REVIEW: EARTHQUAKE BIRD

3/5

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle.

108 Mins. Starring: Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough, Naoki Kobayashi & Jack Huston. Director: Wash Westmoreland.

80's Japan. Croft in translation in a Haruki Murakami fever dream of insomniac 'Midnight Diner' like lost loneliness. This new Tokyo story from the land of the rising Netflix logo is an erotic mystery thriller that will really f### with you. Learning language in translation watching videotape of his outstanding Osaka movie, 'Black Rain' starring Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia (hell of an Easter Egg), this Ridley Scott produced movie haunts as much as The Jezabels 'My Love Is My Disease' vivid visual, music video stalking the salary man streets of Shibuya on the four legs of two and two hands from the Sydney, Australia ruling band. Based on best of British writer Susanna Jones' debut novel (albeit with a different, divisive ending), 'Earthquake Bird', this movie of the same name is directed by the novel 'Still Alice', Academy Award, amazing adapting auteur Wash Westmoreland wonderfully. More than meets the Oscar gleaming eye however, the British director taking a Brit book page to screen, temporarily washes his hands with Hollywood to go to the Far East and capture some vivid visuals as vibrant as the neon of a Shinjuku skyline (think of Bill Murray's eye opening taxi to Tokyo between the jet lag malaise), crossing over like Shibuya to a Harajuku fashioned period piece that doesn't leave the 1980's in its amazing aesthetic like Kōenji thrift shops full of vintage Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, among all the college tee and sport sweatshirts. Take the Tokyo tower between two ferns like fellow Netflix movie Zach Galifianakis. Or the sugar paper like walls of traditional tatmi after golden half pint frothy bars of mahogany and kanji. And how could you forget the marvel of Mount Fuji in all its magnificence? Classic cinematography without even making it in cinemas.

Seismic shifts look to be made in-between all the crowning series' you see in this streaming service season. But this 'Bird' spreading its wings across the world is more of a slight tremor, than one that goes for all the bacon. Now Netflix may have smartphone cornered the media market like Disney + has done for any superhero or galaxy far, far away under Mickey Mouse ears, but for every Oscar winning 'Roma' game changer, or 'Irishman' mob legend swansong and Eddie Murphy 'Dolemite Is My Name' career comeback special, what some see as killing cinema has a glut of movies, that in the Blockbuster age it's truly destroyed would go straight to DVD. Or should we call it straight to Netflix? Good movies. But ones in the end that you're glad you got as part of the subscription plan more than actually got out of your chill underwear and went off to the theatre to see. This year we had Jake Gyllenhaal's 'Velvet Buzzsaw', Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson's 'The Highwayman', Ben Affleck's 'Triple Frontier' soldier ensemble...and now this. Or even the twin Tokyo traditions of Jared Leto's 'Outsider'. It's no disrespect to these decent movies. They just whelm more than they over do this. Still, this stellar service that's signature seems to be shows ('The Crown', 'Mindhunter', 'Stranger Things', 'Narcos', 'Orange Is The New Black'. The Japanese own 'Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories', that's currently watching its second helping. All those Marvel ones they cancelled to save Disney face and 'House Of Cards' before Kevin Spacey ruined all of that for Netflix Original outstanding starters) always has something for your nightly entertainment, chill or nah. And this great Ridley Scott produced gem-with 'IT', South Korean, Chung Chung-hoon classic cinematography and an atmospheric score from Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor 'The Social Network' award winning collaborator Atticus Ross-that debuted at London's BFI certainly feels, looks and sounds good. And it has that Japanese subtle beauty of its setting country. But is there style beneath the substance in a movie that's plot scrapes to see what's below the stories smooth surface?

Bermuda like love triangles as fever dream real or fantasy imagined confusing as the whodunnit nature of this missing persons case in itself, this 'Earthquake Bird' winds up and flies you all over the place whilst trying to heed a warning. Westmoreland wows with his red room, photography developing tension and question. Is the man behind the camera all that meets the lens? Taking pictures of this movies muse in the park without her knowing until she hears the shutter in a town that's mobile phones today all legally require this sound effect for horrifying reasons, is this mysterious man and the mystery he's about to unravel an artist, slaved to his isolated craft as social as it looks in the frame? Or is he just a plain creep dressed in handsome clothes? Former J-Pop Exile singer, model and 'Soul Brother' Naoki Kobayashi certainly looks the part. And this huge Japanese star will help this cinematic thriller stream with the rising sun. But the internet drama star certainly set for the big screen now like the stages he's already took looks more than his dapper Dan slicked appearance that sometimes slimes. He's enigmatic in his evocative performance as his character is more compelling than he is charismatic. But it's the two friends he comes between that really hold this together. 'Ex Machina', 'The Danish Girl', 'The Light Between The Oceans'. We all know Swedish actress Alicia Vikander is a megastar. That's why she's a part of famous franchises like 'Jason Bourne', 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' and now her own one as Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider'. But now after her star-studded years as the next best she's getting back to what she best at. Definitive performances punctuating dramas. And here she is no different in her dedication. Bursting with hidden restrained passion that bubbles as this thickening plot simmers. Haunted by harrowing waking nightmares and a guilt that katana cuts through her cleanly, Vikander is as vivid as the vibrant lights that soak the sadness of a lonely city in a nightlife hope of dawn breaking excitement. And then there's Riley Keough. The 'Magic Mike' and 'Logan Lucky' star more than looks familiar now as more than a recurring Channing Tatum co-star. Or the famous Presley family name. Elvis' granddaughter and Lisa Marie's girl gave you the 'Fury Road' of 'Mad Max' and 'American Honey' for that. But more 'Silver Lake' than Hollywood, this indie darling seems destined for those David O. Russell or Derek Cianfrance type movies for her own 'Blue Valentine', 'American Hustle'. You know the real pictures for the real performers? And here the life of Riley's character is the most genuinely affecting thing about this film. Add Jack Huston-a man who was becoming quite the character actor ('Hail Caesar' and coincidentally 'American Hustle') the same time Vikander was making it big-and we have a crack cast with this 'Boardwalk Empire' star whose about to play Bobby Kennedy for another cheque from Netflix in 'The Irishman'. The sum of all these parts is definitely perfunctory, if though a little lost like translation at times. Alone in Tokyo like Lianne La Havas, the light between the neons illuminates an immersive story that will stay with you like the fear of traveling in a brave new world. You'll be taken with this bird, but once the 'Earthquake' is over and you continue watching your top picks, or what new releases are trending now, there will be little in the way of an aftershock. Yet you still feel it too. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Lost In Translation', 'Black Rain', 'The Outsider'.