Member AlbertV Posted April 24, 2019 Member Share Posted April 24, 2019 From Variety HanWay Films has boarded sales on Takashi Miike’s “First Love,” which has been selected for Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. HanWay has worldwide rights excluding Asia. “First Love” was announced in the Directors’ Fortnight lineup, but with little plot information available. The producers said Wednesday that the film is set during one night in Tokyo and follows Leo, a down-on-his-luck young boxer who meets his first love, Monica, a call girl and an addict but still an innocent. Monica unwittingly gets caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme, and the two are pursued through the night by a corrupt cop, a yakuza, Leo’s nemesis and a female assassin sent by the Chinese Triads. Jeremy Thomas’ Recorded Picture Company is re-teaming with Miike on the picture, which will have its world premiere in Cannes. The film marks the fourth collaboration between the prolific Japanese director and Thomas after they worked closely together on “Blade of the Immortal,” “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” and “13 Assassins.” 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member whitesnake Posted April 27, 2019 Member Share Posted April 27, 2019 First Love promo poster - from http://cityonfire.com/takashi-miike-to-direct-yakuza-cop-triad-actioner-first-love/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted May 30, 2019 Author Member Share Posted May 30, 2019 Review from the Cannes Film Festival https://variety.com/2019/film/markets-festivals/first-love-review-1203225496/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted June 1, 2019 Member Share Posted June 1, 2019 (edited) Another review: https://theplaylist.net/first-love-takashi-miike-cannes-review-20190523 This could be the first new Japanese movie I see in theatre since Re-Born and the Roman Porno reboots... when Toei releases it in bloody 2020! Half-empty HP:https://hatsukoi-movie.jp/ Edited June 1, 2019 by Takuma 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted June 5, 2019 Author Member Share Posted June 5, 2019 Well Go USA has picked up the rights to First Love in North America https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/well-go-usa-release-takashi-miikes-first-love-north-america-1215853 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Asmo Posted June 6, 2019 Moderator Share Posted June 6, 2019 This sounds like it could be quite good. If only it was due out sooner than next year. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member whitesnake Posted July 19, 2019 Member Share Posted July 19, 2019 (edited) Well Go USA will give First Love (Hatsukoi) a limited North American theatrical release on September 27, 2019. Official synopsis: "The film is the prolific auteur, Takashi Miike, at his most fun and anarchic, a noir-tinged yakuza film blending genres in the story of a young boxer and a call girl, who fall passionately in love while getting innocently caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme over the course of one night in Tokyo." No official Well Go USA trailer yet. More info at https://www.wellgousa.com/films/first-love Update - there is now a Well Go USA trailer - Edited July 23, 2019 by whitesnake 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member KCN9NE Posted July 26, 2019 Member Share Posted July 26, 2019 Can’t wait for this one!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted July 26, 2019 Member Share Posted July 26, 2019 I remain hopeful that the film is (a lot) better than that teaser. Not a single interesting shot there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Vegeta84 Posted September 5, 2019 Member Share Posted September 5, 2019 New trailer 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sifu iron perm Posted September 11, 2019 Member Share Posted September 11, 2019 I bought my ticket to see this in its glorious form at the london film festival in october! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sifu iron perm Posted September 11, 2019 Member Share Posted September 11, 2019 On 7/26/2019 at 10:35 AM, Takuma said: I remain hopeful that the film is (a lot) better than that teaser. Not a single interesting shot there. the latest trailer from the london film festival is more appealing.. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted November 4, 2019 Member Share Posted November 4, 2019 I wish this was playing near me!!! I need my asian cinema kick!! Is there a bluray release coming soon? Miike along with Sono are my fav directors!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sifu iron perm Posted November 5, 2019 Member Share Posted November 5, 2019 Shoot i forgot to add my piece; this was briilliant, the shoot out final was insane..non stop shoot outs! Im happy Miike is pulling some serious good and enetertainiing movies as of late, the last few years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member whitesnake Posted November 17, 2019 Member Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) Well Go USA gives First Love a North American Blu-ray release on February 11, 2020. Info at https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/First-Love-Blu-ray/246842/ Also at https://cityonfire.com/takashi-miike-to-direct-yakuza-cop-triad-actioner-first-love/ Edited November 17, 2019 by whitesnake 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator thekfc Posted January 19, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 19, 2020 I just pre-order this one. Target have a buy 2 get 1 free sale going on right now. I got this one along with Ne Zha (4K UHD) and some other stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted February 21, 2020 Member Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) I've really enjoyed this movie! It's not your typical Miike I suppose. It's very subtle and without any extreme or over the top stuff. However it still features enough crazy characters and bloody violence to satisfy. All wrapped up in some black humour. It's quite funny at times! The story is pretty simple. A boxer is diagnosed with a brain tumour. While wandering the streets he runs into "Monica". A young girl renting out her body to the Yakuza; as part of paying of her father's debt. She's also involved in a scheme including the Yakuza, Chinese Mob and The Police. It goes without saying it's pretty much downhill from here for both of them. It all ends up in a nice mix of humour, drama, action and violence. Mainly as mentioned above due to likeable characters. But, there was one particular scene towards the end which completely took me