Author Archives: philipbrasor

Review: The Bibi Files and Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin

Posted on November 8, 2025 by philipbrasor

Japanese distributors are releasing Alexis Bloom’s muckraking documentary about the House of Netanyahu a year after it was first shown elsewhere. Given the velocity of breaking news these days it would seem to follow that the movie is dated, but, … Continue reading →

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Review: Two Seasons, Two Strangers

Posted on November 7, 2025 by philipbrasor

The fact that Sho Miyake’s latest movie (Tabi to Hibi in Japanese) is based on two manga may cause some misunderstanding. The manga author is Yoshiharu Tsuge, whose work is subtle and idiosyncratic, meaning it doesn’t adhere to the kind … Continue reading →

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Tokyo International Film Festival 2025

Posted on November 6, 2025 by philipbrasor

Here are links to the articles I wrote for the TIFF 2025 web site. Mother Bhumi Q&A In-I in Motion Q&A Journey into Sato Tadao Q&A Heads or Tails? Q&A Masterclass with Soi Cheang Mothertongue Q&A Echoes of Motherhood stage … Continue reading →

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Review: A Traveler’s Needs

Posted on November 1, 2025 by philipbrasor

There’s obviously something about Hong Sangsoo’s methodology that appeals to Isabelle Huppert, because this is the third movie of his that she’s starred in. It may be the free-form way Hong constructs his narrative. Like Mike Leigh, Hong doesn’t start … Continue reading →

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Review: So Long, See You Tomorrow and Spirit World

Posted on October 31, 2025 by philipbrasor

Baek Seung-bin’s third feature’s literary pretensions go beyond his borrowing the title of William Maxwell’s classic 1979 novel. There’s a gay bar that figures centrally in the plot called Giovanni’s Room, the title of an early James Baldwin novel and … Continue reading →

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Review: Something Is About to Happen

Posted on October 30, 2025 by philipbrasor

The title of this Spanish drama has less to do with the mechanics of the story than with the expectations of the viewer. Director Antonio Méndez Esparza, adapting a novel, concentrates on the everyday concerns of an average citizen named … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Welfare recipients have to choose between benefits and cars

Posted on October 27, 2025 by philipbrasor

In June the Supreme Court ruled that government cuts to welfare carried out between 2013 and 2015 were unlawful in a decision that undermined much of the welfare ministry’s rationale for how it determines benefits. The court ruled in favor … Continue reading →

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Review: The Day Iceland Stood Still

Posted on October 25, 2025 by philipbrasor

October 24 marked the 50th anniversary of the Women’s Day of Peace in Iceland, when 90 percent of Icelandic women commemorated the United Nations International Women’s Year by going on strike. That means not only did working women not go … Continue reading →

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Review: Hard Truths and The Roses

Posted on October 24, 2025 by philipbrasor

One of the many refreshing things about Mike Leigh’s cinema is the way he disregards certain prejudices in terms of plotting and characterization. There are moments during his movies when viewers may ask themselves why a certain character acts a … Continue reading →

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Media watch: Citizens demand end of immigration policy that doesn’t exist

Posted on October 22, 2025 by philipbrasor

One of the two women that Japan’s first female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has appointed to her cabinet is Kimi Onoda, who will be in charge of promoting “orderly coexistence with foreigners.” Onoda, who was born in the U.S. to … Continue reading →

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