Matt Cooper Films

Demolition Girl (2019) by Genta Matsugami

High-schooler Cocoa (Aya Kitai) attempts to scrape together enough money to attend college by acting in videos crushing objects with her feet. With her unemployed father (Yota Kawase) spending his days gambling away his benefit money, and her brother lounging at home, Cocoa must work to support her own dreams of attending college. A former friend of her brother, Naoki, films her stomping on trash, cans, balloons, and other things while dressed in her uniform, which he then sells on as fetish tapes to a low-level gangster to distribute. While Cocoa continually strives, using whatever means she can, to support herself; the world seems constantly turned against her, with her father’s recklessness; the school authorities lack of compassion; and the gangster’s selfishness, confounding her hopes at every turn.

“Demolition Girl”, directed by Genta Matsugami from a screenplay by Matsugami and Yoshitaka Kasui, is an interesting take on the coming-of-age drama, with a great central performance from Aya Kitai as Cocoa. Her challenging circumstances, living with her lazy, feckless, father and older brother, create immediate sympathy, along with her determined attitude to overcome them. She has good chemistry with her two schoolfriends, who both come from more comfortable family circumstances, in sharp conrast to her own struggles. The fetish videos are bizarre but get across the point the film is attempting to make about the constant exploitation of the poor by society and how the pursuit of money leads people into degrading states of being. Matsugami’s direction features some fun moments such as the standoff between Cocoa and the gang leader near the end of the film in one long, tense, take.

“Demolition Girl” has several familiar themes which it handles expertly, without being too heavy-handed in its messaging. Cocoa’s ability to pick herself up after every setback is commendable, and sets her apart from the grasping, self-centered immorality of the gangsters and her own family. We see society as deeply flawed, failing to protect the most vulnerable and well-meaning individuals, while illegality goes unpunished. In the end, Cocoa realises that the only way to truly thrive is to stick to your own values, rather than being pressured into forsaking your sense of self-worth or striving to fit societal expecations. Money and power often force people into unnatural self-abasement and the film’s conclusion applauds those who are able to step away from our warped value system towards self-belief and eschewing the twisted morality of modern capitalism.

Matt Cooper Films

Scoop! (2016) by Hitoshi One

A veteran freelance photo-journalist is forced to partner with a rookie reporter in this dark comedy about celebrity culture and the press. Shizuka Miyakonojo (Masaharu Fukuyama) earns a living by taking photos of celebrities in compromising situations: hanging out at girl’s bars, having affairs, or being caught blind drunk. He gets by selling his snaps to his ex-wife Sadako (Yo Yoshida) who works at ‘Scoop!’ magazine, which specializes in celebrity gossip and soft-core pornography. Lone-wolf Shizuka is teamed up with newbie reporter Nobi Namikawa (Fumi Nikaido) and the pair are tasked with getting high quality content for the magazine. The mismatched pair soon form a bond over their secretive activities and schemes to secure stories. Danger is never too far away however with Shizuka’s unhinged friend Chara (Lily Franky) lurking in the background.

“Scoop!”, directed by Hitoshi One from a script by One and Masato Harada (“Bounce Ko Gals”), is a thrilling ride from start to finish. The plot is set up as a straightforward odd couple team-up, with both Masaharu Fukuyama and Fumi Nikaido bringing charisma and chemistry to their roles. Shizuka is a fairly unlikeable character, but Fukuyama’s performance shows us this broken individual hides anxieties about his failure to make something of his life; while Fumi Nikaido brings a cheerful optimism and steely determination to Nobi. The supporting cast are also great, including Yo Yoshida and Kenichi Takito as editors at the paper, and Lily Franky in a role that runs the gamut from humorous to terrifying. The creative camerawork helps the film feel fresh throughout, with a fantastic opening sequence that follows Shizuka from an intimate moment in his van to tailing his mark in a single spellbinding take. The film has a comedic tone, but is always skirting darker elements: sex work, rape, and murder. The ending is shocking for anyone expecting a simple ‘enemies-to-friends’ narrative, but in context makes perfect sense, feeling as if the constant toying with disaster finally catches up with the protagonists.

“Scoop!” takes an unflinching look at the world of paparazzi, who spend their lives following around celebrities to catch them unawares. It’s a seedy existence, using others for personal gain, that borders on the criminal. We are drawn into the excitement of the chase with Shizuka and Nobi and it becomes easy to forget that there are real people involved, as they see them simply as targets. However, in the latter half the film begins to examine the morality of their actions more closely, questioning the purpose of the press in holding politicians to account and covering serious topics such as crime, rather than the more frivolous gossip of celebrity affairs and drinking parties. The film’s climactic moments challenge us with a brutal sequence involving murder, a topic hinted at earlier when the characters are tasked with taking a photograph of a rapist-murderer. This sudden explosion of violence confronts us with the fact that while these magazines may appear to be inconsequential there are real victims behind the stories; and real suffering happening in society. It is easy to forget in a media-saturated world our responsibilities to each other. “Scoop!” is well worth a watch for its entertaining plot, actors at the top of their game, and a conflicted protagonist that questions the morality of journalism in the modern era.

Matt Cooper Films

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (2017) by Ryuichi Hiroki

Based on a best-selling novel by mystery author Keigo Higashino, “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store” tells the story of a group of people connected by an orphanage and a peculiar store that allows messages to be sent through time. The film begins with three young men, Shota (Nijiro Murakami), Kohei (Kanichiro), and Atsuya (Ryosuke Yamada), on the run after committing a burglary. They hide out in the titular store, now abandoned, hoping that at sunrise they will be able to disappear into the crowds of commuters. While waiting, a letter drops through a slot in the shutters, apparently from 32 years prior in 1980. The trio discover that the previous owner, Mr. Namiya (Toshiyuki Nishida), had answered queries from residents and they decide to post a reply in the milk box outside, as he used to do. Miraculously their message is recieved in 1980 and they begin a correspondance with a young musician (Kento Hayashi) in the past. They later help out another young woman who is worrying about her finances. Meanwhile, in the past, Mr. Namiya is able to receive letters from the future, offering him a chance to appreciate the effect he has had on the community.

Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki with a screenplay by Hiroshi Saito, “The Miracles of the Namiya General Store” is a charming drama about connection and helping your fellow individuals. It has several tropes of the traditional tear-jerker: orphaned children, a sacrifice to save others, cancer, suicide attempts, and redemption. The characters are interesting, but due to the abundance of plots it can be hard to sympathise with any one in particular, with the various sorrowful tales becoming overwhelming. The ensemble cast, which also includes Machiko Ono, Riko Narumi, and Rio Yamashita, do a great job and all of the plots do tie together at the end. It is interesting to see the three different time periods of the film, the late 60s, 1980, and 2012 and they do a good job with the changing fashions and sets. There are moments where the film’s pacing does drag, such as a lengthy sequence of a song performance that, while central to the plot, could have been cut down significantly. The footage of the singer Seri (Mugi Kadowaki), dancing on a beach during this musical interlude, suggests even the filmmakers were unsure how to fill the time.

While it is melodramatic, the film executes the drama with panache, and there are sure to be at least a couple of the stories that resonate with you. Whether it is Mr. Namiya’s dedication to providing top-class advice even in difficult situations, the plight of the orphanage, Seri’s attempts to repay the debt owed to her by the man who sacrificed himself to save her brother, or a young high-schooler whose parentage drives her to depression. The film has a strong message of believing in hope even in the most seemingly hopeless situations and also about the importance of helping others and the impact our lives have on one another. It doesn’t pay to think to closely about the mechanics of how the letters are transported through time, or the various paradoxes this would create, but it is a fun conceit to drive the drama between the interconnected characters. Worth a watch for fans of emotionally charged human drama.

Matt Cooper Films

Evil does not Exist (2023) by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) lives a tranquil life in a rural community; taking care of his young daughter Hana (Ryo Nishikawa). When a talent agency from Tokyo proposes building a glamping retreat nearby, the residents come out in protest, raising concerns about the environmental and social impact. Takahashi (Ryuji Kosaka) and Mayuzumi (Ayaka Shibutani) from the Tokyo-based firm arrive in the village to listen to the residents’ concerns and come to an agreement.

“Evil does not Exist”, written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”) is a contemplative film with an enigmatic ending that leaves you questioning everything that has gone before. Opening on a long tracking shot of overhead tree boughs, the film maintains this slow, considered pace throughout. We see Takumi chopping wood and collecting water, all playing out unedited; and a lenghty sequence of the residents airing their various grievances about the glamping site proposal. The film leaves the audience alone with their thoughts, drawing us in to the relaxed atmosphere of village life. The score, by Eiko Ishibashi, is a blend of calm and foreboding, capturing the tone of the film itself, which veers suddenly and shockingly in the final third into something far more troubling than the typical rivalry between local inhabitants and uncaring developers from the city.

The film shows both the importance of nature, its scale and its potential dangers, through the methodical sequences of rural life. We sense that for Takumi his environment is integral to how he lives, shaping his routine as well as his personality. The complaints of the residents are understandable: pollution of their water supply; the possibility of rowdy tourists; the destruction of deer habitats; but we also sense that there is something more important at stake: the connection of humans to the landscape. The title of the film is as mysterious as its ending, suggesting perhaps that evil is a man-made concept which has no place in nature; or that humans are the primary cause of suffering in the world. Some may struggle with the film’s relaxed pace, but for those willing to engage it offers a powerful take on the traditional environmental drama.

Matt Cooper Anime, Films

The Case of Hana and Alice (2015) by Shunji Iwai

Transfer student Tetsuko “Alice” Arisugawa (Yu Aoi) finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving a missing classmate at her new school in this lighthearted comedy-drama. Shortly after arriving at her new school, Alice discovers that the student who used to have her desk, known as “Judas”, disappeared, some believing he was murdered. Alice later discovers that “Judas” (Ryo Katsuji), real name Kotaro Yuda, had four ‘wives’ and some believe that his seat is cursed. In an attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery, Alice takes fellow student Mutsu Mutumi’s (Ranran Suzuki) advice and seeks help from her shut-in neighbour, Hana (Anne Suzuki). Hana concocts a plan to find out once and for all what really happened to Kotaro, and make amends for her own part in his disappearance.

“The Case of Hana and Alice”, is a prequel of sorts to writer-director Shunji Iwai’s previous live-action film “Hana and Alice” (2004), which reunites the leads Yu Aoi and Anne Suzuki from that film to voice the same characters here. The relationship between the two friends is humorous and heart-warming, although it arrives later in the film that you might expect. Once they are together, their scheming to find out what happened to Kotaro provides both the chance to show their comedic cadences. The rotoscoped animation style creates fluid, realistic action, with some standout scenes of Alice running, or the two girl’s playfully teasing one another. The soft colours and gentle piano score make for a a relaxing time, with the art direction beautifully capturing late afternoon sunsets and the familiar sights of train tracks, school grounds, residential streets, and apartment blocks. The central mystery is intriguing, but you sense early on that it far from the point of the film. Instead it is more of a device for bringing these characters together and exploring their relationships and inner lives.

Teenage romance; classroom rumours; adapting to a strange new town and school; and making friends: the film provides a simple, yet stylish, exploration of these relatable moments in development. With minimal threat and light-hearted comedy routed in character, the film is an enjoyable watch, made more so by the outstanding voice performances of the two leads.