a good-humored gravitas that brings to mind Jason Robards, Jr., and Fujitani, Dave Boyles Man From Reno is the type of film where alleyways are home offices, every bar matchbox has an unknown number inside, and if a character enters a bookshop, you better believe old issues of True Detective are hanging visibly in frame. My question for myself is, do I have a critical }); Convention and what I consider acceptable ways of Breaking Genre Convention. Well, Im not going to give anything away, Okay. Props to Shiori Ideta for her stone cold delivery of my favourite line in the film, selections of credit music and a great cast that includes some fantastic Japanese actors and a script that kept me guessing. Since initial funding came from crowd sourcing, several hundred contributors are also listed. Aki does contemplate committing suicide by slitting her wrists in the bathtub; but fate intervenes. not as cocky as all that. He has retained his quirky sense of humor and wrapped it into a mystery story that .. well had me guessing. The picture makes a few misstepsa plot thread involving Del Morals daughter, whos also his deputy (Elisha Skorman) is extraneous and could easily have been eliminated. The victim, a Japanese fellow We want to hear what you have to say but need to verify your account. 1. The movie is thick with possibility and wonder from the very first scene. If you want to see what is like showing a kid loving a beautiful puppy and the kid and the puppy playing and running and laughing and cuddling for most of a movie and then somebody killing the puppy with a hatchet as the kid screams in horror and the guy with the bloody hatchet laughing and walking away--yeah this is a great dramatic movie for you. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), It stars Kevin Hart and Woody Harrelson, along with Kaley Cuoco, Jasmine Mathews, Lela Loren, Pierson Fod, Jencarlos Canela, and Ellen Barkin in supporting roles. Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email. Director Dave Boyle takes a major step out of his comfort zone with the film and the payoff is immediate. The finale wraps up a number of loose ends and reveals the secret threads tying together what seemed to be a series of standalone, isolated adventures. I left turning over the details of the movie in my head and will continue to do so for some time - hopefully a second viewing will reveal much of what I missed the first time around! The title was a great choice in my opinion. Her books, a semi-famous detective series in Japan, gain an immense cult following when she flees the country for San Francisco without saying a word. Cutting between San Francisco and a small town south of the city, where Sheriff Del Moral (Serna) and his deputy daughter (Elisha Skorman) head up a murder case, the script grounds its mysteries quickly and lets the characters lead from there. That synopsis makes Man From Reno sound a lot more straightforward than it actually is. The plot is complex but makes sense as long as you can retain all the different Japanese names. My rating is really 8.5. Never use wit in a segue. Her peaceful retreat is soon threatened by various strange men (all played by Rory Kinnear ), who are . With Ayako Fujitani, Pepe Serna, Kazuki Kitamura, Yasuyo Shiba. Instead, he cherishes his films stripped-down ambitions to deliver a relatively direct murder mystery and his ability to trump those ambitions with a deft eye for character and tone. Acting/direction is very good with bilingual leading actress Ayako Fujitani delivering a scene-stealing, radiant, and intelligent performance (it's a pure pleasure to see her in action!). 'Missing' Review: Stand-Alone 'Searching' Sequel Takes Gimmick to Bigger (and Dumber) Places An expertly crafted throwback to film noir with the unique twist of being dual language. And why? Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. I was found wondering who is who is who, what is what, and what was really happening at every moment. Released on April 23, 2004, Man on Fire is an action-thriller based on a 1980 novel of the same name. Even though the macabre final scenes depart from the genres conventions, a few too many questions remain. Aki flees to San Francisco where she vists some of her old friends, where hints of her past are revealed. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Any of you folks out there remember a 2008 Korean movie called The Chaser? eventAction: 'click_image_ads' (In an amusing turn reminiscent of what once happened to Agatha Christie, the press back home will speculate wildly about her sudden disappearance.) My main gripe, though is that this movie is too slow and complex to really work well. Several sequences within Dave Boyles film have the olive green tinted lighting of a David Fincher flick, and that directors fascination with laying out the details of a dense investigation is also replicated here. It's been awhile since we have seen a turtle movie that didn't also feature pizza and nunchucks. This crops up in scenes where Akis ties to Japan clash with her former college friends in San Francisco, most of whom knew quite a different person in school. Film Review: 'Man From Reno'. official plot version from gravitasventures.com. BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS, WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY. The movie cuts to a press conference in Japan. Even as pure entertainment, Man From Reno works only haltingly, due to the confused internal monologue