Category Archives: Movies

February 2012 movies

Posted on February 1, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Feb. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo last week. Beginners Personality crises are notoriously difficult to depict on film, which is why older directors didn’t bother to do … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

January 2012 movies

Posted on January 2, 2012 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Jan. issue of EL Magazine. They cover films that were released in Tokyo between late Dec. and mid-Jan. Animal Kingdom The title of Australian director David Michod’s debut feature suggests an … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Best movies 2011

Posted on December 23, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are my ten-best-plus movies of the year, which I wrote for the Jan. issue of EL Magazine. All were released in Japan during the 2011 calendar year. Though I saw fewer movies than I did in 2010, I believe … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mission accomplishable: Tom Cruise draws a crowd

Posted on December 4, 2011 by philipbrasor

Who’s the biggest movie star today? If you say Tom Cruise or Will Smith, it’s not because they’re the biggest box office draws, but rather because they act like movie stars, and that’s because they love being movie stars. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

December 2011 movies

Posted on November 29, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are the movie reviews I wrote for the Dec. issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Nov. 25. The movies open in Japan between late Nov. and mid-Dec. The Adventures of Tintin Herge’s boyish Belgian reporter-adventurer … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

This is what I know: A tale of two press conferences

Posted on November 14, 2011 by philipbrasor

Like Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt would like you to admire him for more than his casual good looks and acting ability. He wants you to appreciate his mind, which is why Moneyball is such a gift for him as both … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

November 2011 movies

Posted on November 2, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are the reviews I wrote for the November issue of EL Magazine, which was distributed in Tokyo on Nov. 25. The movies open in Tokyo from late October to mid-November. Another Year Much has been made of Mike Leigh’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TIFF interviews

Posted on November 1, 2011 by philipbrasor

Here are links to the interviews I did for the Tokyo International Film Festival website. This year they wanted to concentrate on films in the Japanese Eyes section, for obvious reasons, but in any case the selection wasn’t that good. … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Oct. 9

Posted on October 9, 2011 by philipbrasor

Yesterday while working in the press center I was cornered by a perky young reporter from Hong Kong and her cameraman. They wanted my opinion on the new Cinema Center, as well as the festival’s general organization. This has happened … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

BIFF Oct. 8

Posted on October 8, 2011 by philipbrasor

When I told the foreign press liaison that my flight would be arriving at Busan at 9:30 p.m. she said the film festival counter at the airport might be closed by then, so could I please take a limousine bus … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment