MAX series Reviews, Tokyo Vice

Tokyo Vice Season 1 Review

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As a critic invigorated to become a stronger writer, the MAX series Tokyo Vice blew me away. Each episode has a new truth and a new puzzle. Everything in Tokyo Vice comes together. The series is based on the true story of the American Journalist and crime reporter Jake Adelstein. Adelstein spent his life during the 1990s in Japan. Adelstein became the first non-Japanese journalist at the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. Today he writes for The Daily Beast, Vice News, The Japan Times, and other outlets. Adelstein wrote the novel Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the police beat in Japan and just published The Last Yakuza.

Tokyo Vice is Adelstein’s journey as he uncovers the dark underworld of crime bosses in Japan. Ansel Elgort plays Jake Adelstein, Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri, Rachel Keller plays Samantha, Rinko Kikuchi plays Eimi, Sho Kasamatsu plays Sato, Shun Shugata plays Ishida, and Ayumi Tanada plays Tozawa. All these characters play a crucial role in portraying the realism in Tokyo Vice. They all carry a piece of the puzzle in the uncharted territory around them. Jake is taking risks to find the hidden truth which is hard to unfold as it lies deep in the infrastructure of Japan’s political scene.

The first episode begins establishing the foundation of what Jake is doing in Japan. He is fluent in Japanese and is questioned since he is an American Journalist. The episode jumps back totwo years earlier when Jake is teaching English to Japanese students and going through the steps to become a journalist. Jake has adapted to the culture of Japan. He does karate and often lacks sleep due to making Japan his playground. Jake says to himself, “Giving up and going home is not an option.” The story of Tokyo Vice is set in motion once Jake becomes a journalist.

The show gets more intriguing as the episodes get deeper. Jake’s boss Eimi feels that he is not doing the stories he is assigned. Jake is determined to do a real story as a journalist in Japan not fake news that is otherwise common. Eimi insists that Jake go by the book and report what is assigned to him. Jake is still determined to follow his own tracks where he meets Sato who isassociated with crime bosses. Jake realizes that Sato is considered a Yakuza which is an organized crime syndicate that is correlated to the mafia. Once Jake puts this piece together, there is a murder with no leads or evidence. The world of corruption in Japan becomes Jake’s guide for reporting on pieces that uncover the reality he discovers.

Jake then meets Samantha who is working in night clubs while also living in Japan. She puts up with shady clients day in and day out. Jake gets to know Samantha as well as her routine.Samantha’s goal is to start her own club but faces some obstacles. Another character is Detective Hiroto Katagiri who is Jake’s guide and connection for his crime reporting. The people Jake meet serve a purpose as leads which help Jake have a stronger voice. In addition, these contacts help find the places and resources to dive deep into the infrastructures behind criminal activity in Japan. The revelations in Tokyo Vice are endless and engrossing because they are both true and thought-provoking.

Tozawa and Ishida are crime bosses who give off protagonist and antagonist vibes. They help Tokyo Vice to connect the dots of hidden business being done so criminals can make money, while also maintaining their risky reputations. They are also connected to the authorities. The story that Jake is tempted to tell is the fact that criminals and authorities are working together. If he tells it, however, his story, his career, and his life will all face consequences.

Is Jake falling into a deadly trap? Is the story worth his life? How deep will his connection be with the bad people he comes across? Tokyo Vice is one of the most spellbinding and triumphant series on MAX. It is a true story where the pieces of the puzzle all matter. There is going to be more for Jake in Tokyo Vice Season 2 coming in February. Don’t miss it!

Film reviews

American Star Review

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This film could be classified as mellow suspense because there is a deadly task waiting to be completed. To buy time in the film, the focus is on a man of solitude who is assigned to do the mission. American Star was a unique experience, but I didn’t truly love or hate it as a thriller. Director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego directs this project from the sole perspective of the hitman played by Ian McShane. McShane is known for his role of superiority as Al Swearengen in HBO’s Deadwood and is also known for playing the big boss in the John Wick franchise. McShane is a British actor who can play a range of roles and always displays a distinct bad attitude that sets him apart. His seriousness shines through as the discrete hitman in American Star.

McShane’s character, Wilson, is spending his time on an island called Fuerteventura. He is awaiting the time to assassinate someone. With the vast and scenic landscapes on the island, he tends to get distracted. Wilson keeps to himself, wears nothing but a black suit, smokes constantly, and observes his surroundings. His nephew Ryan (played by Adam Matthew Nagaitis) works with Wilson’s assignments as well. While Wilson is eager to go home and put an end to his deadly career, it’s not as easy as it looks. Wilson is told, “The less you know…the better!” This causes Wilson to let his guard down.

