) feels completely superfluous. Good performance, good drama and some poignant moments, but it lacks that little extra.
A typical Yukisada film. A solid mix of drama and romance, some tougher themes and soft styling. If you've seen some of his other films, you'll know what to expect. Good acting, fine camera work and some touching moments without becoming too sentimental. A bit too long though, but otherwise very good.
Solid Pan-Asian romance that turns mystery halfway through. Yukisada is a great director and aces both genres, but the combination is somehow less than the sum of its parts. The two parts never quite gel together and I would've preferred it if the film had stuck to the romance. Still, there's plenty to like here, so well recommended for fans of Yukisada's work.
A pretty remarkable film. This felt a bit like an early Tatsuya Nakashima project, but it was in fact directed by Yukisada. The most surprising thing though is that it never appeared on my radar before. It's the type of film I tend to like a lot, and I hold Yukisada in high regard. I'm glad I was still able to catch up with it now. The cinematography is warm and colorful, making the best of a summery Japanese countryside. The plot is a bit disjointed but fun, the performances aren't exactly subtle, but the lead character is a real treasure. It's a relatively basic film, even though the second half does contain some more poignant scenes. Not quite strong enough to be a personal favorite, but it came very close. A lovely little gem this one.Read all
Yukisada is best known for making contemporary drama/romance cinema, but 2005 was the year that he wanted to do something different. Year One in the North and Snowy Love Fall in Spring are two films that feature a more historic setting. While not Yukisada's biggest strength, Snowy Love Fall in Spring is clearly the better of the two. The film takes a while to get up to speed, which isn't too surprising considering the rather uptight and formal early 20th century setting. It's not really an ideal era for sprawling romance, but the second half makes up for that, when the story finally takes a turn for the tragic and Yukisada feels visibly more at ease. Performances are strong, with Tsumabuki sticking out in a stand-out role. The rest of the cast is good too, but not quite as notable. The cinematography is classic but refined, the same can be said about the soundtrack. The film's a bit long-winding and the intro a bit long, apart from that this was a fine romantic tragedy.Read all
Crying Out of Love, In the Center of the World
Jam Films
The Jam Films anthology is worth exploring if you like contemporary Japanese cinema. This first one isn't the best of the bunch, but it features some big-name directors and offers a nice variation of themes and styles. It's certainly not the most consistent anthology, nor the most creative, but there are some nice shorts on display. I liked the mix of different genres, though it lacked one or two shorts that tried to do something entirely different. Most directors remained within their comfort zone and delivered something predictable. That's not what anthology films are about, on the other hand, there weren't any weak entries either. Good fun.Read all
Yukisada's entry in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno reboot. While not bad, the constraints of the genre work against the film. The drama is laudable, but there are just too many interruptions that distract from Itsuji Itao's emotional struggles.
Decent anthology, though based on the talent involved here, expectations were slightly higher. Three solid shorts, but it's all a bit expected and safe, i.e. socially conscious drama without visual excess. It's not the best use of the anthology medium if you ask me. Still, not a bad trio of shorts.
