Now Showing April 14

A psychological mystery-thriller, based on ‘Mystic River’ author Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name, ‘Shutter Island’ is a film that merges reality with fantasy. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese received the offer to direct the film after completing ‘The Departed’ – a film that won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.

Scorsese, who is well known for his skill with bringing intense, highly emotional films to the screen, once again comes up with the goods in bringing this dramatic film to life. During its opening weekend in America (Fri Feb 19 until Sun Feb 21), ‘Shutter Island’ ranked in the number one spot – above ‘Avatar’ – giving Scorsese his highest earning box office opening to date.

Leonardo DiCaprio fills the film’s leading role of Teddy, a US federal marshal who, together with his partner Chuck Aule, is sent to Ashecliff Hospital for the criminally insane, located on Shutter Island, to investigate the sudden disappearance of a female patient named Rachel Solando. However, things turn out to be more complicated than they appear when Teddy reveals that his real reason for choosing the case is to find another patient assigned to the hospital, named Laeddis, who killed his beloved wife, Dolores. Rachel is eventually found unharmed; however, during his search for Laeddis, Teddy hears about a lighthouse that the facility is rumoured to use as a location for carrying out human experiments. As Teddy gets deeper into his investigation he uncovers more than he bargained for, including his own mysterious attachment to the island. In order to add to the suspense and the mystery, ‘Shutter Island’ employs various clever tricks and devices to keep the audience guessing.

If your first language is English, be sure to choose the original version in order to fully appreciate the enthralling performances given be the films incredible cast, such as Ben Kingsley, and of course, DiCaprio. Of his portrayal of Teddy, DiCaprio reflects: ‘I fell in love with the character’s complexity and had an emotional reaction to the way Teddy becomes obsessed with trying to find the truth. The character drew something from inside of me and, in the end, I felt an incredible emotional attachment towards the role’ – and it’s precisely because DiCaprio is able to connect with Teddy on such a deep emotional level that the film has become such a huge success.

Consequently, if your first language is Japanese, it might be best to watch the movie dubbed to avoid missing anything from having to focus on the subtitles. To come to grips with the film’s mystery and emotion, you may even consider paying twice (the film is that good) to watch both the dubbed version and the original English version.

USA, 2010
Opened: Apr 9
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Williams
Distributor: Paramount Japan
Website: www.s-island.jp/

District 9

A science fiction thriller brought to the screen by a relatively new director and under-the-radar actors, this widely acclaimed film – which earned four Academy Awards nominations – tells the story of a group extraterrestrial creatures who unexpectedly become stranded on Earth.

USA, 2009
Opened: Apr 10
Director & Writer: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James
Distributor: Warner Bros./GAGA
Website: d-9.gaga.ne.jp/

Io, Don Giovanni

A drama based on the life of Venetian opera librettist and poet, Lorenzo Da Ponte, who famously collaborated with Mozart on his opera, ‘Don Giovanni’.

Italy/Spain/Austria 2009
Opened: Apr 10
Director: Carlos Saura
Cast: Lorenzo Balducci, Lino Guanciale
Distributor: Longride
Website: www.don-giovanni.jp/

Moon

Directed by Duncan Jones (David Bowie’s son) this film focuses on an astronaut who experiences a personal crisis just two weeks before he is due to return home after completing a three-year solitary placement spent on the moon.

UK, 2009
Opened: Apr 10
Director: Duncan Jones
Cast: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Website: www.moon-otoko.jp/

Darling wa Gaikokujin

A live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga series entitled ‘Darling wa Gaikokujin’. This romantic comedy tells the story of a Japanese girl and her American boyfriend.

English title: My Darling is a Foreigner
Japan, 2010
Opened: Apr 10
Director: Kazuaki Ue
Cast: Mao Inoue, Jonathan Sherr, Masato Irie
Distributor: Toho
Website: www.darling-movie.com/ (English)

Alice in Wonderland

A fantasy adventure based on Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking-Glass’, in which Alice inadvertently returns to wonderland. Directed by legendary director Tim Burton, this spectacular film is full of imagination and wonder, and includes an incredible performance from Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

USA, 2010
Opened: Apr 17
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Mia Wasikowska
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Japan
Website: www.disney.co.jp/movies/alice/

Le Concert

A former world-famous conductor of the Bolshoi orchestra, who now works as a cleaner, gathers together the members of his old orchestra to give a performance in place of the current Bolshoi orchestra.

Japanese title: Orchestra!
France, 2009
Opened: Apr 17
Director: Radu Mihaileanu
Writer: Radu Mihaileanu, Matthew Robbins, Alain-Michel Blanc
Cast: Aleksei Guskov, Mélanie Laurent, Le Concert
Distributor: GAGA
Website: orchestra.gaga.ne.jp/

Johnny Mad Dog

A disturbing film which takes place in an African nation during a state of civil war, the film paints a portrait of cold, brutal young teenage killers who wield assault rifles, rape, pillage and murder.

France, 2007
Opened: Apr 17
Director: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Cast: Christophe Minie, Daisy Victoria Vandy
Distributor: Inter Film
Website: www.interfilm.co.jp/johnnymaddog/