The film’s transitions to Wilson trying to connect more in social settings. He meets Gloria (played by Nora Arnezeder) and starts to build a friendship with her. The film’s writing about Wilson’s disconnect takes on a larger focus than the assassination-mission. American Star gives audiences the sense that Wilson’s leniency will have a bigger impact on him…once he completeshis mission. Hiding and aborting mission is not an option. While the story moves along slowly at times, the discreet ways that the tension unfolded had me sold.

Wilson’s frustrations are caused by having to hide the truth and wishing he could enjoy life. The barrier is huge between the possibility of living in a positive atmosphere and completing an assassination mission in American Star. The portrait of Wilson shows how good one’s life could be…if he did not have such a deadly job. In one scene, Gloria asks Wilson if he is an ex-cop, and Wilson asks her if he looks like one. Writing like this remains steady and flows with the pacing of Wilson while he covers his tracks.

Continuous hiding of the truth creates anxiety-provoking tension in American Star. The film is slow in fragments, but still intriguing. McShane’s performance is effective in portraying how complicated truths hide inner consequences. American Star is much more of a mental thriller than an action thriller. In fact, there is hardly any action, but the intensity is strong. Audiences will feel the tension rising during scenes where time is of the essence. Three out of four stars for American Star.

Film reviews

Perfect Days Review

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The mind of director Wim Wenders is one where art is a development. He often focuses solely on people, places, or fascinations. One of the themes in his new film Perfect Days is that of loneliness and routine combined with mental structure. There is a feeling of appreciation that flows smoothly through the film’s faithful cinematography. Wenders is gifted in his ability to explore a character or a place to the smallest detail. In Perfect Days its sole focus is on one man who lives a very orderly life, and when he is out of that routine, his mind expands in directions of realizations and fascinations that are astoundingly well written.

Perfect Days takes place in Japan and introduces its audience to Hirayama (played by Koji Yakusho). Hirayama is a man of routine—he is quiet, structured, organized, and thrives creativity in his solo life. He works full-time as a janitor. Hirayama’s routine is multi-step, a vivid exploration by Wenders and his direction to create a portrait of a unique character. Most of the beginning is Hirayama working his shift as a janitor. Hirayama displays a look of annoyance, yet he continues to be persistent with his seemingly mundane job. The company he works for is called The Tokyo Toilet and it is a distasteful vocation to those around him. Despite the low-grade job, Hirayama is a pleasant man. He helps his colleague Takashi (played by Tokio Emoto) when he can, and he has a good heart. The film delivers the sense of reality in which Hirayama chooses to live a solo existence.

The beautiful and artistic value of this film lies is the moments of fascinating nature—Hirayama absorbs the outdoors and takes photographs. He enjoys breathing in what is on the outside. Perfect Days is a vast journey of one man trying to find the positives around him, despite his low social status. Hirayama is fascinated by plants and does projects with them. The scenery of Japan is Hirayama’s playground.

The film is a contemporary experience of an introvert living a life of highly structured activity. It encourages its audience to think positively. Hirayama has one main mode that lifts his spirits the most…cassette tapes of classics! In his work van he loves to listen to music by Lou Reed, Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, and many more. The song “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed is played in the film and that song truly correlates to the life of Hirayama.

Even though the film keeps a strong focus on Hirayama it does explore another character, Hirayama’s niece, Niko. Hirayama has not seen Niko in years, and there are some family conflicts that are not explained. At first, viewers would expect Hirayama to be annoyed by Niko’s sudden arrival, but he is welcoming. This is a chance for Hirayama to share what he is passionate about in his search for happiness in the world. Whether it is books, music, or movies Hirayama always has something rewarding for someone. He does not see how nice he really is to those around him, but he is also not confrontational.

The theme of happiness within solitude is presented strongly in Perfect Days. There is that technological aspect of Wim Wenders that I recognized from his 1987 classic Wings of Desire—photography moments in black and white with fluorescent forms of movement. The true sensations of Wenders direction are seen through Hirayama’s eyes as he explores happiness and art in Perfect Days. This is an unforgettable experience, howeverthere may be a few moments of quietness and slight boredom. Regardless, its presentation is a masterpiece in the context of structure and pacing and moving aspects brilliant in their form. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Perfect Days.

Treating cinema in many forms of art!