lyricsonflight You know, I'm really not into symbolic movies. I don't have much patience for artsy fartsy symbolisms. Although not an action junkie, rarely do I like movies without a tight concise plot and realism. But this movie had me. I thought it wondered a bit in the beginning, but by the quarter way through I was engaged. I couldn't see where it was going but I was curious. And by the middle, I was nearly in tears. And I don't even know why. The story didn't even really make sense. I think it was the overall tone of its subtle poetry. However, some special effects are a bit cheesy.I still don't get the story--all the metaphors, twisted plot lines and etc. But who cares? I was deeply affected. The music is phenomenal. If you have some patience, check it out.

Grand This is a fitting tribute to Edogawa Rampo, one of the greatest horror/suspense writers of the 20th century. He so keenly admired Edgar Allan Poe that he effaced his own name and personality and adopted Poe's (say "Edogawa Rampo" a few times quickly and you'll see that it is a Japanese pronunciation of the name of the great American writer). Rampo wrote so few works that it is wonderful that a film like this should be made about him, or rather, about his persona -- it is the only way that most people will be able to appreciate his deeply complex personality. (To be perfectly honest, having long ago read Rampo's "The Human Chair," and had its utterly unspeakable terribleness burned into his consciousness, this writer was GREATLY suspicious of the seats in the theater where this film was shown -- THAT is the sort of impact Rampo and his work can have on the mind!)

Valentin-7 Beautiful, stylish, and spectacular. It's not the way we usually use to describe mysteries. This one is an exception. Actually I saw both the original version released in Japan and the one released here in the States. The major difference between the two is the sound effect, and the cut was slightly different. As the results, the original one is more mysterious, and the latter is, ..., more beautiful. I'll highly recommend you take a look at the first one if you can find a copy and understand Japanese. Pay special attention to the sound effect and the ending. I think this is the best modern Japanese film (after the Akira Kurosawa era) you can find in America. Personally, I like the original Japanese version. The music isn't as beautiful as in American version, though. There is one final line being cut off in American version:"Goodbye, Mr. Yokomizo."The writer said this one last line to his publisher friend as the image disappeared. I think that is the point of the whole story, to make you not be able to tell what you just saw is for real or just a story. After all, the writer, and Yokomizo, were real people. Too bad, they cut the line off............

edwafor An incredibly lush film which was so beautifully shot, it's easier to remember the cinematography and musically than it is the story. A writer's work is censored by the government, but this doesn't stop his story from coming to life around him, or it's being a means of him finding love.