danaelambros

I rarely write a review but this little gem fell into my lap quite unexpectedly. The animation is almost crude, but the story line is clever. Unless you have a basic understanding of Japanese culture, norms and the highly traditional gender roles that define Japan, some viewers may miss or not appreciate the many cheeky and sly cultural and social references in the story. Beyond that, the implausible story of a former, infamous yakuza boss turned dutiful househusband in Japan, with occasional outbursts of his former violent self and past life, is truly entertaining and hilarious. The title alone hooked me in from the very beginning. For those of you who like your humor cheeky, quirky and a little this side of whacky, this is for you.

I watched the first season of Mr. Robot and was very taken with the story line, acting, direction and overall development. I could barely get through Season 2: the story line is so confusing, the sound track and music so loud and interfering with dialogue that I found it frustrating to hear. (This seems to be a tendency with many new TV series that get swept up in a higher music to dialogue sound ratio and frankly, it's so annoying - even with a good bluetooth speaker). I struggled through Season 2 because I really like Rami Malek but I will not continue watching after the mess of Season 2. I found it incomprehensible, pretentious and lacking the cohesive punch of Season 1. I cannot recommend this series beyond Season 1 but I know others may feel differently. You be the judge but I do not want to waste my time.

I really enjoyed this film. I thought it was a cinematic glimpse into Berlin visually, as well as culturally. I don't feel it deserves the low ratings it's received on this site. I also heard people comparing it to Paris, I Love You and finding it lacking. I haven't seen the Paris version so I can't comment on that. What I DID like was the vignettes of life and love in Berlin, and that the love in these vignettes took different forms: the film isn't entirely dedicated to romantic love but to love in all its forms, including sacrifice, love for strangers and love as acceptance. The sound track and music were excellent, and the visuals very strong. I also enjoyed the acting, which felt very natural. It definitely has a European vibe: there's no Hollywood hype here or over-dramatic acting; at times, it shows a bleak side to life but I like this kind of realism. While this film might not be everyone's cup of tea, I think it's a breath of fresh air in the movie scene. Two thumbs up :).