Ephemeral Reviews

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

We were both feeling a little bit tired and in need of a comfort watch this evening, and after reading The Guardian article about the RSC putting on a live version of ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ we knew it would be the perfect watch.

Based in 1958 Japan, a family move to the countryside to be nearer the wife/mother who is in hospital with an undisclosed illness and when they get there they discover that their house is haunted with soot sprites and their neighbour is a forest spirit, Totoro.

Ever since discovering this film it became one of our favourite go-to films for when we were tired and with little concentrations span.

Not because it is rubbish but because of the beautiful study of nature that is threading through the film at all times, the sound of the wind, the hollyhocks suddenly appearing alone mid-scene, all adds up to show a vivid love and understanding of nature from the animators.

The way the two main characters, Satsukei and Mei, are treated is wonderful, full of respect and understanding and was further enhanced by having Elle and Dakota Fanning do the English version voices.

A beautiful film all over, with some great touches of warmth and humour, especially love the bit where the two girls discover the soot sprites for the first time, oh and the bus stop scene is brilliant, and I could go on like this highlighting scenes but the whole film is greater than the individual scenes and leaves you feeling warm and content at the end.

Talking about the end, watch the titles.

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My Neighbor Totoro Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy | July 13, 1990 (United States)

8.1

Director: Hayao MiyazakiWriter: Hayao MiyazakiStars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika SakamotoSummary: Two young girls, 10-year-old Satsuki and her 4-year-old sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuki and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures. ?Christopher E. Meadows <cmeadows@nyx.cs.du.edu>

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Nobody (2021)

I was a bit tired last night and didn’t have much brain power for a new film of much over 90 minutes, especially after at least the previous 20 had been taken up with trying to decide on which film to watch.

Finally settled on Nobody (2021) which I had seen at the cinema previously, an easy film with nothing too taxing for the brain, exactly what I needed.

Starring Bob Odenkirk from so many different things but the latest biggie is Better Call Saul, with great parts for Christopher Lloyd, Connie Nelson, Michael Ironside, and more.

A ‘retired’ auditor (government killer) is living in the ‘burbs, a life of boring monotony, trying to grasp what he thought he really wanted, normality, until a home invasion sets off a stream of events which culminates in strapping a claymore mine to a shatter-proof window to make a final point.

Lots of extreme violence with a decent back story packed into the limited run time of the film made it feel as though there was no down time, apart from the bits about the monotony of American suburban life.

The choreographed violence often gets compared to that of John Wick, true to a certain extent, this feels more visceral, real, crunchy. John Wick’s action scenes almost feel like a well choreographed dance, you really feel the pain in Nobody, the crunch feels crunchy.

My favourite though is Christopher Lloyd as the retired FBI father, who else could get away with a shit-eating grin whilst draped in several shotguns.

Overall a fun film that is hyper-violent, but if you know this going in and view it almost like a cartoon you can get a lot out of it.

Looking forward to Nobody: Back from Obscurity, or whatever they decide to call the sequel.

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Nobody Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller | March 26, 2021 (United States)

7.4

Director: Ilya NaishullerWriter: Derek KolstadStars: Bob Odenkirk, Aleksey Serebryakov, Connie NielsenSummary: Emmy winner Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, The Post, Nebraska) stars as Hutch Mansell, an underestimated and overlooked dad and husband, taking life's indignities on the chin and never pushing back. A nobody. When two thieves break into his suburban home one night, Hutch declines to defend himself or his family, hoping to prevent serious violence. His teenage son, Blake (Gage Munroe, The Shack), is disappointed in him and his wife, Becca (Connie Nielsen, Wonder Woman), seems to pull only further away. The aftermath of the incident strikes a match to Hutch's long-simmering rage, triggering dormant instincts and propelling him on a brutal path that will surface dark secrets and lethal skills. In a barrage of fists, gunfire and squealing tires, Hutch must save his family from a dangerous adversary (famed Russian actor Aleksey Serebryakov, Amazon's McMafia)-and ensure that he will never be underestimated as a nobody again. ?Universal Pictures