#yuji sakamoto

[gwimol]

— 怪物: Monster (2023). Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda Written by Yuji Sakamoto

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Monster

Movies watched in 2024

Monster (2023, Japan)

Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda

Writer: Yuji Sakamoto

Mini-review:

Monster is the type of movie-magic that only happens when the very best talents in each field come together. We have Hirozaku Kore-eda's masterful directing, Yuji Sakamoto's humane and intelligent writing, Ryuichi Sakamoto's magical score, and brilliant performances from some of the best actors in the world. And I'm not referring only to legends like Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama and Yuko Tanaka, whose work here is as incredible as expected. In fact, newcomers Soya Kurokawa and Hinata Hiiragi are the ones who truly carry the movie, giving two of the best child performances I've ever seen. No other filmmaker in the world can choose and direct child actors like Kore-eda, and he proves it once again here. Beyond that, Sakamoto's script displays the beautiful complexity that characterizes his writing. He builds this haunting, heart-tugging mystery piece by piece, in a way that only he could. Tbh, I accidentally discovered the big twist when the film premiered at Cannes. But, while I believe the twist would have floored me in the best of ways if I had watched it without knowing anything, I still found myself enthralled while seeing the story unfurl. That being said, I still recommend not reading anything about the movie before watching it. To sum up, I thank the universe for gathering all these incredible people so they could make something as special as Monster.

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[selenophiles92]

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for each design you'll find different products (shirts, bags, stickers, mugs, phone cases and more in my shop).

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god stood me up | minato & yori from monster (2023)

[thoughtfulfilm]

怪物 (Monster) (2023) dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

One of Kore-eda's best films to date, his partnership with screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto and the late and great Ryuichi Sakamoto for sound/music has only elevated Kore-eda's filmmaking craft. The editing in Monster is astonishingly skillful given the storytelling, and Kore-eda is credited here too.

What the team behind Monster have achieved is nothing short of cinematic perfection. Although the film is unassuming in its grace and skill (typical for Kore-eda), it essentially achieves a nuanced contemporised Rashomon in its narrative.

As the audience, the viewer is kept guessing from the beginning, through skilled visual and emotional storytelling, which of the characters we might ascribe the epithet of the titular "monster". This makes for gripping viewing with many satisfying red herrings and twists.

Imbued with Kore-eda's characteristic humanism and empathy, the film is also emblematic of Kore-eda's ouevre in centring the reality of children's experience, encompassing both joy and suffering.

I'm so glad that I finally had a chance to see for myself why this film has garnered so many well-deserved awards including Best Screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023.

All the actors are brilliant, but particularly recurring Kore-eda collaborator Sakura Ando (Minato's mother Saori). Special mention must go to the child actors, Sōya Kurokawa as Minato Mugino and Hinata Hiiragi as Yori Hoshikawa.

As you watch the film, you feel a little as though you are going through Minato and Yori's dark tunnel, and then coming out the end of the film into the light.

This is a film not to be missed! It is an easy five stars and will probably one of the best films I see this year.

[mtonino]

Una grande serata per il cinema asiatico a #Cannes76

Miglior regia: Tran Anh Hung (The-Pot-A-Feu)

Miglior sceneggiatura: Yuji Sakamoto (Monster - Hirokazu Kore-eda)

Miglior attore: Koji Yakusho (Perfect Days - Wim Wenders)

Camera d'or per la miglior opera: Thien An Pham (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell)

[melonatures]

Ren. Another bad dream?