TOKYO EYES (1998)

ridiculous rating

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Being a long-time fan of Japanese film, I expected more than this. I can't really be bothered to write to much, as this movie is just so poor. The story might be the cutest romantic little something ever, pity I couldn't stand the awful acting, the mess they called pacing, and the standard "quirky" Japanese story. If you've noticed how many Japanese movies use characters, plots and twists that seem too "different", forcedly so, then steer clear of this movie. Seriously, a 12-year old could have told you how this movie was going to move along, and that's not a good thing in my book.Fans of "Beat" Takeshi: his part in this movie is not really more than a cameo, and unless you're a rabid fan, you don't need to suffer through this waste of film.2/10

"Tokyo Eyes" tells of a 17 year old Japanese girl who falls in like with a man being hunted by her big bro who is a cop. This lame flick is about 50% filler and 50% talk, talk, and more talk. You'll get to see the less than stellar cast of three as they talk on the bus, talk and play video games, talk and get a haircut, talk and walk and walk and talk, talk on cell phones, hang out and talk, etc. as you read subtitles waiting for something to happen. The thin wisp of a story is not sufficient to support a film with low end production value, a meager cast, and no action, no romance, no sex or nudity, no heavy drama...just incessant yadayadayada'ing. (C-)

This movie is of course about a killer. A killer that misses his target by intention. But this movie is beyond this plot something else: It is the movie that is the best expression of the "Techno-Culture" (the style "Techno", of electronic music) i ever saw.I'm not talking about the culture as it is seen from outside- people that are said to be (and often are) using synthetical drugs to dance the whole night to "stupid" music. I'm talking about what Techno is like, the feelings we had, why we listened to Techno.This movie is about a boy, who wants to change the people in the world he lives in. Not in big means, just in small steps. In what he can reach. And he wants to do so in a (somehow) peaceful way. Also, it has some incredible beautiful scenes, scattered throughout it- like the faint moments of beauty in the monotone beat. There is some kind of a monotone background as you see the masses of concrete, the city with the crowds going to work or returning home, where these beautiful moments are scattered upon in a chaotic manner.So do we feel, like the movie: Lost in that chaotic world, emotionless and grey as concrete, drifting through our life. Sometimes, we see the beauty, in nature, in the eyes of our girlfriend, or hear it in the music, or just feel it. And we want to change the world to something better, at least where we can achieve it, in a subtle way.This movie feels like the morning when you danced through the night before, lost in the music. When you go outside, climb up from the club to the streets, the sun already risen, and the people doing their business, and you are completely lost in that world- and you feel the beauty of life. When you see the beauty of this morning, and you know all the people surrounding you could see it too, if they were awake. This is what Techno feels like. Nothing more. But nothing less.

This film, more than any other, has me convinced the critics are completely clueless. It is a perfect blend of everything great about French, Hong Kong, and Japanese storytelling.Hinano Yoshikawa is vulnerable--and beautiful--throughout. Saying her acting was bad is like saying Juliette Lewis was bad in Cape Fear. If she really is so clueless in real life, well that was just genius casting. Shinji Takeda also gives a great, naturalistic performance.The last 15 minutes is often criticized or misunderstood. This is really a case of French "who cares what it means, it's beautiful" meets Japanese "you should know what it means, we don't have to explain it." From an American screenwriting craft POV, one may say that it diverges too much from the preceding story, but...I was rapt to the screen and deeply satisfied when the credits rolled.Critics of this film--and you should watch for this in the future--use phrases such as "something like" and "more or less." In criticizing Kitano's cameo, in particular, it is clear they have no idea what they're talking about. Anyone who is a big enough fan to have actually seen Kitano hit someone on the head with a giant hammer--purposely--will know that this is a classic Kitano performance.