Reviews

Downfall: A Poignant Exploration of Art, Alienation, and Redemption

Naoto Takenaka’s “Downfall” (2023) is a compelling narrative that delves deep into the turbulent life of Kaoru Fukazawa, a manga artist grappling with the end of his long-running series and the subsequent emotional and creative void. The film’s portrayal of Fukazawa’s journey from fame to obscurity and back is not just a story about the struggles of a creative mind, but also a reflection on the complexities of human relationships and self-perception.

The opening scenes set the tone, depicting Fukazawa’s college days and a relationship with a quirky girlfriend, characterized by her cat-like eyes and rare smiles. This relationship, though short-lived, casts a long shadow over Fukazawa’s life, symbolizing his obsessive devotion to his art at the expense of personal connections.

The crux of the film lies in Fukazawa’s relationship with his wife, Nozomi, a dedicated manga editor. Their marriage, devoid of children and strained by their respective careers, reflects the dilemmas faced by many modern couples juggling professional aspirations and personal lives. Fukazawa’s sense of abandonment and frustration culminate in a harrowing scene where he confronts Nozomi with a mix of accusation and desperation, exposing the raw nerve of their failing marriage.

A significant portion of the film is dedicated to Fukazawa’s interactions with various women, particularly those in the escort world. These encounters, especially with a woman who possesses a maternal gentleness, and another, a free-spirited university student with cat-like eyes, represent his search for emotional solace and inspiration. These relationships, however superficial, are portrayed with a sensitivity that underscores Fukazawa’s deep-seated loneliness and quest for redemption.

The film reaches its emotional climax during a book-signing event where Fukazawa is confronted by a long-time female fan. Her words, praising the kindness and sincerity she perceives in his work, trigger a profound reaction in Fukazawa, who still considers himself a “monster,” as labeled by his college girlfriend. This poignant moment, marked by Fukazawa’s outburst, “You know nothing,” is a powerful testament to the internal conflict between self-perception and external validation.

“Downfall” stands out for its nuanced character development and the exploration of themes like artistic integrity, emotional isolation, and the search for meaning in a transient world. Takenaka’s direction is both subtle and impactful, weaving a narrative that is as much about the art of manga as it is about the art of living. The performances are uniformly excellent, with Takumi Saito delivering a compelling portrayal of Fukazawa, capturing the character’s vulnerability and complexity.

In conclusion, “Downfall” is a beautifully crafted film that resonates with anyone who has ever grappled with the dichotomies of success and failure, connection and isolation, perception and reality. It is a poignant reminder of the complexities of the human condition, making it a must-watch for not only fans of Japanese cinema but for all who appreciate deeply human stories.

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I like the director Adiamond Lee, because she always manages to breathe something extra into her projects, sometimes even a bit of controversy (Obsessed or Dark Blue and Moonlight). This was also the case with this film, which is definitely not a short film in terms of story and could almost be used as a series. And here we see that no world server is perfect, only people write it, users add to it. According to MDL, it looks like the actor Max Liu is a newcomer, but I know him from the director's extensive project Jump Boy, as well as the second protagonist Jed Chung. Everything about this movie was above average, great music and I would love to go back to it sometime. I recommend.


Režisérku Adiamond Lee mám rád, protože do svých projektů vždy dokáže vdýchnout něco navíc, někdy i trošku kontroverze (Obsessed nebo Dark Blue and Moonlight). Tak tomu bylo i u tohoto filmu, který příběhem rozhodně není filmem krátkým a vydal by téměř na seriál. A tady vidíme, že žádný světový server není dokonalý, vždy jej píší jen lidé, doplňují uživatelé. Dle MDL to vypadá, jakoby herec Max Liu byl nováček, ale já jej znám z režisérčina rozsáhlého projektu Jump Boy, rovněž tak druhého protagonistu Jed Chung-a. Vše na tomto filmu bylo nadprůměrné, výborná hudba a rád se k němu někdy vrátím. Doporučuji.

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Even after so many years, it's a perfectly pleasant movie that will bring a smile to many viewers not only on their faces, but also in their souls, and with this review I'm correcting the evaluation here. You don't need to fully understand Asian humor, you just have to watch the whitewash, with an open mind, and even if there is little gay component (but it is there, see Saotome in love), overall this film, which many still rank among the top sports comedies today, can be a great pleasure. I saw the film in 2015 and now again and I have to say that some comments, even if they are not always original, the style of processing, the acting, lead me to still vote for such a high rating.


