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The Bird People of China [viff] Dir: Miike Takashi Country: Japan

Finally! Something I don't have to write a terrible sarcastic review about.

I loved this one. It was beautiful, funny, surreal, hopeful, thought-provoking, dramatic, well-acted... yadda yadda... I could go on. It's very difficult to categorise this one, as it changes modes throughout the picture. It's not a Japanese yakuza film, not a scenery film, not a buddy movie, not a coming of age picture, not a sentimental look at small town life... but it's got all the best of those elements in it.

Basic plotline- Japanese businessman is sent to a very very very very remote villiage in China (a good chunk of the movie takes place while merely travelling to this place). He is joined, quite against his will, by some yakuza crime lackey who has his own agenda. They finally arrive at the village and discover a local tradition of flying people, a legend of a man who fell from the sky (nothing whatsoever to do with David Bowie). All is not what it seems.

But this lovely remote village is threatened by the way of life that they themselves will bring, once the businessman goes back to Tokyo and tells his superiors how much jade is in the mountains around the village. What to do, what to do? Thankfully, the movie doesn't get preachy about the evils of modern society (as many are wont to do)- in a typically understated Japanese style, they make sure that we understand the point they're making, and they don't belabour it at all.

And the scenery! Oh my goodness. Wow. Beautiful. Amazing. Gosh darn it.

Quite a remarkable picture, and very beautiful. Although the other two films by this director aren't really on my List Of Stuff To See, I'll certainly try to make it to them. Very highly recommended.