Movie Reviews

A Movie “Deli Man” 4/5/15 April 5, 2015

“Delicatessen” has a long history. It is a center of Jewish Culture, and reflects the heart of a vital ethnic history in America. I am a Japanese, and my food preference is almost opposite of Delicatessen food (!), but it is very fascinating. Almost exotic to me. Jewish people are serious about Deli food. In Houston, […]

A Movie “Wild Tales” 3/13/15 March 13, 2015

This movie was nominated for The Best Foreign Film at Oscar this year. “Wild Tales” depicts an extreme-ness in our lives. We experience some parts of tales in this movie, but seldom go that extreme. It is a super comedy. The reality suddenly turns into the unreal. It is funny and scary. The director is […]

Opera in Theatre “La forza del destino by Verdi” at LAEMMLE 2/4/15 February 4, 2015

It was my first experience to see “Opera in Theatre”, and I am pretty impressed by the high quality of the show. The production and the cast is a “Dream Team”. The film is from Wiener Staatoper, Zubin Mehta, a conductor, Nina Stemme, a soprano who portrays Leonora passionately and strongly, Salvatore Licitra as Alvaro […]

A Movie “The Humbling” 1/28/15 January 28, 2015

I am a big fan of both Al Pacino and Greta Gerwig! The movie starts strongly! Pacino (Simon Axler, an aging actor) is preparing a Shakespeare Theatre, and is going through the delusional moments. He struggles. He is afraid he is loosing. And Pegeen (Greta Gerwig), a young professional and lesbian, suddenly comes to his […]

A Documentary Film “Bloody Daughter” 1/26/15 January 26, 2015

Do you like Martha Argerich’s piano? Are you a fan of her passion and expression? This documentary film was done by her 3rd daughter, Stephanie Argerich. Martha has 3 daughters with 3 husbands, Lyda Chen and Annie Dutoit, and Stephanie Argerich. In this film, we can see Martha Argerich’s private and daily life, from Poland, where […]

A Movie “Mr. Turner” 1/18/15 January 18, 2015

I always like the paintings of Turner, and it was so interesting to see this movie to learn about the famous painter! First of all the film is so beautiful as if the whole movie is like Turner’s paintings. Also the music is great too. I was so happy to see the individual names of […]

A Movie “Whiplash” 12/21/14 December 21, 2014

This movie is about the music conservatory life which I went through myself. I attended Tokyo’s Performing Arts High School and Toho Conservatory in Japan, then master’s and doctor’s degree in the US for piano performance. At the last year of Toho Conservatory, 2 of my piano friends committed suicide because they could not handle […]

A Movie “The Imitation Game” 12/8/14 December 12, 2014

I have not gone to the movie theater for a while, and this movie was so perfect to come back to the theater! “The Imitation Game” is a British-American historical (based on the real true story!) thriller portraying Alan Turing, a British mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, computer pioneer, and a long distant world class runner. He […]

A Movie “A Most Wanted Man” 5/23/15 September 28, 2014

This is the last movie Philip Seymour Hoffman was involved before he died with the drug overdose. As always his acting is amazing, but the story is too difficult to believe. It is a great thriller. And I simply could not miss his last movie!

A Movie “Philomena” 9/14/14 September 14, 2014

A movie “Philomena” is based on the book “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” by journalist Martin Sixsmith, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan. It tells the true story of Philomena (Dench), 50-year-long search for her forcefully adopted son, and Sixsmith’s (Coogan) effort to help her finding him. The movie follows the sad story/history of adoptions. […]