Yes, “Uzumasa Limelight” is a lot like “A Star Is Born” crossed with Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight,” with jidaigeki costuming and the occasional nods to Ozu, but it is profoundly moving and highly satisfying for genre fans.
Fukumoto might be one of the great kirare-yaku (he was recruited for Tom Cruise’s “The Last Samurai”), but his touching performance as Kamiyama suggests he could easily move into more conventionally dramatic roles. With unusual economy, his deeply lined face and subtly communicative body language eloquently expresses his pride in his craft and his pupil, as well as the weight of all his life disappointments. He proves the film’s axiom—if you can act convincingly during a sword fight then you are a good actor.
While Fukumoto has been practicing his art for 50 years or so, “Limelight” represents the straight-up film debut of 2012 World Junior Wushu champ Chihiro Yamamoto, portraying Iga with a maturity beyond her years. Their teacher-protégé chemistry feels very real, but complex in a true-to-life way. Frankly, Fukumoto seems to bring out the best in everyone, because “Limelight” is stuffed with additional lovely little supporting turns.
The production design team headed by Takashi Yoshida creates a vivid sense of the old Kyoto studio world through its richly detailed work. However, one of the most important contributions comes from swordplay choreographer Mitsuhiko Seike, whose big film-within-the-film action spectacle delivers the goods with style to spare.
Although “Limelight” shares a certain nostalgic kinship with Ochiai’s previous film, “The Tiger Mask,” it is tonally more closely akin to his very personal docu-essay short “Frog in the Well.”
This is an absolutely super film that should be a breakout vehicle for Fukumoto, Yamamoto, and Ochiai. Although he will have a fraction of the campaigning support, Fukumoto would be a far worthier choice than most of the best-actor contenders this time around. One of the best films of the year, “Uzumasa Limelight” is very highly recommended for all movie lovers when it opens this Friday, Dec. 5, in New York at the Village East.
‘Uzumasa Limelight’
Director: Ken Ochiai
Starring: Seizo Fukumoto, Chihiro Yamamoto, Masashi Goda
Running time: 1 hour, 43 minutes
Release date: Dec. 5
Joe Bendel writes about independent film and lives in New York. To read his most recent articles, please visit www.jbspins.blogspot.com
