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Reviews
Teacher's Pet (2004)
A Challenging Movie
Reading these comments has been very interesting. This seems to be a film that you either love or you hate. To some, that itself is testimony to the movie's faults, but to other's, it is a sign of a risqué flick that is worth close viewing, if not cult status. I tend to be of the latter persuasion. I can certainly imagine how those who expect wholesome Disney family entertainment would object to disturbingly transgressive moments as when it seems your dog might marry your mom (and then Oedipus enters the messy picture), but those who hate the stultifying pap that Disney is known for might love this work's challenges. This is more Ren and Stimpy than Little Mermaid. My 6-year-old son liked it and laughed hysterically many times (but he likes Ren and Stimpy, which we have on tape). But in the end he'd probably give it a 7 or 8 out of 10, because there was a lot of humor here that went above his head. It is also a very fast and busy film that can lose you (and bore you) if you don't grab on and pay attention. Multiple viewings might be necessary. Baseman's world is also a challenge, although I found it wonderfully imaginative. There are, I think, a few too many songs, although many are well-written in terms of lyrics. Having said all this, however, I was disappointed at the film's "be yourself" (which means "be a slave to your master") ending, which might be satisfying for the kids, but undermined the film's own playful transgressions.
Oshidori utagassen (1939)
One of the most delightful Japanese films ever made.
One of the most delightful Japanese films ever made. Yes, the Japanese do make musicals--in fact, quite a lot of them--but most are "kayo eiga" which have only a few inserted songs instead of whole musical numbers that interrupt or at time advance the plot. Oshidori utagassen (roughly translated as "Song Competition Between Lovebirds" (or mandarin ducks, if you are being literal)) is more like a "pure" American musical even though it is set in medieval times. It reveals the influence both of 1930s PCL/Toho musicals like Horoyoi jinsei (1933), based in the contemporary stage revues, and the "bright" jidaigeki of Chiezo Productions. But it also evinces the genius of Makino Masahiro, one of Japan's great directors, who, like Okamoto Kihachi after him, always had a superb flair for tempo and rhythm (witness his brilliant Awa no odoriko (1941) and the end to Ketto Takadanobaba (1937)--less a sword fight than a dance number!). A must-see, and not just for the sight of Shimura Takashi singing! But also check out the other great musicals: the Tanuki goten films, Sannin musume series, the Group Sounds movies, and one of my favorites: Kimi mo shusse ga dekiru (1964).