Drama

Shōgun – Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Shōgun – Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream
  • IMDb: link | link

Shōgun - Crimson Sky / A Dream of a Dream

The final two episodes of Shōgun focus on the choices of Mariko (Anna Sawai) and their aftermath. Having journeyed to Osaka, Mariko informs Ishido (Takehiro Hira) of her plans to return to  Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) the next day and take his vassals, and infant son, back with her. Putting Ishido in a no-win situation of either giving up his hostages or confirming that they are indeed hostages and unable to leave, he refuses her request having his men cut down her soldiers at the gate and advance on to Marko. This, of course, is exactly what Mariko was expecting and gives her the opportunity to commit seppuku for failing to meet her lord’s demands and achieve her long goal of joining her family in death.

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Challengers

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Challengers
  • IMDb: link

Challengers

What a mess. You know you are in trouble when in the final act of a film, particularly a sports film, you find yourself with no investment or interest in the outcome. Honestly, shouldn’t I be cheering for someone? Anyone? Anyone at all? A Challenger is a tennis tournament, often with local sponsorship for small prize money, for those not quite good enough for the main tour tournaments. The film from director Luca Guadagnino and writer Justin Kuritzkes is aptly named as it too is not-yet-ready for prime time.

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Shōgun – A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Shōgun – A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life
  • IMDb: link | link

Shogun - A Stick of Time / The Abyss of Life

Things get even worse for Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) and his followers as his attempt to form an alliance with his estranged brother (Eita Okuno) ends in betrayal and in the death of his son (Yuki Kura). With Toranaga apparently willing to give up the fight, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) finds himself released from his service but with nowhere to turn. His attempt to reconnect with his fellow sailors end disastrously leading him to attempt to cultivate a new partnership with Yabushige (Tadanobu Asano) who initially refuses but, given his lord’s refusal to fight on, eventually accepts.

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Civil War

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Civil War
  • IMDb: link

Civil War

Beautifully shot while exploring complicated ideas that may make some audiences uncomfortable, Alex Garland‘s Civil War works on multiple levels. First, the film gives us an up-close look at war correspondent journalism following a foursome through a ravaged war-torn land. Allowing that land to be America in a recognizable not-too-distant future is the second major point of the film which offers a cautionary tale to the current polarized environment which includes many far-right nutbags actively praying and cheering across social media for such events to occur. The message of the movie is clear, be careful what you wish for.

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Shōgun – Ladies of the Willow World

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Shōgun – Ladies of the Willow World
  • IMDb: link

Shōgun - Ladies of the Willow World

While much of “Ladies of the Willow World” takes place in Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), including the title which derives from Mariko (Anna Sawai) setting up John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) with another prostitute, in terms of events moving the larger story forward we must look to Osaka. Here we see the impact of Ochiba No Kata’s (Fumi Nikaidô) return in pushing Ishido (Takehiro Hira) to act bolder with the Regents beginning with replacing Toranaga’s open seat with a flunky and then murdering Lord Sugiyama (Toshi Toda) after the Regent refuses to go along with his plans.

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