Eel (Widescreen): Amazon.ca: K�ji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baish�, Akira Emoto, Fujio Tokita, Sh� Aikawa, Ken Kobayashi, Sabu Kawahara, Etsuko Ichihara, Tomorowo Taguchi, Chiho Terada, Shinsh� Nakamaru, Sh�hei Imamura, Hiso Ino, Kazuyoshi Okuyama, Yasushi Matsuda, Akira Yoshimura, Daisuke Tengan, Motofumi Tomikawa: DVD

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars ..., Sep 30 2003

By

fat_runner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eel (Widescreen) (DVD)

The Eel is a very enjoyable, often humorous and contemplatively paced (read:slow... but not unbearably so) movie. Apparently Imamura had misgivings about its presentation at (and subsequent winning of the palme d'or) Cannes, amongst the bigger budget fare (which the comments indicate he prefered to his own film... "They should recount the ballots."), but, the comments don't necessarily indicate he thinks it's a particularly bad movie, and it's perfectly normal that artists be dissatisfied with or dislike their own work.

While Imamura's comments aren't entirely baseless, (especially if you're competing with something like The Sweet Hereafter) The Eel still has merits. The acting is well done, the characters are interesting if not particularly sympathetic, and, for the most part, uniquely identifiable (never unbearably 'quirky')... The cinematography is a bit murky (although it may be the transfer) but for the most part the shots are well staged. The soundtrack is effective, but not worthy of special attention. Although, like other reviewers, I found the supposed "themes" especially vague other than what is openly stated in the movie, the vagaries don't really affect the movie, other than some confusion created by the title (really... just because a film seemingly has the pretense of meaning or fails to elucidate it, doesn't set in stone its meaninglessness or meaningfulness nor make it "good" or "bad").

(On another note, although there is some sex in the film, I didn't find it to be an especially "erotic" movie... the packaging seems to be another one of those instances where zealous marketing wizards and mistaken reviewers (both of whom probably walked out after first twenty minutes) collide.)

My experience watching film has taught me that a flawed movie shoudln't be equated with a bad one, indeed, are often more enjoyable than "perfect" movies. While I'm not prepared to deem it a masterpiece (although I doubt I'd be audacious enough to declare any movie such), it is one of the most enjoyable I've seen recently (was a nice counterpoint to lovable excess of Pirates of the Carribean, and good companion to Boilng Point).

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4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Film version of a chilling book, Jun 29 2003

By

A. M Samsky (Brookfield, Connecticut United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Eel (Widescreen) (DVD)

It's probably germane to note that "The Eel" is a film adaptation of a novel called On Parole, written by Akira Yoshimura. It's a pretty free adaptation; for instance, there's no eel in the book. The film loses some of the richness of the book, and it develops very slowly, and its central metaphors are tentative and underdone, but it's still a very interesting movie with some comic moments and some very touching scenes as well. I thought the cinematography was spectacular, really capturing the sadness and heat of semi-rural Japan.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational, Dec 6 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Eel (Widescreen) (DVD)

A very moving film full of quiet depth and both powerful and provocative emotions. In a word, this film is sensational.

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