It is not without reason that international critics call 2023 a "bumper year" for Japanese films, because in the past year, the cherry blossom country's cinema industry was not "noisy" (in terms of promotional campaigns), but their films attracted audiences outside this country to watch (especially in the large market of North America).
Without any need for fanfare, quality films have naturally attracted audiences to the cinema, although the budgets for these films, in reality, are extremely modest compared to a Hollywood blockbuster with an investment of several hundred million USD. Below are the typical works of Japanese cinema last year, arranged in random order.
Monster
Movie Monster represents Japan in competition at Cannes Film Festival 2023
Monster is a gritty social realism film directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, his next work as a screenwriter after Maborosi (1995). The film tells the story of a "confrontation" between a mother whose son has problems at school and the school, but what the mother gets is more complicated than she expected. The film represented Japan in the competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, winning the Best Screenplay and the Gay Film award.
The Boy and the Heron
The anime film The Boy and the Heron marks the return of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki after a decade of "disappearance".
The Boy and the Heron (released in the Vietnamese market with the name Thieu nien va chim diec ), along with the blockbuster Godzilla Minus One (director: Takashi Yamazaki) are two Japanese films that have made a splash at the North American box office.
The Boy and the Heron is a classic Hayao Miyazaki film, blending poetic fantasy with post-war realism to take audiences on a journey that is both intense and resonant. It took Hayao Miyazaki a long time to create (partly because of his age). The film has grossed over $126 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Evil Does Not Exist
Evil Does Not Exist wins big at Venice Film Festival 2023
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (who made a splash at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and the 2022 Oscars with Drive My Car ), Evil Does Not Exist tells the story of a disagreement between the people of a village and a company that plans to turn the land into a luxury resort, raising larger issues such as civilization and ecology. The film won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Venice Film Festival.
Perfect Days
The film Perfect Days is the first work of Japanese "nationality" directed by a foreign director to be submitted to the 2024 Oscars.
Perfect Days is a Japanese film that is very popular with critics and Western audiences who love art films. The work of German director Wim Wenders is set in Japan, speaks Japanese, and tells the story of a male toilet cleaner's daily life, but his life gradually has to interact with people who make his past gradually revealed. The film won the Best Actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival (for actor Kōji Yakusho), and represents Japan at the 2024 Oscars in the category of Best International Feature Film.
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla Minus One represents Japan in 2024 Oscar race
The monster movie, Godzilla Minus One , directed by Takashi Yamazaki, the latest installment in the Godzilla franchise and produced by the "big guy" Toho, has impressed audiences and box office observers alike. With a budget of less than 15 million USD, the film's box office success ($79.5 million worldwide ) has made many live-action films this year envious. The modest budget, good script, impressive acting and the exploitation of the old yet very new Godzilla image show that this is a film that audiences will find difficult to ignore this year. The film is about Japan after World War II, when the situation in the country was extremely dire, at this time from the sea, Godzilla appeared and destroyed Japan, turning this place, which was already "zero" into "negative".
Godzilla Minus One has received a lot of praise from Western critics with a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, certified "fresh". The film represents Japan in the 2024 Oscar competition for Best Visual Effects. The black-and-white version of the film will be released in Japanese theaters on January 12, 2024.
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