Movies
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
Deliberately slow drama about a woman fighting for independence. I could appreciate the meticulous characterization and the detailed setting, but spending two hours with these characters was a bit much, not in the least because the film keeps a consistent style and tone throughout. The lead performance is strong and the story is interesting, though by now not too original. The presentation is polished but a little dull and not quite refined enough for its kind. The secondary roles aren't on the same level and two hours was a bit much for me. Not a terrible drama, but nothing too exciting.Read all
My first Mikio Naruse. He's a well-respected name in arthouse circles, but he didn't make it quite as big as some of his peers (people like Kurosawa, Ozu, or Mizuguchi). This was one of his earlier works (a silent too), so it's a little hard to draw any definite conclusions, but I can't say I was a big fan. The drama is pretty basic, the cinematography is bland and the pacing is relatively slow. For its time it's not a terrible effort, it's just very plain and boring. It's a good thing Apart from You is pretty short, but even that can't really save the film. I didn't really care for any of it, but I'll give Naruse a few more chances.Read all