Happy weekend!
Get hyped!
Time to watch films. I have four Korean titles lined up for this weekend, one of which I watched well over a decade ago (The Host). I tried watching some films earlier in the week but didn’t get far into them before turning them off due to other demands. Anyway, a news story and an interview I did were published over at Anime UK News at the tail end of last week and two reviews I wrote for V-Cinema were also published – Minidoka and Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066. I also posted a review of the short film Slowly here and then an interview I did with the director and producer of that film, Momoko Fukuda and Jumpei Inoue.
What is released this weekend?
According to Our Butler 
うちの執事が言うことには 「Uchi no Shitsuji ga Iu Koto niwa」
Running Time: 103 mins.
Release Date: May 17th, 2019
Director: Shinji Kuma
Writer: Takeshi Aoshima (Screenplay), Shiina Takasato (Original Novel)
Starring: Ren Nagase, Sho Kiyohara, Yuta Jinguji, Mio Yuki, Fuju Kamio, Toshihiro Yashiba, Jun Murakami, Hideko Hara, Mitsuru Fukikoshi,
Synopsis: Kaei Karasuma (Ren Nagase) is the scion of a great family and subject to a deadly plot, but with the help of his butler Soma Kisaragi (Sho Kiyohara), he and his family will be protected from the conspiracy.
The Confidence Man JP: The Movie 
コンフィデンスマンJP 「Konfidensu Man JP the movie」
Running Time: 116 mins.
Release Date: May 17th, 2019
Director: Ryo Tanaka
Writer: Ryota Kosawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yuko Takeuchi, Haruma Miura, Lisa Oda, Yosuke Eguchi, Atsuko Maeda,
Synopsis: Dako (Masami Nagasawa), Boku-chan (Masahiro Higashide) and Richard (Fumiyo Kohinata) are professional con artists who have travelled to Hong Kong to attempt to steal a diamond from Ran Riu (Yuko Takeuchi), a member of the Hong Kong triad. They have a rival in a handsome conman Jessie (Haruma Miura) who tries to get in on the action.
Iwane: Sword of Serenity 
居眠り磐音 「Inemuri Iwane」
Running Time: 121 mins.
Release Date: May 17th, 2019
Director: Katsuhide Motoki
Writer: Yuki Fujimoto (Screenplay), Yasuhide Saeki (Original Novel)
Starring: Tori Matsuzaka, Fumino Kimura, Kyoko Yoshine, Tasuku Emoto, Pierre Taki, Akira Emoto, Naomi Zaizen,
Synopsis: Iwane Sakazaki (Tori Matsuzaka), Kinpei Kobayashi (Tasuku Emoto) and Shinnosuke Kawade (Yosuke Sugino) are childhood friends who have risen to the rank of samurai together. Their bond is strengthened by the fact that Kinpei’s younger sister Mai is married to Shinnosuke and Iwane will marry Nao (Kyoko Yoshine). Their bond is shattered when Shinnosuke kills Mai after hearing allegations of an affair and then Kinpei takes revenge. The final act is to be Iwane Sakazaki executing his friend…
Fafner THE BEYOND 
蒼穹のファフナー THE BEYOND 「Soukyuu no Fafner THE BEYOND」
Release Date: May 17th, 2019
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: Takashi Noto
Writer: Tow Ubukata (Screenplay),
Starring: Satsumi Matsuda (Kaguya Minashiro), Souma Saitou (Maris Excelsior), Risae Matsuda (Sakuya Minashiro),
Animation Production: XEBECzwei
Synopsis: “Fafner” are humanoid mobile weapons “Fafner” and their pilots are teens who battle creatures called “Festum” It’s a long-running franchise and a new series is starting so the first three episodes of the 12 episode series will be screened.
Masui 
魔睡 「Masui」
Running Time: 121 mins.
Release Date: May 17th, 2019
Director: Kazuto Kuramoto
Writer: Tomomi Ikeda (Screenplay), Mori Ogai (Original Story)
Starring: Kazuko Iwamoto, Yuki Nakamura, Masami Suga, Yohei Nozaki, Natsuko Kimura, Mizuho Yoshida,
Synopsis: This one reminds me of the film Cure considering its story is based on a novella written by the writer, Mori Ogai, on the theme of crime using hypnosis, this is a story of a university professor whose wife, Yuriko, is being hypnotised by a student at the university. His evidence is how his wife is becoming increasingly vague during the day and suffers strange dreams at night…
Saihate Risutorante 
最果てリストランテ 「Saihate Risutorante」
Running Time: 91 mins.
Release Date: May 18th, 2019
Director: Keita Matsuda
Writer: Keita Matsuda (Screenplay),
Starring: Ryota Murai, Jun Q, Hazuki Mamiya, Takayuki Suzuki, Anna Konno, Yuuki Izawa, Mei Sakai,
Synopsis: Ryota Misaki (Ryouta Murai) and Han Ji-Seok (Jun Q) run a mysterious restaurant that people normally visit only once in their lives when they are about to eat their last meal. This is based on a TV series of the same name.
Boku to Keanin to obaachan-tachi to. 
僕とケアニンとおばあちゃんたちと。 「Boku to Keanin to obaachan-tachi to.」
Running Time: 70 mins.
Release Date: May 18th, 2019
Director: Kosuke Sasaki
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: A documentary at a nursing facility in Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture depicting the care workers and the residents they help try to live happy lives.
Moratorium 
モラトリアム 「Moratoriaumu」
Running Time: 85 mins.
Release Date: May 18th, 2019
Director: Shinichiro Sawa,
Writer: Shinichiro Sawa (Screenplay)
Starring: Makoto Shinada, Aki Nakagawa, Minae Omi, Chie Oiishi, Shino Uemura,
Synopsis: A university student who struggles to interact with people finds inspiration in a clown who performs in a park. Seeing an audience laugh at the figure makes the student return time and again to see the performance but one day the clown is gone. Instead, the student meets a man who asks if she would like to be a clown. In order to better communicate with others, she decides to give it a go…
The Landlady 
雪子さんの足音 「Yukiko-san no Ashioto」
Running Time: 112 mins.
Release Date: May 18th, 2019
Director: Sachi Hamano,
Writer: Houki Yamazaki (Screenplay) Kumi Kimura (Original Story)
Starring: Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Nahana, Hisako Ookata, Manzo Nomura, Kenta Kiguchi, Masaaki Takarai,
Synopsis: A story of a group of people who are drawn to a western-style house where there is a place for them to gather. It is run under the auspices of a woman named Yukiko.