out of the movie. I'm not sure why Miike chose to do this... Artistic freedom? But it just seems so misplaced and random I really didn't like it. Or maybe they just blew the budget elsewhere to have that scene filmed properly. Who knows!? Nevertheless an overall great movie that I can only recommend. It's a whole lot of fun to watch! Edited February 21, 2020 by laagi 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted February 22, 2020 Moderator Share Posted February 22, 2020 For those that have seen it, curious to know which you prefer out of Miike’s more recent output - this or ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted February 22, 2020 Member Share Posted February 22, 2020 7 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said: For those that have seen it, curious to know which you prefer out of Miike’s more recent output - this or ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’? Can you recommend the latter? As I haven't watched it yet. Judging from the trailer though this is nothing like First Love... batshit crazy might be the appropriate term here :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted February 23, 2020 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2020 14 hours ago, laagi said: As I haven't watched it yet. That makes 2 of us. Contemplating going for a double purchase, and since 'Yakuza Apocalypse' largely came with similar hype to 'First Love' ("Miike returns to his roots!"), I was wondering what peoples opinions are of those who have seen both. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member laagi Posted February 24, 2020 Member Share Posted February 24, 2020 @One Armed Boxer I took the bullet for the both of us and gave it a watch tonight. Well, I'm kind of lost as to where to start or put into words what I've just watched. First of there's no way you can compare these two. Yakzua Apocalypse is so far from any sense... It's hard to comprehend what the hell is going on. If I wouldn't know better it's Miike taking a giant sh** on the Yakuza. Which at some point comes as a bit of a surprise, since it's the very genre that put Miike on the map in the first place. But he's mocking every value and tradition that you've ever heard of. I wonder if some Yakuza member would watch this movie and go like WTF! Or have they? Maybe they have a far better sense of humour that one would expect. However in terms of pure entertainment, craziness, fun, originality (to some degree I guess) and more importantly to some of us action; I'd go with Yakuza Apocalypse. Also it features some of the best Mascot fights ever put on screen. Truth be told, I never seen a mascot like this in any movie. And if I wouldn't know better it's a nod to a pretty important figure in Martial Arts. Also expect a random Godzilla reference. And I don't want to spoil anything but the ending... Well Miike. Now it's your turn my friend and I'm curious to read your thoughts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Takuma Posted March 2, 2020 Member Share Posted March 2, 2020 The first new Japanese film I've bothered seeing in cinema in 2½ years... and I shouldn't have. First Love (初恋) (Japan, 2019) [DCP] - 1.5/5 Miike's "return to roots", a dull one-night yakuza/cops/youngsters crash course completely void of the vigour that made his old films cinematic Duracell bunnies. Masataka Kubota and Sakura Konishi make a pair of good looking young leads with zero sparks between them; Shota Sometani gets the laughs by looking absolutely ridiculous as a mad yakuza. There's not one interesting action set piece in the film despite plentiful mayhem during the second half. Even worse, the film opens with a grainy Toei logo, but immediately after reverts to digital dog shit that looks like Japanese TV or a DTV yakuza film. Oddly though, the last 10 min looks very good, and is the only interesting part of the film story wise as well. Other two positives: no CGI blood, and finally there are convincing gun effects (largely MIA from Japanese cinema for the past 10 years). Version reviewed: 115 min Japanese theatrical. The US/UK version seems to be about 7 min shorter, running 108 min as confirmed by various sources including the BBFC. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted July 24, 2020 Moderator Share Posted July 24, 2020 On 2/22/2020 at 8:31 AM, laagi said: But, there was one particular scene towards the end which completely took me out of the movie. I'm not sure why Miike chose to do this... Artistic freedom? But it just seems so misplaced and random I really didn't like it. Or maybe they just blew the budget elsewhere to have that scene filmed properly. Who knows!? I suspect it's the latter. The whole production looked quite cheap (although that could be just as likely due to the digital format), so I suspect they never had the budget to pull off the stunt your comment refers to in the first place. This isn't the latest 'Fast and the Furious' installment. Miike used a similar technique, but with claymation, in 'The Happiness of the Katakuris' way back in 2001! In any case, I'd argue that it still looks better than the CGI people carrier that does multiple flips once it overturns in the carpark. That was painful on the eyes. On 3/3/2020 at 3:48 AM, Takuma said: Even worse, the film opens with a grainy Toei logo, but immediately after reverts to digital dog shit that looks like Japanese TV or a DTV yakuza film. I really don't get why they did this (probably even more than @laagi's puzzlement at the 'creative' element of the finale!). After witnessing the glorious graininess of the vintage Toei logo, it just served to showcase how cheap digital filming can look more than it normally does! On 2/25/2020 at 7:38 AM, laagi said: Now it's your turn my friend and I'm curious to read your thoughts. Apologies I'm 5 months late, but I only got around to watching 'First Love' last night! In short, I agree with you, the 2 are difficult to compare. But if I really have to, I'd say 'Yakuza Apocalypse' has the edge. It's more bloated than 'Full Love', but overall it's consistently more entertaining. 'Full Love' kind of felt like some elements really worked (the plot involving the yakuza who kills one of his own to sell a stash of drugs with a corrupt cop was entertaining), and others didn't (ironically, the main plot of the boxer and the prostitute's developing relationship didn't really resonate). The action also felt like it lacked any kind of real spark, and while the reference to 'One Armed Swordsman' was cool, it wasn't anything more than that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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