A tribute to a late special effects modeler leads to fiction and reality intertwining.

Following a prolonged absence, tokusatsu veteran Keizo Murase returned to film as a sculptor for Daisuke Sato’s wonderful short film “Howl from Beyond the Fog.” Recently, he’s made his directorial debut with the independent feature “Brush of the God.” Originally conceived as a story written by the director, it has now been adapted, with a screenplay by Takeshi Nakazawa, and Sato producing and directing the special effects. With a small budget, the project would receive additional funding through donations on Motion Gallery and Kickstarter. The final product is a movie with a promising setup but underwhelming payoff.

Renowned special effects model artist Kenzo Tokimiya passes away, and a memorial service is held for him to honor his legacy. His work is on display, and his daughter is organizing the event. One of the attendees is Kenzo’s grandaughter, Akari Tokimiya, who feels torn about the event because she doesn’t have the fondest memories of her late grandfather. While there, she runs into her classmate, Takuya Kido, a big tokusatsu fan, and they discuss the artist’s legacy and what will become of his work. Then, they meet a man named Hozumi, a proclaimed acquaintance of the old master, who shows the two teens an outline for a film Tokimiya had planned but never got around to making called “Brush of the God.” He then pulls out a brush and requests that they find it and save the world from vanishing. The duo is then transferred into a fantasy world that turns out to be the fictional reality of the unfinished movie, with the script being their only major resource available. They come across numerous creatures, including a friendly winged bunny creature called Mugumugurus, yet realize that the stakes are high when they encounter the legendary monster Yamata no Orochi, an eight-headed serpent capable of devastating catastrophe.

The premise for “Brush of the God” is very promising and, on the surface, endearing. It is a passionate tribute to the special effects art form of tokusatsu while channeling the filmmaking mode of meta-cinema. There is prominent self-insertion, with Kenzo Tokimiya meant to represent Keizo Murase and reflect on his career. The work of the deceased artist within the movie humorously references Murase’s real-life contributions to the medium, including films like “Matango,” the “Daimajin” sequels, and “The Mighty Peking Man,” yet the fictional movies showcased still feel like they could exist. There’s even referencing real independent productions, prominently “Howl From Beyond the Fog.” Additionally, there are themes of family reconciliation, with Akari reflecting on who her grandfather was as a person beyond his craftsmanship, material that can make for compelling drama.

There’s undoubtedly passion behind this feature, yet “Brush of the God” fails to deliver a compelling story, largely due to lackluster direction and writing, further dampened by awkward staging. The plot is incredibly rushed with how it progresses, reliant on continuous convenient contrivances that stretch subversion. It never feels like things happen naturally, which becomes a glaring detriment when the film attempts to insert drama, primarily with Akari reflecting on her relationship with her grandfather. All the characters are forgettable, with the only attempts at development being with Akari Tokimiya, but even she feels underdeveloped, and the intended resolutions to her conflicts don’t feel earned by the end, due to the lackluster screenplay. These narrative faults are not helped by almost all the dialogue being blatant exposition, frequently spelling things out for the audience, which becomes irritating.

In addition to dull characters, the acting is generally poor here. Rio Suzuki and Takeru Narahara are distractingly subpar in their roles as Akari Tokimiya and Takuya Kido, with some especially clunky line delivery and emotional conveying. While intended to be mysterious, Takumi Saitoh looks more lost than engaged in playing Hozumi. There’s also a handful of cameos from recognizable faces in tokusatsu media, like Yumiko Shaku, Shinji Higuchi, and Shiro Sano, yet they are sadly just as wooden as the film’s leads, which can also apply to the rest of the cast here.

Another frustrating aspect of “Brush of the God” is the inconsistent production values, particularly the special effects. While this movie aims to stay true to classic tokusatsu techniques, the quality is all over the place. Granted, even with crowdfunding from Motion Gallery and Kickstarter, finances are more limited here than in a big studio production, and it’s admirable how determined Sato and the team remained. Yet, for every great visual effects moment, such as Orochi’s rampage on a city, there are numerous bad ones, with some very shoddy digital effects and green screen work. This issue also applies to the cinematography by Yoshihito Takahashi and Yoichi Sunahara, sometimes looking good while other times not so much. However, the music score by Shota Kowashi adds a nice mystical flare to the movie, and the ending theme song, “Kaiju,” performed by the pop band Dreams Come True, is an endearing tune.

Keizo Murase’s “Brush of the God” is a disappointing film, especially considering the talent the filmmakers have. There are elements to admire, yet a lot to criticize. Its heart is in the right place as an intended loving tribute to the special effects art form of tokusatsu, yet its narrative execution fumbles. For every visually stunning moment, numerous sections look incredibly poor. Keizo Murase and Daisuke Sato don’t quite capture the immersive magic here that they did with their previous and vastly superior creative collaboration, “Howl from Beyond the Fog.”

“The Right Moment” is a very competent short that manages to eloquently present a series of social and political comments.

Fang Chen, from the Chaoshan region in Guangdong, China, holds a Master’s degree in Film Making from the China Film Art Research Center. She is dedicated to creating genre films with a personal touch, navigating the space between commercial and artistic cinema while continuously exploring and uncovering unique perspectives in female narratives. In 2022, her feature film script “Ms. Wang Cailing” was selected for the 13th “Supporting Outstanding Youth Film and Drama Program”. Her short film “The Right Moment” was officially selected by the 29nd Beijing University Student Film Festival, and the Macau International Film Festival, among others. Additionally, several of her short films have been showcased at various film festivals.

