People in New York have a nice winter treat since Metrograph will play host to a series of movies by the genius that is Takeshi Kitano. This event will see most of his major works screened on 35mm prints from November 17th to November 25th. It features highlights such as Sonatine, Boiling Point, A Scene at the Sea and Kids Return. There’s also one of his weaker efforts, Getting Any?, a comedy that wears out its welcome after 30 minutes… Otherwise, this is a stellar selection of films.
Here’s the write-up on the site:
Comedian, television host, painter, author, producer, distributor, and all-around superstar, Takeshi “Beat” Kitano is best known to international audiences as one of the great contemporary filmmakers. As an actor he’s a preternaturally calm, eternally impassive presence, billed as “Beat”; as a director, he’s all about rhythm—the long quiet lull before a storm of violence, the canny delivery of the ace comic. Watching Kitano’s films, you learn to expect the unexpected, whether it’s a swiftly-delivered chopstick into the brainpan or Kitano’s radical shifts between bleak yakuza films, contemplative character pieces, and ventures into wistful comedy.
That’s a good summation and since the first film starts tonight audiences will have the chance to find out for themselves. Here’s the line-up. If you need more convincing then take a gander at my reviews:
