April 19, 2024 • 30 mins
After a mother (Ando Sakura) discovers that teacher's bullying is behind her young son's sudden strange beahvior, she storms into his school demanding an explanation. Continually left without satifactory answers-and with an increasingly distressed child-she furiously escalates her concerns to the school board and the media. But as the story unfolds through the multilayerd perspectives of mother, teacher, and child, the real truth gradually emerges-and proves much more complex than anyone could have expected.
Starring Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Kakuta, Shido Nakamura, and Yuko Tanaka
Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto
Cinematography by Ryuto Kondo
Screenplay by Yuji Sakamoto
Edited and Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Starring Sakura Ando, Eita Nagayama, Soya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Kakuta, Shido Nakamura, and Yuko Tanaka
Music by Ryuichi Sakamoto
Cinematography by Ryuto Kondo
Screenplay by Yuji Sakamoto
Edited and Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:20):
All right, let's send him aback another a dish. How we doing
(01:26):
out there? Good? Great,gray yand day Yan wonderful as you see
on your screen your dial. However, you are choosing to join us today,
I know the filmmakers appreciate you.Monster Monster. This one came out
last year, one of my favoritesof last year, and it's so awesome
that well Go USA Entertainment was ableto get the rights for this and release
(01:49):
it, because well, it's alwaysnice to do a giveaway for a movie
that you thought kind of It's soauthentically its own that I'm surprised that we're
not talking about it more. I'msurprised we didn't talk about it at the
Oscars. More like that's how goodMonster was Japanese film for last year.
(02:14):
So what is Monster? After amother played by Ando Sakura discovers that a
teacher's bullying is behind her young son'ssudden, strange behavior, she storms into
the school demanding an explanation. Continuallycontinually left without satisfactory answers, and with
(02:37):
an increasingly distressed child, She furiouslyescalates her concerns to the school board and
the media, but as the storyunfolds, through the multi layered perspectives of
mother, teacher, and child,the real truth gradually emerges and proves much
more complex than anyone could have expected. And I yes, that is a
(03:00):
big yes from your boy. Didnot see it shaking out the way that
it did. Talk about a beautifuldisaster that left me and mine in shambles.
We were a wreck when we gotdone watching this movie. So this
(03:21):
is actually directed by Hirokazu Kuraita.If you guys don't know him, he
actually did another one of my favoritefilms in the past ten years, which
was Shoplifters. But he's also doneLike Father, Like Sons, Still Walking,
Nobody Knows Broke, or the ThirdMurder. He's done a lot,
but Shop the Shoplifters, Like Isaid, one of my favorites in the
(03:46):
past ten years, and now heowns the title of two of my favorites
in the past ten years. Andas aforementioned, it stars Secura Ando Secura
Ando is is Holy fuck, howtalented this lady is. Again, she
was in Shoplifters. You might haveseen her in Godzilla minus one. Props
(04:10):
to Godzilla minus one for walking homewith an oscar. She's been in bad
Lands Fight Song a man. Heracting is next level, you know how
they say Tom Hanks is the beston screen thinker. She's up there,
Secura Ando is up there where Isee so much unraveling without her saying a
(04:34):
word, so much unraveling, dissectinggoing on in her eyes. And I'm
just it's like the last couple filmsI've talked about, I'm just happy to
be a part of film these daysin some sort of weird roundabout way.
(04:55):
Every year, and I was justhaving this conversation not too long ago.
Every year, I think movies aregonna hit a lull and it's gonna be
shit, and you know, we'regonna finally start seeing the falling of cinema.
Now, if you read headlines andyou look at the news, you
would think that cinema is failing acrossthe board. I'm here to tell you.
Every year, every fucking year,for the last like ten twelve years,
(05:18):
I always go, well, you'rean idiot, like, there is
no signs of slowing down with justgood quality movies. And I'm glad,
even though it annoys me some ofyou fair weather fucks out there that got
hip to foreign films after you've seenParasite. I'm still happy that Parasite made
(05:39):
people start looking at films outside ofthe US, and not specifically anime.
I got people now that are comeup to me, Hey, I watched
this foreign film, and it's justit's a beautiful thing to see. Even
though I'm annoyed. I feel likeyou're a fair weather fuck. But that's
okay, that's okay. So Monsteris directed by Hirokazuita, written by Yuji
(06:00):
Sakamoto, and like I said,starring Sekura Ando Alta Nagayama, who did
a magnificent job as the teacher Hori. Another everybody in this. As I'm
going down the cast list, everybodyin this is so good. So back
to the teacher Hori played by ItaNagayama, not Elta ita Ya Nagayama.
(06:29):
Manato, who is one of thechildren, is played by soy Soya Kurkawa.
Soya Kurrikawa fantastic. Wrecked my heart, and maybe not as much as
the next person I'm going to mention, which absolutely just floored me. Uh.
The character of Yori was played byHanata Hiragi. Hanata Hiragi, Wow,
(06:54):
Wow, almost flatlined me. GangI'm not kidding you almost flat line
me. That's how good the performancebetween the two kids were, holy,
Holy cow. Herona is played byMitsuki Takahata. Shoda is played by Akiro
Kakuta Akira Kakuta uh and then Kayotakawas played by Shido Nakamura, and then
(07:21):
Fushimi played by Yuko Tanaka, whichI believe was the principal at the school
where some of this takes place.Eerie Yuko's performances eerie. We got music
by Ryuchi Sakamoto. I have actuallytalked about him on the show before.