I po tolika letech naprosto příjemná pohodovka, která vykouzlí úsměv mnohým divákům nejen na tváři, ale i v duši a touto recenzí napravuji zdejší hodnocení. Není potřeba úplně chápat asijský humor, stačí sledovat piánko, s nadhledem a i když tam je gay složky málo (ale je tam, viz zamilovaný Saotome), celkově může tento film, který mnozí zařazují mezi špičku sportovních komedií dodnes, být bezva potěšením. Viděl jsem film v roce v r. 2015 a nyní znovu a musím říci, že některé hlášky, i když nejsou vždy originální, styl zpracování, herectví, mě vedou stále volit tak vysoké hodnocení.

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The story is so simple and yet so essential. And it's actually not that simple if you read what it's about on MDL. It has almost no dialogue.
In a few minutes, the film told us what the creators had in mind. I evaluate by looking at short films under ten minutes. Very successful.


Příběh je tak jednoduchý a přitom tak zásadní. A vlastně ani tak jednoduchý není, pokud si přečtete na MDL, o čem je. Je téměř bez dialogů.
V pár minutách nám snímek sdělil, co měli tvůrci na srdci. Hodnotím pohledem na krátké filmy do deseti minut. Velmi zdařilé.

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The relationship between Phu and Tawan seemed to me to be the best cinematically portrayed of the entire trilogy. Pleasant guys, a short canapé that catches your eye. I rate both the short and "Uncut".
The relationship between Phu and Tawan seemed to me to be the best cinematically portrayed of the entire trilogy. Pleasant guys, a short canapé that catches your eye. I rate both the short and "Uncut".





Vztah mezi Phu a Tawanem se mi zdál nejlépe filmově vykreslený z celé trilogie. Příjemní kluci, krátká jednohubka, která zaujme. Hodnotím kraťas i "Uncut".

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Has potential...

It's good but kind of bland. It's for sure missing some plot and is rushed, but the romance is there. It for sure has potential. If they were to make this into a series I'm sure there would be more plot and could go more into depth with the characters. Some people hate it, but I don't understand where the hate comes from. It's just missing some plot. Don't expect this to be the most amazing movie you've ever seen, but it's not horrible either. I'd recommend this if you don't have anything to watch. It's a good filler movie.
Some people are put off by the ML being mean to the FL in the beginning, but I think they're a little dramatic. It's not thattt bad. I swear there was only like one scene where the ML was mean to her. And that scene is one of the only dramatic things that happen in this movie. The rest of his interactions with her is defintiely not what I call "bullying." If a guy likes a girl, what does he do? Oh ya.. tease her... I don't know, watch and find out for yourself. The ML is not as bad as some people make him out to be.

Overall, if you don't mind a movie with little plot and you want a cute short little romance to pass the time by with little drama, plus a happy ending, this is for you.

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This was okay...

This short film has it´s moments, it is not really bad, not really good, it has very little new to bring to the table and the guy that is not PP Krit mr Nine looks a bit like a buff Billkin knock off and feels kind of cringe. He is a bit snake like and could use a lesson or 30 in acting. PP krits character is also kind of meeh the delivery is good so I can´t really blame PP Krit.

I am not sure if it is the lack of process that stands in the way of getting close and feeling stuff with the actors, or the turn of events that is just not relatable to me that keeps me from giving this a higher score. The cinematography is pretty, the art artsy and the leads look good together...

I guess to be perfectly honest it is not that interesting,... PP Krit or Not...

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Too punch drunk to know it's not drunken

In 1980, Kung Fu of Eight Drunkards attempted to capitalize on the success of Jackie Chan’s Drunken Master. Unfortunately, they did so without the martial arts skills of the former or the charismatic performers and were left with a below average kung fu flick.

Chang Fung (Mang Fei) took some time off of working at his uncle’s restaurant to train with a drunken master named Wu Sing (Lui Ming). At first it doesn’t appear he’s learned much but a chance encounter with a mischievous Monkey (Wu Ma) reveals to the world that he has learned Wu Sing’s style of fighting. Word gets back to the Four Bandits, the biggest and baddest played by Chan Sing. The bandits are determined to end Wu Sing for causing problems with an old deal gone wrong. Lung Fei, Henry Lu, and the Gold and Silver Tigers go up against the newly trained kung fu artist to their detriment. Ultimately it will come down to Mang Fei confronting Chan Sing. As always, it’s all fun and games until Chan Sing takes off his shirt to show he means business.

There were numerous problems with this movie, but primarily Mang Fei was too stiff to even mimic the drunken style. Lui Ming came across as incoherent bypassing sloppy drunk altogether. I kept waiting for Mang Fei to use the drunken style but most of the fights were more kung fu posing than anything. The choreography was lacking in any creativity. The fights were already slow enough but then the director added slo-mo to a couple of them making me wonder if he was trying to go back in time. The deadly confrontation with Lung Fei was filmed in the dark hiding most of the action. Chan Sing can always be counted on to bring it even when he’s only briefly in the movie. Other than his fight in the finale, only Wu Ma with his moth-eaten wig brought any life to this lackluster movie.

