ReelAnime: Summer Wars

Summer Wars debuted in Australia back in June at the Sydney Film Festival, but it makes a welcome return to our shores for a limited run as part of Madman’s ReelAnime 2010 festival. Back then we said that “Summer Wars blends the digital age with traditional Japanese family values. Full of comedy, action and surprisingly rousing moments, Summer Wars was a perfect way to end my festival program”. Very little has changed that initial review on the film, in which we rated it one of our Top 5 Films of SFF 2010. From Mamoru Hosada, the director of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, the former Digimon helmer delivers something that is close to anime perfection.

High school maths wiz Kenji Koiso spends most of his time in OZ, a computer network that is something of a cross between a mass-multiplayer game and a social network that connects all social and business functions in society. He is asked by Natsuki, the most popular girl in school, to accompany her to her family home for a ‘job’ during her grandmother’s ninetieth birthday. However, when they arrive Natsuki informs her family that Kenji is her boyfriend, and completely falsifies his background. Reluctantly going along with the plan, their collective worlds are soon turned upside-down when a long-lost relative returns and a mysterious artificial intelligence begins corrupting the virtual OZ with very dangerous real world consequences.

When reviewing The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I commented that I was looking forward to seeing whatever Hosada had in store for us next. Little did I suspect that it would be one of the best films of the year, and possibly one of the best anime features to come out of Japan in the last ten years. Despite having a high-tech edge to it, with a battle raging inside a virtual world that threatens to spill over into reality, at its core it is a film about family. Indeed, viewers are unlikely to spend their time waiting for the next OZ battle as the scenes with the clan are just as compelling (if not more so) than the computer generated battles in the virtual world.  Like Spirited Away, this very Japanese of tales crosses cultural boundaries and will appeal to a broad range of audiences. Although many of the cultural aspects, including the traditional game Koi-Koi that is used as a motif throughout the film, will have more of an impact with Japanese audiences, the broader themes of finding connections and ‘home is where the heart is’ will ring true for all viewers. If there are elements that seems familiar in this tale, and certainly the awkward character of Kenji could have stepped out of just about any anime tale you’ve seen, this only adds to the feeling of being wrapped inside a warm blanket before being taken on wild ride.

The animation is magnificent as well, with art direction by Studio Ghibli veteran Youji Takeshige (Spirited Away, Ponyo). There has been a tension within Japanese animation between traditional 2D animation and the apparently cheaper computer generated kind, and Summer Wars manages to encompass both worlds beautifully. A startling amount of detail is on-screen during the scenes set in OZ, with a blink and you’ll miss it attitude that will demand repeat viewings. Likewise, the traditional animation is soaked in small touches that bring a warmth and reality to this tale of a small-town set in Nagano. This is a science-fiction tale that looks like it is set in Japan, from the hanafuda cards to the traditional houses of the city of Ueda. Likewise, anyone who has every spent a Christmas or special occasion with their partner’s extended family will know exactly how Kenji feels throughout this accurate depiction of family life.

Summer Wars represents the awakening of a magnificent talent, and deserves to be spoken of in the same terms as the wonderful Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki films and may just be an instant classic. Combining all the elements of the digital age with the wonderful traditions of Japan, Summer Wars is a unique film on the global anime front in that it manages to combine absolutely dazzling visuals with commentary on the generation gap in Japan while simultaneously making it accessible to audiences worldwide. Anybody not moved to a standing ovation, or at least a mental one, by the end of this film simply doesn’t have a pulse.

Overall rating: ★★★★★

Reel Anime runs from 2 to 15 September 2010. Other films playing at the Reel Anime Festival include Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, King of Thorn and Redline.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is athttp://www.dvdbits.com.

ReelAnime: Redline

Showcasing some of the best Japanese animation of the last few years, the Reel Anime Festival has managed to put together a fine selection of films this year. Indeed, Redline has not even been released in Japan yet, with only the Swiss Lorcano International Film Festival pipping Australia to the post on screening this first globally. Madhouse Studios are one of the rock star production companies on the anime scene in Japan, with their credits including Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Demon City Shinkjuku and the late Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress. The directoral debut of Takeshi Koike, who was a key animator on The Animatrix amongst other things, this is one of the most anticipated outings of 2010.

Redline is the biggest, most popular, illegal and most dangerous races in all of the galaxy. ‘Sweet’ JP has always wanted to be the winner of this event, but after being caught up with the wrong crowd for years, an accident at the qualifying Yellowline event lands him in hospital. However, when the secret location of the Redline event is revealed to be the incredibly hostile Roboworld, two of the qualifying racers pull out allowing JP to enter the race as a reserve. Together with partner Frisbee, JP tries to rebuild both his vehicle and his life with a newly impassioned soul sparked by the determination of his beautiful rival Sonoshi. With gangsters and the forces of Roboworld out to kill him, JP is going to win Redline or die trying.

