Ningen Shikkaku (2010)

Also known as: The Fallen Angel
Country: Japan
Format: movie
Genre: drama
Cast: Ikuta Toma, Iseya Yusuke, Ishihara Satomi, Koike Eiko, Sakai Maki, Terajima Shinobu, Muroi Shigeru, Ishibashi Renji, Morita Go, Ookusu Michiyo, Mita Yoshiko, 
Synopsis: Since early childhood Oba Yozo feels like he does not belong to this world, that his birth was a mistake. Until high school he tries to get away with smiling and making himself look dumb, but then he is seen through by his classmate. He enters art school, but after meeting Horiki, his life is interrupted by the circle of alcohol, women and poorness. Trapped in his thoughts, it is difficult to find any way out. 

Rating: 3/5
It is bearable to watch when you are drinking, even though one message that the movie tells you is that alcohol will ruin your life. And definitely do not drink alcohol when you are underage! But the movie goes much faster with it XD It is really slow and does not cover the real story behind the book. 

I really loved the book and I feel sad that they did not do the movie as well as there was the possibility. Most of all, you must have read the original story to understand even the most simple things in the movie, otherwise you must have wide imagination to think why one or other thing happened and the movie leaves a big space for your own imagination. 

Most difficult is to understand Yozo’s character. I know Toma is a great actor and he acted really well this time too, but the problem lies on script-writers field. In book they had Yozo’s thoughts all explained which made his actions more reasonable, but in the movie, they tried to get away with long “beautyshots” (as I call them) and “getting the atmosphere  to say everything else”. It does not explain a single fact to a watcher who does not know anything about the book. You must understand that Yozo was like an agonized genius. 

He had so much potential to become someone great, but he did not find his place in the world. Beside, he was really impressionable person and on certain point Hiroki was able to see him through and change Yozo's life into a total mess, while Yozo thinks of Hiroki as one person who understands him. I just came back from philosophy class, so I could make a really deep analyze on Yozo's character and his problems, but I bet you actually do not want to hear it.. Anyway, I feel that they did not show Yozo's mental state and reasons enough. 

It might be a small spoiler, but for example the reason why he decided to leave Yoshiko, the only woman who was able to change him, behind? It was not the reason, that he was unable to forgive her, but that he was unable to forgive himself. He as a man and an husband should have protected her or at least made some action after it, but he had decided to ignore it and it was something he was unable to forgive himself. I might add that Yozo basically saw all the negative things in this society and he was unable to find his way. He wanted to become artist, he wanted to become rich, but he needed education, which needed money etc. I hope all my readers know about how was the global situation in 1930-1950s. More than that, "Ningen Shikkaku" and especially Yozo's character are very autobiographical. "Ningen shikkaku" was one of the last novels Dazai Osamu wrote and there are so many parallels between Dazai Osamu's and Yozo's life, as suicide attempts etc.    

Hiroki was two-faced man, who loved to take advantage of others. He is one character who I hated in book and also in the movie. I feel that he was one big reason for Yozo's declension and the worst part 

is that he actually knew how one or other thing will affect Yozo. And if you want his motive in doing these things, then it is simple - he understood what kind of person Yozo is, he disliked him with a small interest, because he also knew that Yozo might become someone extraordinary and then there is always the way how to prevent that, which was exactly the thing Hiroki wanted to do. He only cared about himself and maybe a little of his mom too, but everything other was just unimportant to him.
I do not say much about the women, because I think that they really  did not tell anything important about them in the movie, but actually in book each of them has their own story, they own reasons, why Yozo is enchanted by them.

The movie is nothing compared to the book, but if you want to enjoy Ikuta Toma in a very serious and psychological movie, then watch it. I say, I managed to watch it with getting drunk (and believe me, it actually had no influence on my thoughts about the movie).  If you want to see it for the story, then forget it! Dazai Osamu's "Ningen Shikkaku" is one of the most famous literature masterpiece from war-time Japan and I think that no-one is able to make it into a movie without loosing its magic. 

Ashita no Joe (2011)

Country: Japan
Genre: boxing, dreams
Format: movie
Cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Iseya Yusuke, Karina, Kagawa Teruyuki, Katsuya, Koga Mitsuki, Moro Morooka, Nishida Naomi, Sugimoto Tetta, Baisho Mitsuko, Tsugawa Masahiko, Hulk Ren,
Synopsis: Story is set in 1960s in a city slum. Yabuki Joe is poor, but a great fighter. His fighting skills get noticed by ex-boxer Tange Danpei, who now has ruined his life with alcohol. Unfortunatelly, the fight leads Joe into prison for one year. Tange has made up his mind to make Joe into professional boxer. After losing a man-to-man match to Rikiishi Toru, Joe decides to accept Tange's offer in order to pay back to Rikiishi, who after releasing from prison continued his shining boxer-career. 
Rating: 5/5
Made after one of the most famous same-named sport-manga by Isao Bitou. Manga was published from 1968 to 1973, but is still famous nowadays.

Yabuki Joe is one badass. He tends to think he is much better than he really is, which makes him more vulnerable and naive. Most of the time he does not listen to Danpei on the match. Btw, I adore his hair =P I think that Joe's role shows how great and willing is Yamashita Tomohisa as an actor. He went on a serious boxer diet, that did not contain any red meat (!), for the role. He took down about 9 kg and 9% of body fat and went through boxer training. About the diet he said at first that it was okey, but as the time went on, he admitted that no-one should go through it and the diet was more like a nightmare. I agree - he looked too skinny in the end and there was no chubby cheeks.

One amazing fact about the movie is that all the punches were real - I think they wanted to make it very real-like... Under-cover fact, there is a rumor that he got one veeeery painful punch to one very gentle spot during filming, but he said that he is okey and continued to film until the end of the scene - after that he went to dressing room alone and kept punching the wall because of the pain - how much more can one actor put up with for the sake of the role??

Rikiishi Toru was Joe's only real rival, but I saw them more as best buddies too. They saw each other as the reason to continue with boxing and they were the only ones to truly understand each other. Iseya Yusuke also took down on weight and in the end his body fat was only 3-4%!!! In movie, I felt sick when I saw his abs - he was way to skinny! I do not find man with these kind of abs sexy..

Karina was very elegant in Yoko role. Yoko was one fateful woman. I did not understand what she felt towards Joe, but as you see, she had feelings for Rikiishi. Also, Yoko suffered from past trauma, which makes her real bitch, who cares less about pour people. That's why I enjoyed all the things Joe said to her. Brilliant!

Danpei's actor Kagawa Teruyuki actually is a big boxing fan, so in his free days he went and taught Yamashita about box.  I liked the saying "Tomorrow will never come if you do not spend today well".
I have no words left. It was very interesting and I understand why it is soooo great. There are some slow motion scenes and they look horrible! (in a good way). The shootings were amazing! but even after watching an incredible movie as "Ashita no Joe", I do not like box - it is too violent.
Definitely, WATCH IT!! You will not regret it!

SPOILER review: In the end of the manga, Joe dies too. In movie, he does not die, but Rikiishi dies after the ending match. Weird is it that I cried when Joe lost the match, but I did not cry when Rikiishi died...