Raúl Alejandro Mendoza

75 Films From Asia: MIRAI (2018)

Posted on June 6, 2020June 15, 2020 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in 75 Films From Asia, Reviews

Miirai (2018) is Mamoru Hosoda’s masterpiece as it encompasses incredible storytelling with beautiful animation and themes of childhood, innocence, and parenthood.

Continuing on with my 75 Films From Asia challenge I have once again stopped at the country of Japan to watch and review Mamoru Hosoda’s Academy Award-nominated masterpiece film, Mirai (2018). The film follows a child navigating the arrival of his baby sister as he grows jealous of her. He takes a journey through the various important people in his family tree as he tries to understand his unjust feelings toward his sister, Mirai. On the other hand, the film does not only focus on Kun and Mirai’s relationship but also his Father as he tries to be a stay at home dad.

The film is monumentally stylized by Hosoda’s exquisite animation style along with an incredible musical score. The story is well written and finds itself creeping into your heart with every person Kun meets from his family. Also, the father’s journey to further understand how to be a better father and partner is so well represented. Of course, there is humor in the journey but it all is wrapped up in the heart of the film. I truly believe that this is Mamoru Hosoda’s masterpiece and it will be further appreciated in the “future.”

As always you can keep up with my journey through this movie challenge by reading my reviews, but you can also take a look at the list of films by checking out this google doc or following along on my Letterboxd.

75 Films From Asia: SUMMER WARS (2009)

Posted on June 5, 2020June 15, 2020 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in 75 Films From Asia, Reviews

Mamoru Hosoda’s Summer Wars (2009) is a fantastic effort by the incredible Japanese director that is delightful from start to finish.

Welcome to my 75 Films From Asia column where you will find all the reviews for my 2020 movie challenge where I watch 75 movies from the grand continent of Asia! All films have been pre-selected and you can find them on this google doc or follow along on my Letterboxd! I have always been interested in Asian Cinema and now I have the chance to broaden my film horizons by exploring more of this continent’s cinematic history. So from now on to the end of the year, I hope you enjoy reading my journey through these 75 films.

The story is a pretty simple young boy is taken to the girl of his dreams’ great-grandmother’s 90th birthday to act as her boyfriend, but there is a huge twist to all that is going on. Cyber hijackers use a virtual video game to control nukes that could destroy not just the family’s home but the whole city. What seems like such a simple plot is a very well thought out story about family and gender norms.

The film is highly stylized and is as anime as it gets, but it is unique in its sense that it does not look like a Studio Ghibli, Shonen, or a film by Satoshi Kon but it is in the style of Mamoru Hosoda. That along with the voice acting, score, heart, and humor that revolves around the film makes it so special. What I appreciate the most about the picture is its commentary on gender norms on not just women in a family, but those that force men into a single definition of masculinity. Summer Wars (2009) is a magical film to start this challenge with and one that warmed my heart from beginning to end.

‘Cinema Paradiso’: A Timeless 80’s Italian Classic

Posted on March 25, 2020April 9, 2020 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Giuseppe Tornatorre’s Cinema Paradiso (1988) is a monumental picture that remains timeless 31 years later.

Everyone has a certain film that is so close to their heart. For some that maybe It’s A Wonderful Life (1946), E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982), or even modern treats like Lady Bird (2017). For me, it is Guiseppe Tornatore’s Academy Award-winning 1988 masterpiece, Cinema Paradiso. From its opening shot to its phenomenal ending the film captivates every emotion that is capable of being felt.

Cinema Paradiso (1988) looks at the life of an old Italian director who must go back to his hometown in Italy and confront his life before he left his home after hearing the news of his father figure passing away. The film is accompanied by exquisite direction and cinematography. It is also followed by its young and older cast members portraying every character on screen. The most captivating part of Cinema Paradiso (1988)? It is none other than Ennio Morricone’s heartbreakingly beautiful score that tugs on the heartstrings. No score is capable of automatically drawing tears from its first note like this beautiful piece of art.

It is so hard for me to fully explain what makes this film so special to me granted most of my work is reviews. This film could easily be written off as an old man reflecting on his childhood is much more than that. There is a sense of dread but admiration for what Alfredo did for Toto. He did not just introduce him to his love of cinema, but he introduced him to the unconditional love from a father figure that he was longing for. Toto must confront the loss of someone he cherished so much, but also realize that because of Alfredo he had someone who pushed him constantly to be the best he could be. So when it comes to that amazing ending and Toto receives the final gift from Alfredo, he is reminded that even though his decisions weren’t perfect they were imperative to take.

Cinema Paradiso (1988) is not just a movie about the love of cinema but the love of our mother, father, first job, friends, and of course our first love. It is a timeless classic that extends from the country of Italy to the rest of the world.

‘Weathering With You’: A Noble Directorial Effort From Makoto Shinkai

Posted on January 29, 2020January 29, 2020 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Director Makoto Shinkai returns with his latest film since 2016’s Your Name which seems to miss its footing.

In Weathering With You, Hodaka Morishima a runaway teenage boy meets Hina Amano an orphaned teenage girl who can control the weather. The rest is no different from the average film from Makoto Shinkai. This seems to be the problem prevalent throughout the picture. Where one expects Shinkai to take risks and do something different it’s met with redundancy in the most captivating way.

As always the film is accompanied by an incredible score by the RADWIMPS and some incredible animation. Weathering With You includes interesting themes about gun violence and climate change that make for a nuanced movie.

Sadly there is not much more to write home about Weathering With You and follows a blueprint of characterization that his other films have had. Even though it was a wonderful theater-going experience there was not much left to reminisce on after the credits rolled. One hopes that Makoto Shinkai takes a different route and steps out of his comfort zone in his next directorial effort.

Watch Weathering With You in theaters everywhere.

3.5/5, C-, or 7.25/10

‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’: The End of an Era

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Raúl Alejandro Mendoza in Reviews

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a solid closing to a 42-year story that must sacrifice its thematic choices in the process.

The newest and final installment in the Skywalker story has arrived and with it brings an array of controversy that is not foreign to Star Wars. Rey, Finn, Poe, Leia, and the whole gang are back for one final mission to bring down the first order in the new film directed by J.J. Abrams. The final story in the new trilogy that started in 2015 with Abram’s The Force Awakens and continued by Rían Johnson’s 2017 movie, The Last Jedi was met with a mixed critical reception and has once again left the fandom of Star Wars polarized.

There is a lot of things that The Rise of Skywalker does right, but the picture is far from being perfect. The first twenty minutes of the film are very rushed and feel out of place with the overall film. They feel like an epilogue to what could have been Abrams’ Episode VIII. Once the action and story really start to flesh itself out, you are once again reminded about what makes Star Wars a cultural phenomenon.

The movie has heart, laughs, and tear-jerking moments that made this man transport back to age 6 when I fell in love with a galaxy far far away. Sadly, there are character choices and some dialogue that does not land as well I thought it could have that makes this my least favorite in the new trilogy. Underneath the chaos of a movie that is just good, there is a movie that can grow on you with multiple rewatches.

Go watch The Rise of Skywalker in theaters and may the force be with you, always.

Grade: C+, 4/5, or 7.5/10