Redline drops like a direct assault on the brain, latching onto the part that likes high-speed racing, breasts, sugar and bright colours. Overwhelming from the start, Redline is probably like nothing you have ever experienced. With the words ‘subtle’ and ‘quiet’ evidently not appearing in Koike’s dictionary, the film is a surprisingly tight one. While this is ostensibly an ‘underdog trying against the odds’ sporting film, little time is wasted on screen with unnecessary exposition or back-story, yet the film manages to draw you in an inch at a time to its fully realised world, all the time rocketing us towards the finish line for a knuckle-whitening conclusion.

Redline‘s world is one that is teeming with life. One wouldn’t be surprised if the creators had thought of a story for the hundreds (possibly thousands) of creatures that appear on screen. Despite being filled with dog-like creatures, aliens, humans with giant quiffs (a true Japanese hipster staple) and psychotic robotic beings, there is something incredibly grounded about the Redline universe. This allows the production design to plough straight through the rails and through to that happy place one goes filled with Skittles, pop music and talking puppies.

The unique animation definitely has its influences, in the same way that a mash-up can be said to be drawn from other people’s work. While there are definite artistic nods to French artist Moebius and Heavy Metal, with references to virtually any car race flick since at least Gone in 60 Seconds – and even video games such as Space Channel 5 – everything on screen (from racers to nipples) is so greatly exaggerated that one really has no option than to simply take the world at face value. In some ways, this has much in common with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: it doesn’t give you time to stop and smell the references, and the plot rockets past you at a million miles an hour. However, unlike that film, it genuinely isn’t trying to be cool: it just is cool. Get used to it.

This will undoubtedly be a smash-hit when released in Japan next month, and if there is any justice it will get a wide release in the West as well. Koike has created one of the first genuinely original films to emerge from a studio that has been pushing boundaries for decades, and will leave most feeling like they have been slapped with a wet fish for 102 minutes. Fast, furious and full of fun, Redline is sure to have a dedicated fan base for years to come. If you are yet to experience the joys of Japanese animation, this is the perfect way to plunge in at the deep end. For anime fans, this is an absolute must see.

Overall rating: ★★★★★

Reel Anime runs from 2 to 15 September 2010. Other films playing at the Reel Anime Festival include Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance, King of Thorn and the excellent Summer Wars.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is athttp://www.dvdbits.com.

Me And Orson Welles

Almost two years after its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Me And Orson Welles – the latest from A Scanner Darkly and Fast Food Nation helmer Richard Linklater – makes its way to Australian cinema screens. Based on Robert Kaplow’s novel of the same name, and starring High School Musical idol Zac Efron, Romeo And Juliet‘s Claire Danes, and relative newcomer Christian McKay (in his BAFTA-nominated role as a fictionalised version of the legendary film and theatre director), it is a winning glimpse at the man, the myth, and the magnificent mayhem behind the scenes during one crazy week at Welles’ 41st Street Mercury Theatre, circa 1937.

Daydreaming of fame and fortune as he stares out the school-room window, seventeen year old Richard Samuels (Efron) decides to journey to New York in search of his destiny. On a crowded city sidewalk he encounters Orson Welles (McKay), and recognising the chance of a lifetime, he manages to talk his way into a role in the re-imagined production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Cesar” (with nothing more than parts in high school musicals – yes, that’s right – as experience). Shown the ropes by savvy assistant Sonja Jones (Danes), Richard quickly realises that the theatre life is more complicated and demanding, romantic and exciting, and narcissistic and superstitious than he could ever have imagined. Desperate to make the most of the opportunity – and to leave a lasting impression upon eccentric egomaniac Welles – he immerses himself in the minutia of the stage; but when love and lust muddy his naive viewpoint, Richard contemplates the high personal cost of pursuing a Broadway career.

Linklater’s filmic efforts since his first feature It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books have been varied, alternating between indie cool (Slacker, Dazed And Confused) and mainstream mediocre (The Newton Boys, Bad News Bears), with erratic experiments (Waking Life, Tape) in between. Best known for the box office success of Jack Black vehicle School Of Rock and the nuanced romance of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, in Me And Orson Welles Linklater demonstrates a mastering of storytelling, a gift for intimacy and a skill for meticulous recreation undiscovered thus far in his films, with the feature his most ambitious work to date. Witty and charming, with a fantastic performance from McKay (in an uncannily arrogant imitation of Welles), previously unseen vulnerability from Efron (showing talent beyond his Disney offerings, something many teen heart throbs fail to achieve), and a sassy turn from Danes (ably supported by Red Riding‘s Eddie Marsan and Birthday Girl‘s Ben Chaplin), it captures the beauty and madness of the purest form of acting – and one of its greatest stars of the twentieth century – in a riveting, riotous and rollicking theatre tale.