(07:41):
We got cinematography by Ryuto Kando.Also who did the editing was our director
Hirokazu krita gang, Well go hasbrought you a I shouldn't say a banger.
I can't believe I was. That'show fucking stupid I am, and
why I shouldn't have a podcast.I was about to say a banger.
This is not a banger. Thisone stings. This one cuts so fucking
(08:05):
deep, like at the end,like in most of the time. Because
I'm a purist, a pure cinophile. I don't know if I'm a good
quality one, but I do considermy cinophile to some degree. I always
watch the credits, but it's somethingcompletely different. When you have people who
aren't cinophiles, you know they cankind of take or leave movies. It's
(08:26):
not the first priority of things todo like it is mine. When they
are sitting and watching every credit role, that's how good you know it was
so at first, the Japanese juviedrama Monster seems to be a tragedy about
a troubled, maybe dangerous preteen.Little things about Manato Mugiano again played by
(08:52):
Soya Kirikawa, stand out to asingle mom. Little things about Manato stand
out to his single mom played bySekura Ando. So stand out to a
single mom, sayori, Like anew haircut and a cut over Manato's ear
right ear. Some of these mightread Some of these might be read as
(09:16):
signs of a problem, like whenManato asks his mom if she thinks a
person would still be human if theyreceived a pig brain transplant. I know
it sounds weird, gang, butI promise you it's not pure drama.
Manato also sings to himself a phrasethat hangs over the rest of the movie,
(09:39):
like a slow breaking rain cloud.Who's the monster? Who's the Monster,
Sayori is convinced that something's up withManato, so she keeps after her
son until he admits that he wasphysically attacked by his homeroom teacher. How
the fuck do you get attacked byyour homeroom teacher? Home room? You
(10:01):
should just be fucking around. Youmust have been really fucking What am I
doing? This is not the movieto crack jokes admits that he was physically
attacked by his homeroom teacher, misterHori played by Ita Nagayama. Wow,
also good, heartbreakingly good. Sayori'sheard and seen enough to pursue Hori,
(10:22):
So the mom Sayori's heard and seenenough to pursue Horri, and her reading
of events is apparently confirmed by theinsincere apologies she gets from him and the
school's reserved principle, Makiyaku Fushimi playedby Yuko Tanaka, and like I said,
haunting, how eerie, how eerilydull, kind of some of her
(10:46):
responses to some of the accusations beingmade, and hauntingly heartbreaking. At this
point the plot of Monster, whichwas scripted by the celebrated TV writer Yuji
Sakamoto, it shifts focus to Hori'sperspective, So we got multiple perspectives going
on here. I love the waythat it's done. I love the time
(11:09):
shifting. They there's there's ways thatyou can do it wrong, and there's
ways that you can do it right. And it's beyond right here anyway,
the shift focuses to Hori's perspective,which is the home room teacher, the
homeroom teacher, played by Ita Nagayama. Ita Nagayama. As you might expect,
(11:30):
Minato hasn't told his mother the wholetruth. Why would I expect that.
I didn't expect that. I didn'texpect that at all. Some school
bullies are also involved, and sois Yori Hoshi Kawa Yori Hoshikawa played by
Hanata Hiragi, as well as Yori'swithdrawn father, Shito Nagamoro, which in
(11:52):
it very briefly, you've seen himbefore, so good. If you watch
foreign films, you've seen Shido before, so good. There's also obviously more
to the principles seeming indifference and Horri'sdefensive skittishness, though not enough to paint
a tidy picture of either character.So this is the early going. The
(12:15):
early going in the film where we'rekind of like, what the hell is
going on? Is this child wacky? Is he being abused at school?
Is he being bullied? What's goingon? However, we learn about what's
really going on with Manato and Yori, two close friends who live in their
own semi private fantasy world. Andit's beautiful gang their their fantasy world.
(12:39):
It's just it's beautiful. It's heartwarming. Anyway. Based on the short synopsis,
you might imagine that Monster is asort of middle school Mystic River if
you've seen Mystic River Sean Penn,that inevitably casts a very broad sort of
blame on yet another small community ofblinkered loaners. Thankfully, while Monster depends
(13:03):
on dramatic irony and revelatory twists,it also it's also a showcase for director
Hira Kazo Kurita, whose knack forcollaboration brings out the best in his actors,
and I mean, you want totalk about I'll finish this, who
brings out the best in his actors, especially his younger cast members. To
(13:24):
better serve this story, Kriita focuseson impressionistic focuses on the impressionistic, revealing
details about Manato and his mom,as well as Fushimi and Hori. So
you want to talk about having therespect of your peers, So this is
about the composer Rayuchi Sakamoto. RayuchiSakamoto committed to produce music for the film.
(13:48):
However, Sakamoto did not have thephysical strength to accept the offer to
create an entire score. However,at the direct request of he submitted two
piano pieces. He used songs fromhis twenty twenty three album named twelve and
old Songs to compose the whole soundtrackand a commentary. Sakamota stated that the
(14:15):
film deals with an esoteric theme andthat it was difficult to discern who the
epinomous monster was. According to CorriEita, the collaboration with Sakamoto was a
long time wish that finally came true. During filming and editing, he listened
to Sakamoto's music in his hotel room, and ultimately Sakamoto ended up dying of
(14:37):
cancer not too long actually, itmight have actually been before this release.
