Storyline: Urutora mirakuru rabu sutori 2009 Written and directed by Satoko Yokohama in her second feature, Bare Essence of Life is the story of 25 year old Yojin Kenichi Matsuyama, a farmer in the rural village in the Aomori prefecture on the island of Honshu Yojin is different, very different Prone to strange outbursts, throwing things, repeating words and phrases, and wildly disconnected thoughts, something has gone wrong in his wiring Combining black comedy with fantasy and a little romance and drama thrown in to stir the pot, Bare Essence in its literal translation Ultra Miracle Love Story carves out a niche all of its own and shows enough raw talent to warrant a close watch of this director This goofy but often brilliant film had many in the Vancouver Film Festival audience scratching their heads in disbelief and some heading for the exits, but most seemed to be having a good time As the film opens, Yojin wakes up to the ring of half a dozen alarm clocks, glances at the white board in his room where he records his daily schedule, then ventures out to begin his day helping his grandmother Misako Watanabe grow and sell products from her organic vegetable garden Though often with poor results, the boy follows instructions from a tape left him by his deceased grandfather no mention is made about his parents Life is uneventful, however, until Machiko Kumiko Aso, a new teacher, arrives from Tokyo to teach nursery school We soon learn that the attractive teacher has come to this rural area to forget the death of her boyfriend Kanake in a car accident in which he was driving with another lover The story is that his head was severed and landed somewhere on a roof and Machiko consults the local medium to see if there has been any word from his spirit Yojin is immediately drawn to Machiko and wants desperately for her to like him but quite naturally, she is a bit frightened by him, especially when he tries to pull her out of her classroom through an open window He loves the children, however, all non professional actors recruited from the local school, and they respond to him as well One day, while playing with a young boy in his garden, he discovers that being sprayed with pesticide makes him calm and his mind clear This also makes him more appealing to Machiko so he continues to spray himself with pesticide, ignorant of the potential consequences to his health Though Yojins outbursts are definitely off putting, Matsuyama is an outstanding actor who makes the oddball character sensitive and appealing As the relationship between Yojin and Machiko progresses, we also hear ideas about the state of humanitys evolution, our ties to nature, and the health hazards of the spraying of pesticides on our crops Yokohama has said in an interview that she wanted to create a film in which people were liberated from the conventions society imposes since too many people hold themselves together at the expense of expressing their vitality and freedom To that end, she has endowed her film with a free spirited exuberance and enough miracles and surprises to hold us until the Second Coming If she believes that people will only continue to evolve when they are free, open, and stimulated, Bare Essence of Life may point the way to a new beginning
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Three World War II veterans return home to small town America to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed
Kingdom of the Spiders (1977)
In rural Arizona, countless killer tarantulas are migrating through a farm town, killing every living thing in their path The towns veterinarian will do everything in his power to survive the onslaught
Eight on the Lam (1967)
Bank teller and widower with seven kids, Bob Hope finds 10,000 in a parking lot His luck quickly changes when its discovered that his bank discovers a substantial money shortage in their books Now Hope and his large family are fo
The Flesh and Blood Show (1972)
Actors rehearsing a show at a mysterious seaside theater are being killed off by an unknown maniac
Man with the Screaming Brain (2005)
The brains of a Russian taxi driver and a wealthy businessman are brought together in one body by a mad scientist
Images (1972)
A schizophrenic housewife kills off each of her terrorizing apparitions, unsure if these demons are merely figments of her imagination or part of reality
Una familia de tantas (1949)
Rodrigo Catano seeks to impose in his family a Porfirian order One day a door to door salesman, Roberto del Hierro, comes into the house to sell an American vacuum cleaner from the Bright
Best Men (1997)
Four best men pick up their friend, the groom, outside prison On the way to the chapel, they stop at a bank and get involved in a robbery The banks surrounded FBI takes over
Cupid (2020)
After being horrendously embarrassed by the mean girls at school, Faye, a practicing witch, summons the evil Cupid to take revenge on all those who wronged her
The Ghosts of Brewer Town (2018)
Brody is a special pre teen He has developed an edge as a result of his size Brodys mom leads the committee to save the old town of Brewer from the wrecking ball The committee has
Miss Representation (2011)
Explores the under representation of women in positions of power and influence in America, and challenges the medias limited portrayal of what it means to be a powerful woman
Say You Will (2016)
A recent high school graduate cares for his mother and navigates his first relationship in the wake of his fathers suicide
Mark Hunt The Fight of His Life (2021)
Mark Hunt is a global superstar in kickboxing and mixed martial arts, the Super Samoan This documentary charts his tumultuous career from childhood abuse at the hands of his father, to his lowly start in the ring and triumph in
Honest to God (2022)
When a family man finds out he was misdiagnosed with a terminal illness, he must now make good on the promises he made to God if he were to be healed
Instant Family (2018)
A couple find themselves in over their heads when they foster three children