The Student Comedies is a DVD collection of some of Yasujiro Ozu’s earliest feature films, all part of the ‘student-comedy’ genre, popular in Japan at the time (the late 20′s and early 30′s). The films include Days of Youth (Wakaki Hi), I Flunked, But… (Rakudai Wa Shita Keredo), The Lady and the Beard (Shukujo To Hige), and Where Now Are the Dreams of Youth? (Seishun No Yume Ima Izuko). Below I give brief reviews of each feature and look at the set as a whole.
Days of Youth
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Screenplay: Akira Fushimi
Starring: Ichiro Yuki, Tatsuo Saito, Junko Matsui
Country: Japan
Running Time: 99 min
Year: 1929
(3/5)
Ozu’s earliest surviving film and his first feature length film as director, Days of Youth follows two student friends as they (at first unknowingly) chase the same girl. One is a glasses-wearing bookworm, the other a cheeky prankster who will pull any dirty trick he can to get the girl. These come to a head when the three of them take a skiing trip together.
Like most of the films in this collection, Days of Youth strikes an odd but successful balance between gag-comedy influenced by the Hollywood comedies Ozu loved and mildly melancholic drama which suggests the direction he would take in his later years. The film isn’t one of his masterpieces it must be said. The artistry and subtlety the director is famous for is in it’s fledgling years, but nonetheless there are signs of future genius in the film. Although not nearly as funny as the silent comedies of Lloyd, Keaton or Chaplin (Ozu’s cast don’t have the charisma or comedic prowess of these legends), the film does have a human and naturalistic element that most cinema of the time lacked. Visually there are a couple of nice touches too, with some early use of his famous low angled static wides and signs of his careful framing, although there are a fair amount of conventional Hollywood techniques on show too.
So it’s an interesting glimpse into how the great master started out, but taken on it’s own is not much more than a simple yet charming diversion.
(4.5/5)
Set in the world of espionage and double agents, Richard Gere stars as Paul Shepherdson, a retired CIA operative brought back into the fold when Cassius, a Soviet assassin he chased around the world, re-appears after years of being inactive. As per usual with this sort of fare, Gere is partnered up with a book smart FBI agent who literally wrote the book on Cassius. Ben Geary (Topher Grace) is smart and determined and when he gets a little too close to revealing the truth, that Shepherdson is actually Cassius, he’s pushed off course and even threatened.
). If you’ve already got a Criterion profile, you can get started by simply adding any title to your “own it” list or your “wish” list. I’ve already gotten a start. Come on over, take a look at 
The Help
Cowboys & Aliens
The Debt
Dragon Tattoo Trilogy: Extended Edition
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
The Future
Another Earth
One Day
While selling his wares at the local farmer’s market, Ned is approached by the local cop who gives Ned a sap story about a bad week that he needs unwinding from. He’s looking for a bit of pot and after some haggling, Ned gives in and offers the guy a bag-o-weed. The cop forces $20 on Ned before arresting him for the sale of narcotics. Oops. Ned heads off to jail where he spends eight glorious months working and making new friends. Upon his release he returns to the farm he shared with his girlfriend, a cookie cutter modern hippy who calls everyone “Dude,” to find that he’s been replaced by a guy even more clueless than he is. With his meagre belongings in tow, he heads to the city to bunk with his mother and to find some way to raise the $1,000 he needs to rent the chicken barn at the back of the farm all so he can be closer to his dog Willy Nelson who his girlfriend has, essentially, taken hostage.