So Sakamoto died of cancer on thetwentieth of March of last year. But
something to put in perspective. Whenyou're that good you're producing pieces that are
unlike anybody else, anybody else's dramasthese days. It's a testament to just
(15:00):
how fucking good Hirokazokita is so anyway, Still, Monster isn't really about who
really did what or why. Alot is explained and a few are implicated,
but not everything and not everyone.Sayori doesn't become pigeonholed as a villain
(15:22):
after we learn that she was wrongto attack both Horri and Fushimi without knowing
the whole truth. And while Fushimigives a kind speech at the end,
her unyielding response to Sayori's desperate questionsalso doesn't look much better in hindsight after
we've gotten to know her better.Like I said, Eerie Gang fucking Eerie,
(15:43):
a nesting doll narrative like Monsters,seems to encourage viewers to cast their
own judgment or maybe even share theimpossible emotional burden of these characters. And
when uh Simon Abrams, who wrotethis for Rogerdibert dot com, couldn't have
(16:07):
hit the nail on the head moreso than that, like it, it
doesn't get better you keep waiting.It's not as bad as fucking Tar where
like you're waiting for some sort ofredemption or even our main character to get
what for, and that just doesn'tcome to fruition. Whereas and actually I
(16:32):
felt empty after I watched Tar,and I know that that's the fucking point,
but in this one, I feltfull, but with an incredible sadness,
an incredible sadness after I got donewith Monster. A nesting doll narrative
like Monster seems to encourage viewers tocast their own judgment or maybe even share
(16:55):
the impossible emotional burden of these characters. Who could have known or seeing everything
that happened, and why didn't everybodyrespond better? However, what's really striking
about Corrida Eita's latest is his diligentattention to mood and a credible sort of
subjective reality. I'm gonna read thatfor you again because Simon killed it.
(17:19):
However, what's really striking about Coriita'slatest in his diligent attention to mood and
a credible sort of subject reality.Let me say that better. What's really
striking about Cordaita's latest is his diligentattention to mood and a credible sort of
subjective reality. And as usual withCorea Eita, A question like who's the
(17:41):
monster is misleading, since, aswe see, there's nothing more or less
real about Manato, Yori or theirteacher once we learn, or once we
learn what they did and where they'recoming from. Instead, Monster ties a
group of outsiders together by not theirmutual experiences, but by their search for
(18:06):
meaning and how they look at andcare for each other. One more time.
Instead, Monster ties a group ofoutsiders together, not by their mutual
experiences, but by their search formeaning and how they look at and care
for each other. It's incredible tosee a complex character like Hory seemingly exposed
(18:30):
as an uncaring creep in an establishingscene, like when he blows his nose
or makes an makes insinuating comments aboutSayori, and then some summarily complicated summer
summaries, summarily complicated rather than completelyvindicated or dismissed in later scenes. Monster
(18:53):
is also a typical Quara movie inthat it's ultimately about the elusive world of
two young children who live in theimmense shadow of their adult guardians. You
can tell what kind of movie thisis just by listening to the sunny,
melancholic piano and synthesizers score a mixof two new compositions and some older pieces
(19:15):
by the recently deceased Ryuci Sakamoto.Sakamoto and this is so true. Sakamoto's
music swoons and pulses with a subtleand in his words, esoteric complexity.
His plane beautifully expresses Manato and hisloved ones mutual loneliness without succumbing to conventions,
(19:40):
to normal conventions or platitudes. It'smood music, which can be easy
to take for granted in a moviewhere the plot seems most important Monster.
By the way, Monster won BestScreenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Anyway, still Sakamoto's music compliments Quota. It is keen direction and general consideration
(20:02):
for individuals who tend to struggle inprivate and only sometimes see themselves beyond who
they're with. It is a shamethey'll never work on another movie together,
but it's a real pleasure to seeand hear their only collaboration. Monster is
available now you can get the Bluray. Like I said, it was
(20:25):
released by well Go Usa. Iwanted to read you so all the reviews
on this, with the exception oflike one are overwhelmingly positive. I wanted
to read a couple to you.Does it matter that there is such ambiguity
of a ambiguity ambiguity, holy cow, ambiguity about the film's endings? Perhaps
(20:51):
not as much as you might expect. What have we Got Times? UK
Clarity gradually arrives, and the film, like all Cori does best words,
submerges itself in a heartfelt humanism thatis quite understanding. I have been known
to throw a shoe at the screenwhen the plot device stops anyone uttering the
(21:12):
few words that will clear everything upin one minute flat. But Korda Da,
who has films such as Shoplifters onhis CV, can't get away with
it, can get away with it? And does what do we got?
Financial Times? I don't know whyyou're talking about movies, but all right,
Financial Times. The performance is drawnfrom child actors Kirikawa and hanata Hei
(21:37):
Hiragi are perfect. While their sectionof the film takes place in colors so
bold and vivid, it feels asif only children see the world that way.
Another layer of this film that's sogood thanks to quarter Da, so
can we Monster, is Hira KazuKoda DA's channeling Christopher Nolan twisty storytelling in
(22:00):
the service of wise empathy. Idon't know that I agree with that.
I thought it was really beautiful,says Christy from Breakfast All Day. H
oh And we had another review fromBreakfast All Day, but this one's from
Alonso. It is a really beautifulfilm about growing up? Is it?
This is why I go over withsomebody I love reacting to this, I
(22:22):
don't know that it it. Idon't agree with that. It goes into
some unexpected emotional areas that I wasnot ready for and that really caught me
by surprise that I found very moving. Boo. Kora Ida, No Stranger
to Working with Children, has capturedan indelible depiction of early adolescents, with
Kirakawa and Hairagi giving two of themost profoundly genuine, genuine performances on film.
(22:48):
One that's from Josh at the AustinChronicle. Absolutely, without their on
screen chemistry, the movie fails.Do I mean that? Yeah? Yeah,
I think I mean that without theirchemistry, Like, you can put
two other actors in there, butif they don't have the chemistry that those
two had, this movie I don'tI'm not gonna say a false flat on
(23:10):
its face. It's too it's tootechnically sharp, too too well executed,
a fall flat on its face.But I do think I would go from
saying it's one of my favorite moviesin the past ten years to be in
like, it's a really good movie. So a heartfelt, dramatically involving tail
hampered by progmatic structured No, programmaticstructured. No, it's not. Oh
(23:34):
you guys, baffle me. ThanksTiber from Tiber's watch list. How is
that structure programmatic? How is itformulaic? I don't get it anyway,
all right, So, Boston Globe, they did not like it. It's
been a long time since I've seena movie so fully collapse in its third
(23:56):
act as this one does, andit does so without warning. I think
you might have missed the point there, Odie Henderson from The Bust and Globe
By don't you. I urge youto go back and watch that, buddy.
It's supposed to fall apart at theend, Like all of us watching
it, we all fucking fell apartat the end. Real views Monster touches
(24:21):
on many different aspects of the humanexperience. It's challenging, but neither inaccessible
nor impossibly dense. I would agreewith that, despite it sometimes overwrought mystery
tale gambits. However, Monster ultimatelyshifts from a saga of faithful misunderstanding to
one of mutual comprehension. This iswhy movies is great. I love knowing
(24:42):
what everybody else saw or how everybodyelse walked out of their feeling all right,
La Times. A one truth moviethat's nevertheless thick with human complexity.
It rotates nimbly in tandem with theplaintive score that marks the great Ryuci Sakamoto's
(25:02):
last film work. This film maintainsinterest despite it being more than two What
Oh my god, dude, I'mso tired of people banging on run times.
It's just it's ridiculous. That's whyI liked how Simon Abrams from Rogerdieber
dot Com how his review read,which is why I used it for Today's
(25:23):
show kind of encompassing. I justkind of thought that it gave a good
depiction of what Monster really is about. Monster is one of the finest films
of the year, and its structure, like its circle of characters, Carrie's
secrets that can only be unraveled throughpatience and empathy. Natalie Winkleman from New
(25:47):
York Times absolutely Monster is one ofthe finest films of the year and its
structure, like its circle of characters, Carrie's secrets that can only be unraveled
through hear me, Gang, patienceand empathy. Anthony from The New Yorker
says, if possible, watch Monstermore than once. I agree the Daily
(26:11):
Beast one of the director's finest.It's thematic scope and emotional power growing with
each new revelation. I'm just nowrealizing I should have had Kyle on here
for this one. I'm pretty surehe loved this movie. And Kyle Brule
from I Know Movies and You Don'tcan offer a much more inspiring and detailed
(26:33):
look than a lot of these.A lot of these top critics are what
did Variety say? Peter de Brugesfrom Variety, Monster might have ended terribly
when in fact Kota Ida's humanistic instincthas been at work all along. Nicely
done, nicely fucking done. Thisfilm is created with a great moral intelligence
(26:56):
and humanity. Thanks Peter from TheGuardian. Could you fucking be more?
God damn vague, holy cow man? But anyway, come to a close.
I I'm kind of pissed that wedidn't talk about this more at the
Oscars. I felt like it didn'tget the love that it truly deserved,
and that's not okay. That's notokay for your boy. I it to
(27:22):
me much like Shoplifters, there's toa to a certain degree, I feel
like this is I don't know,one of the best movie, one of
the very best dramas that you're gonnasee anytime soon, like at least in
(27:44):
the past few years. Like ifyou held a gun in my head,
out of ten you only get tenmovies. This would be in the ten
in the sense that I'm not surethat I've seen a better executed film in
recent memory. It's point, it'sabsorbing, absorbing, a masterful work of
(28:06):
intricate storytelling, and we need moreof that these days. I don't like
the idea that somebody said it waskind of like Christopher Nolan because and not
because Christopher Nolan does action films andthis is just a pure drama through and
through. I feel like we onlydid that because there's time shifts and people
are like, oh, it's likeMemento. It's not. It's not at
(28:26):
all, So don't go in beinglike, oh, this movie it.
I listened to the Ellissinuma podcast andit was kind of he said, it
was kind of like momento. Ididn't say that, I said someone sounded
like that's how they internalized this filmis that it was a fucking back and
forth time switcheroo. And it's andit's not. It's in fact, it's
(28:49):
it's very silky how we go fromuh time jump to time jump in Monster.
It's silky, it's smooth, manlike. You know, it's not
done in a jarring way. Infact, you know, if you're using
your phone as a second screen,I would argue that the jumps or the
(29:11):
shifts and Monster are subtle enough you'dmiss it. You wouldn't know what the
hell's going on. So anyway,Monster is available now now on Blu Ray.
