Friday, May 20, 2005

Ae Fond Kiss . . .

Director: Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber Language: English Currently showing

[See Japan Times movie listings]

Turning down the polemics and bleakness, Ken Loach directs a love story involving a Pakistani DJ and a Scottish music teacher, set in Glasgow. For Roisin (Eva Birthistle) and Casim (Atta Yaqub), it's love at first sight and they immediately move in together, though Casim neglects to tell his new girlfriend that his parents have already chosen a nice Pakistani bride for him. As the weeks go by, Casim's family problems multiply. Being an emancipated woman, Roisin has trouble understanding the baggage that comes with family ties and tradition, but she tries.(Kaori Shoji)

The Butterfly Effect

Director: Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber Language: English Currently showing

[See Japan Times movie listings]

As a young boy, Evan (Ashton Kutcher) suffered from memory blackouts. Following the advice of his psychiatrist, he kept a daily journal. Several years later, as Evan reads through it, he finds himself traveling back in time and re-living the experiences. Desperately wanting to change the dark past, he uses this opportunity to change his fate. However, as the title of this psychological thriller implies, the consequences of his actions in this psychological thriller are disastrous.

The Gift From Beate

Director: Tomoko Fujiwara Language: English and Japanese Currently showing

[See Japan Times movie listings]

When she was a GHQ staff member in Tokyo, Beate Sirota Gordon was asked to write a draft on human rights for the postwar constitution. The result was Article 24, which stipulates gender equality in Japan. This Japanese-made documentary focuses on the struggles Gordon faced at the time and examines the influence of Article 24 for women in current-day Japan. Playing at Iwanami Hall, (03) 3262-5252.

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Famous

Director: John Pasquin Language: English Currently showing

[See Japan Times movie listings]

Sandra Bullock is back as agent Gracie Hart in this sequel to the 2000 original. After successfully solving a case involving the Miss Universe beauty pageant and becoming a runnerup in the contest in the process, Hart has become so widely known that it interferes with her own field of work. So reluctantly she becomes the "face of FBI" doing PR for the bureau, appearing in TV shows and writing a book. However, when the current Miss Universe and the pageant emcee are abducted, she goes undercover again to hunt down the kidnappers.

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