Author Archives: philipbrasor

Interview with Aidan Moffat, Dec. 2006

Posted on March 8, 2021 by philipbrasor

Arab Strap has reunited and released a new album. Here’s an interview I did with Aidan Moffatt on the occasion of their farewell tour. From the Japan Times. Pop artists tend to be identified by their musical stylings but some … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, March 7, 2021

Posted on March 7, 2021 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the ignominious end of the petition drive to recall Aichi Prefecture Governor Hideaki Omura. Though I purposely played down the ideological forces at play in this drama, it mostly came down to what one … Continue reading →

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Review: Baseball Girl

Posted on March 5, 2021 by philipbrasor

The implied purpose of Choi Yun-tae’s Baseball Girl is to upend all the cliches attached to sports movies while at the same time following them to the letter. Thematically, Choi wants to show as honestly as possible the obstacles that … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 28, 2021

Posted on February 28, 2021 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the Japanese government’s plan to digitize more public services. Japan remains relatively behind in this regard, despite its reputation for technological savvy, and it seems mainly due to the vertical organizational structures described in … Continue reading →

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Review: Moving On

Posted on February 27, 2021 by philipbrasor

One of the more compelling aspects of the worldwide success of Parasite is that it wasn’t designed to be a worldwide success; or, at least, not in the same way that Bong Joon-ho’s previous movies, Snowpiercer and Okja, were meant … Continue reading →

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Review: Stage Mother

Posted on February 26, 2021 by philipbrasor

Ever since her turn as the sadistically practical head of a ruthless crime family in the Australian movie Animal Kingdom, Jacki Weaver has cultivated an enviable career as the mother-for-any-occasion-and-accent. In a sense, she’s the easiest casting choice for the … Continue reading →

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Review: Capone

Posted on February 25, 2021 by philipbrasor

Often filmmakers try to cut historical monsters down to size by making fun of them and their ideas. In Capone, director Josh Trank looks at the last year in the life of the famed gangster, when he was reduced by … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 21, 2021

Posted on February 21, 2021 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix about the disastrous news conference of Yoshiro Mori that presaged his resignation as the president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizing committee. The column may give the impression that it was the intrepid group of … Continue reading →

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Review: Babyteeth

Posted on February 19, 2021 by philipbrasor

First-time director Shannon Murphy is obviously the type of storyteller who, when confronted with a decision that proffers two extremes, will go with the cheekier option. Though this tale of a teenage cancer patient who has mostly given up on … Continue reading →

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Media Mix, Feb. 14, 2021

Posted on February 14, 2021 by philipbrasor

Here’s this week’s Media Mix, which is about comments made by Keidanren chief Hiroaki Nakanishi and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga about the current economic situation that were picked up by the media. Though the two men were talking about two … Continue reading →

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