Thank you well Go USA for releasingthis. What's so funny is after
I got done watching it, Igot an email from Wellgo saying that they
(29:33):
were releasing it. I was like, Oh, I can't fucking wait to
talk about this on film or onthe podcast. Talk about this film on
the podcast ellis Cinema. Monster availablenow no excuse. One of the best
films you will watch in the lastten years. Ellis in a week Gone
All right, let's send him aback another a dish. How we doing
(01:26):
out there? Good? Great,gray yand day Yan wonderful as you see
on your screen your dial. However, you are choosing to join us today,
I know the filmmakers appreciate you.Monster Monster. This one came out
last year, one of my favoritesof last year, and it's so awesome
that well Go USA Entertainment was ableto get the rights for this and release
(01:49):
it, because well, it's alwaysnice to do a giveaway for a movie
that you thought kind of It's soauthentically its own that I'm surprised that we're
not talking about it more. I'msurprised we didn't talk about it at the
Oscars. More like that's how goodMonster was Japanese film for last year.
(02:14):
So what is Monster? After amother played by Ando Sakura discovers that a
teacher's bullying is behind her young son'ssudden, strange behavior, she storms into
the school demanding an explanation. Continuallycontinually left without satisfactory answers, and with
(02:37):
an increasingly distressed child, She furiouslyescalates her concerns to the school board and
the media, but as the storyunfolds, through the multi layered perspectives of
mother, teacher, and child,the real truth gradually emerges and proves much
more complex than anyone could have expected. And I yes, that is a
(03:00):
big yes from your boy. Didnot see it shaking out the way that
it did. Talk about a beautifuldisaster that left me and mine in shambles.
We were a wreck when we gotdone watching this movie. So this
(03:21):
is actually directed by Hirokazu Kuraita.If you guys don't know him, he
actually did another one of my favoritefilms in the past ten years, which
was Shoplifters. But he's also doneLike Father, Like Sons, Still Walking,
Nobody Knows Broke, or the ThirdMurder. He's done a lot,
but Shop the Shoplifters, Like Isaid, one of my favorites in the
(03:46):
past ten years, and now heowns the title of two of my favorites
in the past ten years. Andas aforementioned, it stars Secura Ando Secura
Ando is is Holy fuck, howtalented this lady is. Again, she
was in Shoplifters. You might haveseen her in Godzilla minus one. Props
(04:10):
to Godzilla minus one for walking homewith an oscar. She's been in bad
Lands Fight Song a man. Heracting is next level, you know how
they say Tom Hanks is the beston screen thinker. She's up there,
Secura Ando is up there where Isee so much unraveling without her saying a
(04:34):
word, so much unraveling, dissectinggoing on in her eyes. And I'm
just it's like the last couple filmsI've talked about, I'm just happy to
be a part of film these daysin some sort of weird roundabout way.
(04:55):
Every year, and I was justhaving this conversation not too long ago.
Every year, I think movies aregonna hit a lull and it's gonna be
shit, and you know, we'regonna finally start seeing the falling of cinema.
Now, if you read headlines andyou look at the news, you
would think that cinema is failing acrossthe board. I'm here to tell you.
Every year, every fucking year,for the last like ten twelve years,
(05:18):
I always go, well, you'rean idiot, like, there is
no signs of slowing down with justgood quality movies. And I'm glad,
even though it annoys me some ofyou fair weather fucks out there that got
hip to foreign films after you've seenParasite. I'm still happy that Parasite made
(05:39):
people start looking at films outside ofthe US, and not specifically anime.
I got people now that are comeup to me, Hey, I watched
this foreign film, and it's justit's a beautiful thing to see. Even
though I'm annoyed. I feel likeyou're a fair weather fuck. But that's
okay, that's okay. So Monsteris directed by Hirokazuita, written by Yuji
(06:00):
Sakamoto, and like I said,starring Sekura Ando Alta Nagayama, who did
a magnificent job as the teacher Hori. Another everybody in this. As I'm
going down the cast list, everybodyin this is so good. So back
to the teacher Hori played by ItaNagayama, not Elta ita Ya Nagayama.
(06:29):
Manato, who is one of thechildren, is played by soy Soya Kurkawa.
Soya Kurrikawa fantastic. Wrecked my heart, and maybe not as much as
the next person I'm going to mention, which absolutely just floored me. Uh.
The character of Yori was played byHanata Hiragi. Hanata Hiragi, Wow,
(06:54):
Wow, almost flatlined me. GangI'm not kidding you almost flat line
me. That's how good the performancebetween the two kids were, holy,
Holy cow. Herona is played byMitsuki Takahata. Shoda is played by Akiro
Kakuta Akira Kakuta uh and then Kayotakawas played by Shido Nakamura, and then
(07:21):
Fushimi played by Yuko Tanaka, whichI believe was the principal at the school
where some of this takes place.Eerie Yuko's performances eerie. We got music
by Ryuchi Sakamoto. I have actuallytalked about him on the show before.
(07:41):
We got cinematography by Ryuto Kando.Also who did the editing was our director
Hirokazu krita gang, Well go hasbrought you a I shouldn't say a banger.
I can't believe I was. That'show fucking stupid I am, and
why I shouldn't have a podcast.I was about to say a banger.