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The film begins with a letter circulating in a classroom while the teacher is talking, with the last girl giving it to a male student who doesn’t seem to want to get involved, making her rather anxious. It turns out it is a joint petition asking for signature from students in order to complain about a teacher, and everyone in the class have signed it. Two girls, obviously good friends, seem to be the ones that started the whole thing and are quite happy about the outcome, although they are worried they will be discovered, as the whole thing seems to be anonymous.

The girls then split up, with one, Sheng Lan, obviously lying about the place she lives in, mentioning a high-rise place, although she lives in a rundown house across the aforementioned area. Furthermore, it seem her mother does not want her to get involved with anything political. Eventually, however, the letter is discovered, forcing the two girls to choose between protecting or betraying each other. A flashback showing the two, Sheng Lan and Tang Yanyan, reading the letter, reveals what it was all about.

Fang Chen directs a 15-minute short that unfolds in two narrative axes. The first one one is sociopolitical, with the director commenting on the fact that, in the current era in China, reporting on each other has become a routine, thus highlighting a setting that can easily be described as suffocating. The second moves into coming-of-age territory, with the decision Sheng Lan makes essentially forcing her to mature and realize the concept of taking responsibility in life. On a lesser extent, the discrepancies that are found in students due to their parents’ financial situation, even for those attending the same schools, is also commented upon.

This last aspect is also well embedded in the cinematography, with DP Xiaojie Huang highlighting the difference of the two settings, the rich and the poor, in the most intricate fashion, in frames that include how one looks when witnessed from the other. Fang Chen’s own editing also works well, with a relative fast pace that allows the story to unfold nicely, without rushing.

Lin Jingtong and Huang Siyan give realistic performances as Sheng Lan and Yanyan, with the former having the meatier role, and being quite good in highlighting her discomfort about what is happening.

“The Right Moment” is a very competent short that manages to eloquently present a series of social and political comments.

“Dìdi,” the semi-autobiographical debut from director, writer and producer Sean Wang, delivers just that. It follows 13-year-old Chris Wang, or “Wang Wang,” as his friends call him, during the summer between middle and high school. His family, who affectionately call him Dìdi, Mandarin for “little brother,” are Taiwanese Americans living in Fremont, California, in 2008 — something viewers could likely pick up on even quickly with the use of flip phones, instant messaging and Myspace throughout.

At the core of this story of a young boy wanting to fit in, navigating his first crush and feeling the ebbs and flows of young friendships is his mother, the only person who sees him for who he is. As many 13-year-old boys feel at times, Chris just finds his mom, beautifully played by Joan Chen, to be unbearably irritating and embarrassing.

Throughout the well-paced story, Chris grapples with wanting to push away those closest to him, saying cruel things that can’t be unsaid, and simultaneously wanting their approval and love more than ever before.

In a wistful moment, after Chris and his mom, Chungsing, have cooled down from a big fight, Chris asks her if she’s ashamed of him. Through a poignant monologue, Chungsing tells him she could never be ashamed of him and that he is her dream. It’s a sweet moment and a sweet thought, but it also hits on a pressure many children of immigrants feel: to live up to their parents’ wildest dreams.

Izaac Wang, a revelation as Chris, seamlessly portrays those feelings of pressure and fear of disappointing family. His performance makes you appreciate that fraught time on the cusp of high school for what it taught you, but it also makes you appreciate that it’s over.

For all the emotional punches he packs as we follow Chris’ journey, Wang is also effortlessly hilarious in the film’s lighter moments.

From searching “how to kiss” on YouTube to fretting over how to respond to his crush’s IMs with his buddies, Wang pulls you in right away and doesn’t let go.

“Dìdi” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning the audience award and a special jury award for its ensemble. It was one of the festival’s biggest discoveries and it was praised at the time for how it fostered nostalgia for the aughts — although many millennial viewers were shaken by the idea of a film set in 2008 being a period piece.

Creating something that feels nostalgic or captures a moment in time is no easy task, but the film pulls it off, largely thanks to the stellar performances. Several of the teen characters are played by first-time actors, which creates a palpable authenticity. The young actors also, refreshingly, don’t look far off from 13 in a departure from many films with teen characters that cast older actors.

That realness is already there, given that Wang infused much of his childhood into the story and filmed on location in his hometown. He also cast his own 86-year-old grandmother as the endearing Nai Nai, who delivers comedic relief as if she was a veteran actor.

In a memorable scene, and a glimpse at Chris’ soft spot for his grandmother, he films her to feed his hobby of creating YouTube videos. As he gets closer to her face with the camera, she says she’s ugly and he responds that she is beautiful, and they exchange “I love yous.” It’s a quick yet moving reminder that under the layers of angst and the uncertainty that comes with times of transition, Chris is just a kid who loves his family and wants to do right by them. And then the moment is over.

“Dìdi’s” greatest strength lies in the balance it strikes between moments of levity and gravity, often prompting waves of laughter seconds after evoking tears.

Several shots throughout the film show Chungsing affectionately staring at her son, waiting for him to acknowledge her to no avail. Once Chris has experienced more of the messiness that is being 13, he doesn’t just look back at her. He finally sees her.

“Dìdi” simply makes you wish you could turn back time and hug your mom.

“Dìdi,” a Focus Features release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “language throughout, sexual material, and drug and alcohol use — all involving teens.” Running time: 93 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

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