Sound of the Mountain (Japan, 1954)

An ingratiating bride develops warm ties to her father-in-law while her cold husband blithely slights her for another woman.

In the same year that saw the release of Godzilla, the exact same cinematography crew from that film helped Mikio Naruse on Sound of the Mountain. Naruse, a major figure in Japans 'golden age of cinema' portrayed women in a much more central role and nuanced light than his contemporaries and is one of the first directors who challenged the gender norms of Japanese society in a time when barely anyone would have called themselves a feminist.

Sound of the Mountain is a strong character-driven story with Setsuko Hara in the lead, following her navigating through family ethics and seeing how fragile the bonds of relationships can be. 

Genre: Drama. 1h 35min.

Under the Open Sky (Japan, 2020)

A middle-aged former yakuza, Mikami, is released from prison after thirteen years where he was placed for murder. He is struggling to adapt to society and freedom, find a job and communicate normally, but he is also preoccupied by the quest for his mother from whom he was separated as a child. He finds allies in his search for his parent and a place in mainstream society, but the process is not seamless or smooth.

Directed by Miwa Nishikawa (Sway, The Long Excuse), Under the Open Sky looks at the life of a yakuza who's trying to re-enter society but finds himself ostracized and alone in a Japan that almost has left his mob syndicate to history. It's an interesting take on the yakuza genre, showing that when fighting the system you're bound to loose. Mikami is played by Koji Yakusho who gives the character great depth and makes you wish he finds his place somewhere in his new existence, even though Japanese society has deemed his chance already spent. 

Genre: Crime/Drama. 2h 6min.

The Medium (Thailand, 2021)

A horrifying story of a shaman's inheritance in the Isan region of Thailand. What could be possessing a family member might not be the Goddess they make it out to be.

The Medium will immediately grab any horror fans attention just by the names behind the film. Director Bangjong Pisanthanakun gave us the spooky Shutter (2004), and South Korean screen-writer Na Hong-jin made a huge splash in the industry with his fantastic The Wailing (2016). The Medium digs into possessions and has a documentary team follow a small village shaman in the midst of strange and disturbing events. 

While you'd be correct to expect nothing else than a milestone in Thai horror, given the credentials of the people involved, The Medium doesn't reach heights it should. The main possession that we're following feels like it could be a sub-story in the previously mentioned The Wailing which was much deeper. I thought the documentary hand-held camera style was unnecessary and when people start to die there's really no justification for trying to keep filming the action. That aside, the director captures some great amount of atmosphere and the setting of rural Thailand looks to be perfect for a story of this kind. 

I've read some people got terrified of this film, and while that's very far from my own experience, it's still worth a look if you want to see the latest in Thai horror. 

Genre: Horror. 2h 10min.

Blue (Japan, 2021)

Nobuto is a boxer who is not going to be a champion anytime soon. He works hard, trains, attends consistently and yet ends up amassing losses. In the same gym and training with Nobuto is Kazuki. The latter man looks destined for success. Moreover, he is engaged to Chika who was crushed on by Nobuto when they were children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film centered around a couple of friends going through tough times together and seeing  their relationship twist and turn. A slight love triangle develops but remarkably doesn't make the film into some romantic sap-fest. It's just there and we're invested in the characters, played by actors who've become big stars in recent years. Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Norwegian Wood, Death Note) was a highlight for me as a likeable but interestingly flawed character in that he's lifted up as an authority figure in the gym but in reality he's quite timid and leaves a lot to be wished for in the boxing department. 

A film that doesn't try to overdo it with hidden meanings and life lessons, but portrays 3-4 characters small personal journeys. 

Genre: Drama/Sport. 1h 47min.

Our Love Story (South Korea, 2016)

Yoon-ju is a graduate student of fine arts and is working on her graduation exhibition. One day, while she is searching materials for her project, she runs into Ji-soo at a junk shop. Watching Ji-soo in an odd place, Yoon-ju finds herself drawn to her. After their initial encounter, Yoon-ju once again runs into Ji-soo at a convenience store, and the two eventually start dating. Never having enjoyed dating men, Yoon-ju finds Ji-soo fascinating and becomes completely infatuated with her.

Our Love Story portrays the journey of a relationship between two women and all the little bumps in the road that every love story has. It's very intimate, and the film feels like a window in which the viewer peeps into, watching private moments. I love that the film doesn't go near melodrama-territory, keeping it more real and grounded. 

Contrasting this show of great film making and understanding of the imperfection of a relationship is the fact that director Hyun-ju Lee retired from the business in the wake of being guilty of sexual assault against another woman. She was stripped of her awards and received a two-year jail sentence. 

Genre: Drama/Romance. 1h 39min.