This is not a banger. Thisone stings. This one cuts so fucking
(08:05):
deep, like at the end,like in most of the time. Because
I'm a purist, a pure cinophile. I don't know if I'm a good
quality one, but I do considermy cinophile to some degree. I always
watch the credits, but it's somethingcompletely different. When you have people who
aren't cinophiles, you know they cankind of take or leave movies. It's
(08:26):
not the first priority of things todo like it is mine. When they
are sitting and watching every credit role, that's how good you know it was
so at first, the Japanese juviedrama Monster seems to be a tragedy about
a troubled, maybe dangerous preteen.Little things about Manato Mugiano again played by
(08:52):
Soya Kirikawa, stand out to asingle mom. Little things about Manato stand
out to his single mom played bySekura Ando. So stand out to a
single mom, sayori, Like anew haircut and a cut over Manato's ear
right ear. Some of these mightread Some of these might be read as
(09:16):
signs of a problem, like whenManato asks his mom if she thinks a
person would still be human if theyreceived a pig brain transplant. I know
it sounds weird, gang, butI promise you it's not pure drama.
Manato also sings to himself a phrasethat hangs over the rest of the movie,
(09:39):
like a slow breaking rain cloud.Who's the monster? Who's the Monster,
Sayori is convinced that something's up withManato, so she keeps after her
son until he admits that he wasphysically attacked by his homeroom teacher. How
the fuck do you get attacked byyour homeroom teacher? Home room? You
(10:01):
should just be fucking around. Youmust have been really fucking What am I
doing? This is not the movieto crack jokes admits that he was physically
attacked by his homeroom teacher, misterHori played by Ita Nagayama. Wow,
also good, heartbreakingly good. Sayori'sheard and seen enough to pursue Hori,
(10:22):
So the mom Sayori's heard and seenenough to pursue Horri, and her reading
of events is apparently confirmed by theinsincere apologies she gets from him and the
school's reserved principle, Makiyaku Fushimi playedby Yuko Tanaka, and like I said,
haunting, how eerie, how eerilydull, kind of some of her
(10:46):
responses to some of the accusations beingmade, and hauntingly heartbreaking. At this
point the plot of Monster, whichwas scripted by the celebrated TV writer Yuji
Sakamoto, it shifts focus to Hori'sperspective, So we got multiple perspectives going
on here. I love the waythat it's done. I love the time
(11:09):
shifting. They there's there's ways thatyou can do it wrong, and there's
ways that you can do it right. And it's beyond right here anyway,
the shift focuses to Hori's perspective,which is the home room teacher, the
homeroom teacher, played by Ita Nagayama. Ita Nagayama. As you might expect,
(11:30):
Minato hasn't told his mother the wholetruth. Why would I expect that.
I didn't expect that. I didn'texpect that at all. Some school
bullies are also involved, and sois Yori Hoshi Kawa Yori Hoshikawa played by
Hanata Hiragi, as well as Yori'swithdrawn father, Shito Nagamoro, which in
(11:52):
it very briefly, you've seen himbefore, so good. If you watch
foreign films, you've seen Shido before, so good. There's also obviously more
to the principles seeming indifference and Horri'sdefensive skittishness, though not enough to paint
a tidy picture of either character.So this is the early going. The
(12:15):
early going in the film where we'rekind of like, what the hell is
going on? Is this child wacky? Is he being abused at school?
Is he being bullied? What's goingon? However, we learn about what's
really going on with Manato and Yori, two close friends who live in their
own semi private fantasy world. Andit's beautiful gang their their fantasy world.
(12:39):
It's just it's beautiful. It's heartwarming. Anyway. Based on the short synopsis,
you might imagine that Monster is asort of middle school Mystic River if
you've seen Mystic River Sean Penn,that inevitably casts a very broad sort of
blame on yet another small community ofblinkered loaners. Thankfully, while Monster depends
(13:03):
on dramatic irony and revelatory twists,it also it's also a showcase for director
Hira Kazo Kurita, whose knack forcollaboration brings out the best in his actors,
and I mean, you want totalk about I'll finish this, who
brings out the best in his actors, especially his younger cast members. To
(13:24):
better serve this story, Kriita focuseson impressionistic focuses on the impressionistic, revealing
details about Manato and his mom,as well as Fushimi and Hori. So
you want to talk about having therespect of your peers, So this is
about the composer Rayuchi Sakamoto. RayuchiSakamoto committed to produce music for the film.
(13:48):
However, Sakamoto did not have thephysical strength to accept the offer to
create an entire score. However,at the direct request of he submitted two
piano pieces. He used songs fromhis twenty twenty three album named twelve and
old Songs to compose the whole soundtrackand a commentary. Sakamota stated that the
(14:15):
film deals with an esoteric theme andthat it was difficult to discern who the
epinomous monster was. According to CorriEita, the collaboration with Sakamoto was a
long time wish that finally came true. During filming and editing, he listened
to Sakamoto's music in his hotel room, and ultimately Sakamoto ended up dying of
(14:37):
cancer not too long actually, itmight have actually been before this release.