that an onscreen mystery invariably inspires: Wait, but then, so does that mean, and what about? Time spent dwelling on such practical questions is necessarily time not spent being enveloped by a movies singular mood. The movie cuts to a press conference in Japan. because Im aware that there are many contemporary moviegoers who are wired I have to give it The only remaining clues are a suitcase with various items and the mans name Akira Suzuki. Subtitles (which can not be turned off) are excellent and almost mandatory due to the heavy use of Tokyo dialect/slang. It also demonstrates great films can be made without big stars and budgets. Even if not all the threads come together seamlessly and some mired exposition dilutes the thrills in the third act, there are enough aspects to admire to give the film a recommendation especially for people who dig mysteries as much as Man From Renos creators. This article contains major spoilers for A24 's Men. Overall I thought this was a fantastic, yet confusing film that you need to watch twice. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, 'There's Something Wrong with the Children' Review: Murderous Kids Have No Right to Be This Fun, 'Missing' Review: Stand-Alone 'Searching' Sequel Takes Gimmick to Bigger (and Dumber) Places, 17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023, Oscars 2023: Remarkable Transformations Lead the Way in Makeup and Hairstyling. I might even have to watch it a second time to get more answers. Glenn Kenny was the chief film critic of Premiere magazine for almost half of its existence. Gravitas Ventures Aki Akahori (Ayako Fujitani) is a successful mystery author from Japan who has decided to call it quits on her current book tour. e track upcoming movies through all stages of film production. Boyles screenplay, which he co-wrote with Joel Clark and Michael Lerman, pays tribute to the wit and panache of classic sleuths. The Control Devil was after the Chainsaw . The Man from Toronto gets hired for a mission and gets instructed to go to a certain cabin in the same region. In the process, we're starting to get a . This film is well worth watching for its story line, acting, mystery and directing. Unfortunately, Boyles beautifully lensed pastiche is less the sum of its parts, even if the wealth of mystery elements and tenets should make the genres fans salivate. Theyre too damn cerebral.) window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { Mark . Francisco. 'The Man From Toronto' is available on Netflix. Teddy has an emotional moment when he reveals to Toronto that the past couple of days with him has inspired him to be a better man. Among the supporting cast OConnor makes a particularly telling impression. hitType: 'event', The acting can only be described as sluggish and underplayed to a torpor-inducing point. In 1972, director Francis Ford Coppola and his co-writer, Mario Puzo, teamed up to bring Puzo's bestselling novel about a crime family and . Aki meets various other harried Japanese males, one is apt to wonder if the The icy truths at the center of this mystery are not for the faint of heart. Meanwhile Sheriff Paul is trying to locate the whereabouts of "The Running Man" - the man he accidentally hit with his car on a foggy night and who later fled from the hospital after stealing a change of clothes. Man from Reno felt at once like a throwback to great 1940s noir mysteries like The Big Sleep, while also being remarkably relevant in 2015. this issue with viewers once theyve had a chance to see Man From Reno. Genre ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. watching the movie to stop reading now. Regal I know that I like a movie if I keep thinking about it afterward, and Man from Reno gave me lots to think about: the beautiful cinematography, the intricate plot itself, and the characters. give it. I did not see that coming Dave Imboden! Stay up-to-date on all the latest Rotten Tomatoes news! March 26, 2015. A Strange Fusion of American and Japanese. hitType: 'event', Look up, you might even shred the stars. reporters on a platform technologically tailored to meet the needs of the modern reader. The series ran for 105 episodes between 1964 and 1968, so it only makes sense that the ending of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes. A small-town sheriff accidentally knocks down a man late at night on an isolated road. It turns out that the labyrinthine plot features smuggling, identity theft, alternative medicine and murder. "Man From Reno" is an intense and absorbing movie that has unexpected twists and turns; with a payoff that is chilling when you realize how easy it would be easy to commit the "real" crime. The Handler (Ellen Barkin) enters the scene as well and the whole group prepares to blow up the Venezuelan embassy. I was intrigued by the film. The interplay between her and Serna when they do finally meet is charming rather than convoluted. The moment is ruined by another assassin but Toronto manages to kill him. Serna grounds his small-town sheriff with a matter-of-factness and dedication that hints at a great understanding of the character; Fujitani crackles with intellect as a mystery novelist a little too eager to live out an adventure similar to those about which she writes, and Kazuki Kitamura is finally given a role that acknowledges and maximizes his mischievous charm. Soon threatened by various strange men ( all played by Rory Kinnear ), who.! 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