Mari Natsuki Movies
- 2001
Noted character actor Eiji Okuda makes his directorial debut with this Lolita-esque romantic drama adapted from a book by Mikihiko Renjyo. Tomokawa (Okuda) is a tough guy turned bored cop who spends much of his time sating lonely housewives and looking after retarded teen Sukemasa. One day while hanging out at a bar, he is approached by a 15-year-old enjo kosai named Yoko, offering a round of illicit sex in exchange for cash. Though he demurs, their paths cross again and soon a relationship of sorts forms. Yoko, it turns out, is Sukemasa's sister; and both are the children of his old flame Yukie (Marie Natsuki), a grasping, self-centered woman. Moreover, Yoko's grandfather is responsible for the massive tattoo sprawling across Tomokawa's back. Tomokawa soon takes both teens under his wing, protecting them from their heartless mother, and their lecherous stepfather. Soon, Yoko gets a similarly massive tattoo illustrating her bond with her policeman savior. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eiji Okuda, Mayu Ozawa, (more)
Master animation director Hayao Miyazaki follows up on his record-breaking 1997 opus Princess Mononoke with this surreal Alice in Wonderland-like tale about a lost little girl. The film opens with ten-year-old Chihiro riding along during a family outing as her father races through remote country roads. When they come upon a blocked tunnel, her parents decide to have a look around -- even though Chihiro finds the place very creepy. When they pass through the tunnel, they discover an abandoned amusement park. As Chihiro's bad vibes continue, her parents discover an empty eatery that smells of fresh food. After her mother and father help themselves to some tasty purloined morsels, they turn into giant pigs. Chihiro understandably freaks out and flees. She learns that this very weird place, where all sorts of bizarre gods and monsters reside, is a holiday resort for the supernatural after their exhausting tour of duty in the human world. Soon after befriending a boy named Haku, Chihiro learns the rules of the land: one, she must work , as laziness of any kind is not tolerated; and two, she must take on the new moniker of Sen. If she forgets her real name, Haku tells her, then she will never be permitted to leave. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, (more)
Simultaneous parodying and paying tribute to classic Japanese samurai films, Samurai Fiction marries a knowing satire of the dramatic elements of movies about traditional Japanese warriors with exciting, straightforward fight sequences. In 1696, the Shogun's samurai keep the peace in a divided land as Inukai (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) studies the way of the warrior. The son of his clan's hereditary leader, Inukai has a short temper and isn't especially smart; when his clan's prized traditional sword is stolen by their nemesis, Kazamatsuri (Tomoyasu Hotei), he's sent to look for it, but just to be safe, two other samurai are sent along -- Kurosawa and Suzuki. Kazamatsuri, however, makes short work of the two veteran warriors, and Inukai escaped, wounded, to the home of Mizoguchi (Morio Kazama). Mizoguchi welcomes him into his home, espousing the virtues of pacifisms, while his lovely daughter Koharu (Tamaki Ogawa) nurses him back to health. However, after Kazamatsuri re-emerges as a bodyguard for a female gambling tycoon, Okatsu (Mari Natsuki), Inukai realized he must meet Kazamatsuri again for a final battle. Tomoyasu Hotei, who plays the villain, is also a popular and acclaimed guitarist in Japan, and he also scored this film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, (more)
Junichi Suzuki spins this three-hanky tearjerker about a plucky high school girl cut down in the bloom of youth by the dreaded -- and, in Japan, rarely discussed -- AIDS virus. Akiko Sonoda (Akane Oda) returns to her rural hometown in the southern prefecture of Kumamoto after living in South America for a spell with her parents. While there, she was injured in car accident and ended up contracting AIDS from a bad blood transfusion. Akiko greets her best friend Natsumi (Megumi Matsushita) with a big hug, from which Natsumi instinctively recoils. Fortunately, Natsumi soon repents and becomes Akiko's only friend at school. Others are not so generous: Natsumi's boyfriend and father regard her as untouchable, her classmates are afraid of her, and the leader of the local parents' group (played by 1960s gangster icon Jo Shishido) tries to get her expelled. Fortunately, the school's fair-minded vice-principal and Akiko's fiercely protective mother (Mari Natsuki) battle on Akiko's behalf, even as her health declines. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- 1985
Sensational tabloid journalism (if that is not a contradiction in terms) gets its own full exposure in this drama about a photojournalist on the way to the top. When Nobi (Keiko Saito starts out at her newspaper she and her co-workers team-up to get photos that expose a politician's illicit affair, and they delve into the private lives of various celebrities through ingenious tricks. Nobi also starts to fall in love with one of the writers at the paper, and the story takes a sharp turn to serious drama when he and his two children are kidnapped by fanatics. Now the intrepid Nobi has the dilemma of her young life: does she cold-bloodedly publish the photos she will be taking of this kidnapping or, out of respect for her lover's dignity, keep them to herself?
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keiko Saito, Mari Natsuki, (more)
