Movielogr
Special Actors (2019)
Directed by Shinichiro Ueda
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
Kazuto has a lifelong dream of becoming an actor, but has been suffering from a special medical condition where he faints and collapses when he gets nervous. One day, he encounters his brother, Hiroki, who who he hasn’t seen for years. He invites Kazuto to a talent agency called ‘Special Actors’.
Length 110 minutes
Actors
Kazuto Osawa | Hiroki Kono | Takuya Fuji | Ayu Kitaura | Yosuke Ueda | Yaeko Kiyose | Ayumi Nigo | Tatsuya Mitsuki | Tan Li | Mana Sakurai | Takahiro Kawaguchi | Mana Minamihisamatsu | Miyu Ogawa | Rina Tsugami | Takumi Harano | Issei Yamashita | Keisuke Hirose | Saburou Miyajima | Daisuke Harada
Viewing History (seen 2 times)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07/20/2020 | TV | Streaming | Video on Demand | 8.5 stars |
| 07/19/2020 | TV | Streaming | Video on Demand | 7.5 stars |
| (Average) 8 stars |
Viewing Notes
The JAPAN CUTS film festival provides a 30 hour window to view a title once you start viewing it. When I watched this I already knew I wanted to see it again b/c I enjoyed it so much. Glad I did b/c I this movie is so damn good. In fact I now believe this is better than Shinichiro Ueda’s ONE CUT OF THE DEAD, which seems crazy to think given response that film has rec’d. I need to revisit it again but for a few reasons I just really love SPECIAL ACTORS so much.
Similar to a rewatch of ONE CUT, this movie also pays off on a second viewing as you can see how all this came together leading up to that big finale. I like that Ueda clearly had a bigger budget yet still kept it a small movie. And a personal movie. It’s so very Japanese, which I love, and yet I could totally see this being remade in America. I laughed a lot during this movie and absolutely watch it again to see if it maintains its humor. There are a few beats that just had me losing it b/c they are executed so perfectly. When the “yakuza” show up at the cult center is one of my favorite moments in cinema this year.
All that said, I’ve already read some reactions and reviews that have been rather critical of this movie. One in particular really panned the film and declared it a major failure compared to ONE CUT. Whatever. Just like any movie, YMMV. All I know is that I love this movie and heart it possesses. Even knowing the ending I still teared up a little on this rewatch b/c it’s so wonderful and heartwarming. I hope Third Window/Arrow gets this one, too, so I can own it.
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