Me And Orson Welles is currently screening in select cinemas nationwide, courtesy of Madman Entertainment.

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.

Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance

Fifteen years after creator Hideaki Anno and Studio Gainax attempted to put the final word on the giant robot genre, Evangelion is still going. Neon Genesis Evangelion, the television show that turned a generation of viewers onto the wonders of Japanese anime, continues to hold a place in the hearts of many anime viewers. This was only intensified by the release of Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone, the first of a four-part theatrical ‘rebuild’ of the original series. Where that film essentially retold the events of the early episodes of the TV series, Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance truly takes off on its own tangent.

Picking up shortly after the events of the first film, the audience is introduced immediately to a new Evangelion pilot, Mari Illustrious Makinami and a mysterious experimental new Eva. Meanwhile, Shinji Ikari is attempting to bond with his father amidst the imminent destruction of life on Earth at the hands of the Angels. At a critical moment, Unit-02 and its cocky pilot Asuka Langley Shikinami arrive to show the Japanese arm of NERV how it is done. Rei Ayanami, the first of the Eva pilots and a seemingly otherworldly recluse, slowly begins to emotionally connect with the people around her. When disaster strikes in multiple places around the world, Shinji must decide what is important to him and whether or not to be the master of his own fate.

Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance immediately distinguishes itself as a unique and powerful entry in the series. Filled with a number of familiar elements, not least of which are the character relationships and the Angels who attack Tokyo-3, Evangelion 2.0 is unabashedly made for the fans. Indeed, if you have not seen the first film – and some might even argue the original series – you will certainly miss out on much of the nuance of this episode. However, this is by no means a mere retread of the series in the way that the first film was. Viewers familiar with the classic episodes will immediately find themselves unsure of this new world, where literally anything can (and probably will) happen to the beloved characters. I had not expected to actually mutter a few ‘Wows’ throughout the film, but the narrative really sticks it in and breaks it off. Writer/director Hideaki Anno is not taking any prisoners this time.

The threat is all the more real to the main cast as Evangelion 2.0 does something that the original series was quite good at: developing character. The film quite cleverly establishes Shinji and his father together at the grave of Shinji’s mother, the one thing that keeps them simultaneously together and apart. Throughout the film Shinji attempts to rebuild his relationship with his dad, desperately craving the approval he has never received from the hard taskmaster. Similarly, Rei slowly begins to build her own bridges with Shinji, and attempts to help Shinji in his own quest. The bond becomes incredibly important in the film’s dramatic and literally uplifting conclusion, with Shinki Ikari finally paying attention to the motto from Zombieland: “Nut up, or shut up”. Evangelion 2.0 is about character, albeit with some absolutely amazing battle sequences (the final one may be impossible to top), and it is hard to dilute the central theme of finding connections in the world.

Remaking popular series is nothing new, yet fans and critics alike have justifiably questioned the need for these new theatrical versions of the series that for many defines Japanese anime. The original story worked incredibly well, and despite a confused denouement over several releases, continues to work to this day. Harsh critics would be forgiven for seeing this as a marketing exercise, especially with the introduction of no less than two new (highly marketable) characters, and far more fanservice crammed into every frame than humanly possible. Asuka has a new plug suit that leaves little to the imagination, and these will no doubt be hot-selling PVC figures until the end of time. Visually, the film does take it up a notch, with the CG animation seamlessly integrating with the traditional 2D kind, giving the world a visual brilliance that frankly dwarfs the already impressive visuals from the original series. Yet this is something of an antithesis to the recent retread of the similarly popular Fullmetal Alchemist (in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood). Where that series attempted a more faithful manga adaptation than its original series, the Evangelion rebuilds are all about rethinking the concept from the inside out. Given the direction and conclusion of this second film, it is hard to imagine where two subsequent entries have to go!

Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance reminds us of why we love watching movies. The enduring enthusiasm for this series was evident in the fans who turned up to a sold-out Australian premiere at Dendy’s Newtown Cinema last night. The reaction to the little tease at the end of the credits for Evangelion 3.0 was indicative of the excitement about the new direction this long-running series is taking. Australian fans will get to enjoy the film theatrically during September’s Reel Anime 2010, and we will no doubt see an Australian DVD and Blu-ray edition (of the 2.22 version, no less) in the very near future from Madman Entertainment.

Overall rating: ★★★★

DVD Bits can be found on Twitter @DVDBits. DVD Bits is at http://www.dvdbits.com.