So Sakamoto died of cancer on thetwentieth of March of last year. But
something to put in perspective. Whenyou're that good you're producing pieces that are
unlike anybody else, anybody else's dramasthese days. It's a testament to just
(15:00):
how fucking good Hirokazokita is so anyway, Still, Monster isn't really about who
really did what or why. Alot is explained and a few are implicated,
but not everything and not everyone.Sayori doesn't become pigeonholed as a villain
(15:22):
after we learn that she was wrongto attack both Horri and Fushimi without knowing
the whole truth. And while Fushimigives a kind speech at the end,
her unyielding response to Sayori's desperate questionsalso doesn't look much better in hindsight after
we've gotten to know her better.Like I said, Eerie Gang fucking Eerie,
(15:43):
a nesting doll narrative like Monsters,seems to encourage viewers to cast their
own judgment or maybe even share theimpossible emotional burden of these characters. And
when uh Simon Abrams, who wrotethis for Rogerdibert dot com, couldn't have
(16:07):
hit the nail on the head moreso than that, like it, it
doesn't get better you keep waiting.It's not as bad as fucking Tar where
like you're waiting for some sort ofredemption or even our main character to get
what for, and that just doesn'tcome to fruition. Whereas and actually I
(16:32):
felt empty after I watched Tar,and I know that that's the fucking point,
but in this one, I feltfull, but with an incredible sadness,
an incredible sadness after I got donewith Monster. A nesting doll narrative
like Monster seems to encourage viewers tocast their own judgment or maybe even share
(16:55):
the impossible emotional burden of these characters. Who could have known or seeing everything
that happened, and why didn't everybodyrespond better? However, what's really striking
about Corrida Eita's latest is his diligentattention to mood and a credible sort of
subjective reality. I'm gonna read thatfor you again because Simon killed it.
(17:19):
However, what's really striking about Coriita'slatest in his diligent attention to mood and
a credible sort of subject reality.Let me say that better. What's really
striking about Cordaita's latest is his diligentattention to mood and a credible sort of
subjective reality. And as usual withCorea Eita, A question like who's the
(17:41):
monster is misleading, since, aswe see, there's nothing more or less
real about Manato, Yori or theirteacher once we learn, or once we
learn what they did and where they'recoming from. Instead, Monster ties a
group of outsiders together by not theirmutual experiences, but by their search for
(18:06):
meaning and how they look at andcare for each other. One more time.
Instead, Monster ties a group ofoutsiders together, not by their mutual
experiences, but by their search formeaning and how they look at and care
for each other. It's incredible tosee a complex character like Hory seemingly exposed
(18:30):
as an uncaring creep in an establishingscene, like when he blows his nose
or makes an makes insinuating comments aboutSayori, and then some summarily complicated summer
summaries, summarily complicated rather than completelyvindicated or dismissed in later scenes. Monster
(18:53):
is also a typical Quara movie inthat it's ultimately about the elusive world of
two young children who live in theimmense shadow of their adult guardians. You
can tell what kind of movie thisis just by listening to the sunny,
melancholic piano and synthesizers score a mixof two new compositions and some older pieces
(19:15):
by the recently deceased Ryuci Sakamoto.Sakamoto and this is so true. Sakamoto's
music swoons and pulses with a subtleand in his words, esoteric complexity.
His plane beautifully expresses Manato and hisloved ones mutual loneliness without succumbing to conventions,
(19:40):
to normal conventions or platitudes. It'smood music, which can be easy
to take for granted in a moviewhere the plot seems most important Monster.
By the way, Monster won BestScreenplay at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Anyway, still Sakamoto's music compliments Quota. It is keen direction and general consideration
(20:02):
for individuals who tend to struggle inprivate and only sometimes see themselves beyond who
they're with. It is a shamethey'll never work on another movie together,
but it's a real pleasure to seeand hear their only collaboration. Monster is
available now you can get the Bluray. Like I said, it was
(20:25):
released by well Go Usa. Iwanted to read you so all the reviews
on this, with the exception oflike one are overwhelmingly positive. I wanted
to read a couple to you.Does it matter that there is such ambiguity
of a ambiguity ambiguity, holy cow, ambiguity about the film's endings? Perhaps
(20:51):
not as much as you might expect. What have we Got Times? UK
Clarity gradually arrives, and the film, like all Cori does best words,
submerges itself in a heartfelt humanism thatis quite understanding. I have been known
to throw a shoe at the screenwhen the plot device stops anyone uttering the
(21:12):
few words that will clear everything upin one minute flat. But Korda Da,
who has films such as Shoplifters onhis CV, can't get away with
it, can get away with it? And does what do we got?
Financial Times? I don't know whyyou're talking about movies, but all right,
Financial Times. The performance is drawnfrom child actors Kirikawa and hanata Hei
(21:37):
Hiragi are perfect. While their sectionof the film takes place in colors so
bold and vivid, it feels asif only children see the world that way.
Another layer of this film that's sogood thanks to quarter Da, so
can we Monster, is Hira KazuKoda DA's channeling Christopher Nolan twisty storytelling in
(22:00):
the service of wise empathy. Idon't know that I agree with that.
I thought it was really beautiful,says Christy from Breakfast All Day. H
oh And we had another review fromBreakfast All Day, but this one's from
Alonso. It is a really beautifulfilm about growing up? Is it?
This is why I go over withsomebody I love reacting to this, I
(22:22):
don't know that it it. Idon't agree with that. It goes into
some unexpected emotional areas that I wasnot ready for and that really caught me
by surprise that I found very moving. Boo. Kora Ida, No Stranger
to Working with Children, has capturedan indelible depiction of early adolescents, with
Kirakawa and Hairagi giving two of themost profoundly genuine, genuine performances on film.