Kung Fu of Eight Drunkards made the cardinal sin of a kung fu movie---the fights were uninteresting and bad. Also, if you name a movie after a particular style, it darn well needs to show up in it.

11/20/23

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Great acting, heavy message

This film is a testament to the incredible talents of both actors, though I admit, Leo Wu drew me in initially, only to be pleasantly surprised by Zhang Zi Feng's remarkable acting prowess. Their on-screen chemistry was great, enhancing the already amazing performances. The movie boasted not only superb casting but also stunning cinematography, complementing its fresh and innovative storyline.

As an avid fan of Leo, I can see his exploration of an unorthodox character, showcasing his versatility and dedication to his acting career. It's clear he's a professional pushing the boundaries of his acting range.

Initially I’m seeking a light-hearted comedy, but stumbled upon a seemingly simple movie that carried a profound message, catching me off guard. Although it wasn't precisely what I anticipated, I highly recommended it to movie critics and enthusiasts who value depth and craftsmanship.

This film is precisely the type I envision producing if I were to step into the role of a producer. While it might not be my cup of tea at this moment, its quality performances, innovative concept, and thought-provoking themes make it a noteworthy addition to the cinema landscape, sure to be appreciated by those seeking substance in their movies.

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Drunken style vs Thunderleg!

Drunken Master reunited Jackie Chan with much of the cast and crew from Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow from March of the same year. This time Chan played a mischievous Wong Fei Hung who much against his will was forced to be the student of Drunken Master Beggar So/Sam Seed. He was finally motivated to improve his skills and become serious with his training when confronted by Hwang Jang Lee’s Thunderleg!

Wong Fei Hung seems to make or find trouble wherever he goes. His exasperated father calls upon Uncle So to train or break the young man before he causes trouble he and the family cannot get out of. At first WFH doesn’t take the training too seriously until he is humiliated by the deadly Thunderleg who considers him unworthy of killing. The requisite training scenes follow along with a couple of test fights before he’s finally able to face Thunderleg in the grand finale.

The beginning of the film dragged with Uncle So only showing up around the 45-minute mark. That’s not to say there weren’t entertaining fights in that time. Chan had a memorable fight with Tino Wong in the market place and then later against his toady in the Wong school. The real highlight was when Wong put the moves on a girl in town and her mom schooled him in kung fu and manners. Linda Lin Ying was a delight to watch sparring with Chan. There were a couple of “comic” scenes and fight scenes that didn’t serve much of a purpose though. The story kicked into gear when Uncle So arrived and showed Wong his weaknesses. A 66-year-old Simon Yuen really found his hallmark role with the drunken master. Still nimble and energetic he held his own against the kung fu clown. Hwang Jang Lee’s Thunderleg was properly menacing and he showed why he was the most feared kicker in Hong Kong. At least he didn’t accidentally kick out one of Chan’s teeth like he did in the previous film!

The best part about movies like this was that there was almost no wire-fu. Utilizing wide angles and long takes you could watch people who actually knew how to do the moves and weren’t faking it with lots of editing and closeups. There was also no kung fu posing. The moves were relatively fast and fluid with each fight showcasing different skills. Yuen Woo Ping and Hsu Hsia provided the fight choreography. Hsu made an appearance as the King of Sticks fighting both Yuen and Chan with, what else, a long stick.

This was not a movie with much plot, not even a secret book or list and nary a rebel to be found. Most people, including myself, don’t worry about the plot much as long as the fights were entertaining and Drunken Master succeeded in that goal. They were well choreographed and shot. Although it had comedic moments it wasn’t over the top slapstick as some kung fu comedies could be. I liked this movie quite a bit better than Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow. While Wong Fei Hung could be cocky and annoying at times, he also faced consequences for his actions propelling him slowly but surely into being a better fighter and human being. Drunken Master ran a little long but the inventive fight sequences by compelling characters more than made up for it.

11/20/23

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"Gold medal" worthy

What I liked about this movie: It is not your typical bodyguard movie where the bodyguards are wearing suits, sunglasses or in-ears all the time. This team of bodyguard is so unique, you wouldn't have guessed they are a group of professionals working in this field. Story flow was quite good. Action scenes were incredibly carried out. Comedy part was spot-on, my kind of humor :) Villains were your typical villains who will kill to get something they want. Wished they had shown more of their consequences of doing evil things though.

Bonus: Also discovered actors whom I have not seen their works before. Hoping to see them in future works!

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