Search - Mamoru Oshii Cinema Trilogy Collection (Talking Head/Stray Dogs/The Red Spectacles) + Soundtrack CD on DVD

Unique

05/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These movies certainly won't appeal to everyone, but I personally found them refreshingly different, interesting and very enjoyable. Whether or not you will enjoy them depends not only on personal taste but also what you intend to get out of seeing movies. If you've dismissed movies such as David Lynch's "Eraserhead" or "Lost Highway" as 'arsty pretentious rubbish', these won't be the films for you. The directing draws attention to itself (especially in "Talking Head"), which means if you just want to be told a story, you're already missing the point. These can be seen as 'experiments' in movie-making, and the results are very interesting, provided you're into that sort of thing.Understandably, some people may be interested in these movies because of the connection to the Oshii-written anime "Jin-Roh". Don't expect a similar film, or much relation to it. At first, these films seem to have little relation to each other, let alone other films. Don't expect action, either. There are occasional action scenes, though if that's why you're watching the film you're once again likely missing the point.It occured to me that "The Red Spectacles" is, in a way, a parody of itself. Any event or aspect of the storyline that may have been slightly far fetched, silly, or seen as a mistake in a normal film, is made very deliberate, exaggerated and displayed in an over-the-top manner that is somewhat remeniscent of comedic anime.. yet it doesn't feel out of place. It seems to fit right into the world Oshii has created in the film."Stray Dog" is a mellow, aesthetically beautiful film, rich in color, which is a startling contrast to the schizofrenic "Red Spectacles", which was predominately in black and white, and generally far from mellow. If you're not a fan of slow movies, or are expecting some action, you'll likely look at the time an hour into the movie and be amazed that seemingly nothing's happened yet. This isn't actually the case, of course, and while the film may be less complex, and generally less active, than the other two in the series, it still has plenty of ideas to express. This is the film that probably has the most in common with Jin-Roh, but again, don't expect the same film."Talking Head" defies convention even more than "The Red Spectacles" did, and presents a story about filmmaking full of bizarre characters and events, and commentary on various aspects of the art. This should be fascinating viewing for appreciators of 'arty' cinema, not just for it's bold direction and quirkiness, but also for the ideas expressed about the medium of film (and more specifically, animation), and the creative process. I've long appreciated Oshii's animated works (such as Patlabor 2, Ghost in the Shell and Jin-Roh), and was very interested to see his live action films. Between his anime films, these films, and the absolutely stunning "Avalon", Oshii has shown diversity and unique vision, and has more than earned a place among the giants of cinema."