(22:48):
One that's from Josh at the AustinChronicle. Absolutely, without their on
screen chemistry, the movie fails.Do I mean that? Yeah? Yeah,
I think I mean that without theirchemistry, Like, you can put
two other actors in there, butif they don't have the chemistry that those
two had, this movie I don'tI'm not gonna say a false flat on
(23:10):
its face. It's too it's tootechnically sharp, too too well executed,
a fall flat on its face.But I do think I would go from
saying it's one of my favorite moviesin the past ten years to be in
like, it's a really good movie. So a heartfelt, dramatically involving tail
hampered by progmatic structured No, programmaticstructured. No, it's not. Oh
(23:34):
you guys, baffle me. ThanksTiber from Tiber's watch list. How is
that structure programmatic? How is itformulaic? I don't get it anyway,
all right, So, Boston Globe, they did not like it. It's
been a long time since I've seena movie so fully collapse in its third
(23:56):
act as this one does, andit does so without warning. I think
you might have missed the point there, Odie Henderson from The Bust and Globe
By don't you. I urge youto go back and watch that, buddy.
It's supposed to fall apart at theend, Like all of us watching
it, we all fucking fell apartat the end. Real views Monster touches
(24:21):
on many different aspects of the humanexperience. It's challenging, but neither inaccessible
nor impossibly dense. I would agreewith that, despite it sometimes overwrought mystery
tale gambits. However, Monster ultimatelyshifts from a saga of faithful misunderstanding to
one of mutual comprehension. This iswhy movies is great. I love knowing
(24:42):
what everybody else saw or how everybodyelse walked out of their feeling all right,
La Times. A one truth moviethat's nevertheless thick with human complexity.
It rotates nimbly in tandem with theplaintive score that marks the great Ryuci Sakamoto's
(25:02):
last film work. This film maintainsinterest despite it being more than two What
Oh my god, dude, I'mso tired of people banging on run times.
It's just it's ridiculous. That's whyI liked how Simon Abrams from Rogerdieber
dot Com how his review read,which is why I used it for Today's
(25:23):
show kind of encompassing. I justkind of thought that it gave a good
depiction of what Monster really is about. Monster is one of the finest films
of the year, and its structure, like its circle of characters, Carrie's
secrets that can only be unraveled throughpatience and empathy. Natalie Winkleman from New
(25:47):
York Times absolutely Monster is one ofthe finest films of the year and its
structure, like its circle of characters, Carrie's secrets that can only be unraveled
through hear me, Gang, patienceand empathy. Anthony from The New Yorker
says, if possible, watch Monstermore than once. I agree the Daily
(26:11):
Beast one of the director's finest.It's thematic scope and emotional power growing with
each new revelation. I'm just nowrealizing I should have had Kyle on here
for this one. I'm pretty surehe loved this movie. And Kyle Brule
from I Know Movies and You Don'tcan offer a much more inspiring and detailed
(26:33):
look than a lot of these.A lot of these top critics are what
did Variety say? Peter de Brugesfrom Variety, Monster might have ended terribly
when in fact Kota Ida's humanistic instincthas been at work all along. Nicely
done, nicely fucking done. Thisfilm is created with a great moral intelligence
(26:56):
and humanity. Thanks Peter from TheGuardian. Could you fucking be more?
God damn vague, holy cow man? But anyway, come to a close.
I I'm kind of pissed that wedidn't talk about this more at the
Oscars. I felt like it didn'tget the love that it truly deserved,
and that's not okay. That's notokay for your boy. I it to
(27:22):
me much like Shoplifters, there's toa to a certain degree, I feel
like this is I don't know,one of the best movie, one of
the very best dramas that you're gonnasee anytime soon, like at least in
(27:44):
the past few years. Like ifyou held a gun in my head,
out of ten you only get tenmovies. This would be in the ten
in the sense that I'm not surethat I've seen a better executed film in
recent memory. It's point, it'sabsorbing, absorbing, a masterful work of
(28:06):
intricate storytelling, and we need moreof that these days. I don't like
the idea that somebody said it waskind of like Christopher Nolan because and not
because Christopher Nolan does action films andthis is just a pure drama through and
through. I feel like we onlydid that because there's time shifts and people
are like, oh, it's likeMemento. It's not. It's not at
(28:26):
all, So don't go in beinglike, oh, this movie it.
I listened to the Ellissinuma podcast andit was kind of he said, it
was kind of like momento. Ididn't say that, I said someone sounded
like that's how they internalized this filmis that it was a fucking back and
forth time switcheroo. And it's andit's not. It's in fact, it's
(28:49):
it's very silky how we go fromuh time jump to time jump in Monster.
It's silky, it's smooth, manlike. You know, it's not
done in a jarring way. Infact, you know, if you're using
your phone as a second screen,I would argue that the jumps or the
(29:11):
shifts and Monster are subtle enough you'dmiss it. You wouldn't know what the
hell's going on. So anyway,Monster is available now now on Blu Ray.
Thank you well Go USA for releasingthis. What's so funny is after
I got done watching it, Igot an email from Wellgo saying that they
(29:33):
were releasing it. I was like, Oh, I can't fucking wait to
talk about this on film or onthe podcast. Talk about this film on
the podcast ellis Cinema. Monster availablenow no excuse. One of the best
films you will watch in the lastten years. Ellis in a week Gone
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