Mike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name (Japanese: 私立探偵 濱マイク 名前のない森, Hepburn: Shiritsu Tantei Hama Maiku Namae no Nai Mori) is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Shinji Aoyama, starring Masatoshi Nagase.[1][2] The film is a feature-length cut of an episode of the television series The Private Detective Mike shown at film festivals and released theatrically.
| Mike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name | |
|---|---|
 American DVD cover | |
| Japanese | 私立探偵 濱マイク 名前のない森 |
| Directed by | Shinji Aoyama |
| Written by | Shinji Aoyama |
| Based on | Mike Hama trilogy by Kaizo Hayashi |
| Starring | Masatoshi Nagase |
| Cinematography | Masaki Tamura |
| Edited by | Yuji Oshige |
| Music by | Dowser |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 71 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Cast
edit- Masatoshi Nagase as Mike Hama
- Kyōka Suzuki as Doctor
- Nene Otsuka as No. 29
- Yoshio Harada as Client
- Masashi Yamamoto as Yamamoto
- Yuriko Kikuchi as No. 17
Production
editMike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name was originally one episode in the 12-part television series The Private Detective Mike which aired on Yomiuri TV in 2002.[3] Each episode was 45–55 minutes long and shot by a different director, including such well-known filmmakers as Alex Cox, Shinobu Yaguchi, and Isao Yukisada.[3] All of them featured the character Mike Hama, a detective who was the center of a trilogy of films directed by Kaizo Hayashi.[3] Aoyama's episode was shot in super 16 mm and blown up to 35 mm for release in theatres.[4]
Release
editThe film was screened at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival in 2002[5] and at the Cleveland International Film Festival in 2003.[6] The film was received a theatrical release in France under the title La forêt sans nom.[citation needed]
Reception
editTodd Brown of Twitch Film described the film as "a strikingly composed and completely open ended study of the nature of desire and identity." He said, "[Shinji] Aoyama's stylistic flourishes are in full effect and Masatoshi Nagase gives an excellent, multi layered performance as Hama himself."[7] On the other hand, Time Out London's review was less favourable.[8] The reviewers at FilmBizarro found the movie enjoyable, and noted that watching it "will lead to interesting conversations between viewers".[9]
References
edit- ^ Seibert, Perry. "Mike Yokohama – A Forest With No Name (2002)". AllMovie. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "Contemporary Japanese Cinema: About the panelists". School of Cinematic Arts Events. February 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ a b c Mes, Tom. "A Forest with No Name". Midnight Eye. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
- ^ Stratton, David (15 February 2002). "Mike Yokohama – A Forest with No Name – Variety". Variety. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ Mes, Tom (7 November 2002). "Midnight Eye review: A Forest With No Name". Midnight Eye. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ Piepenburg, Eric (3 April 2003). "Even in Wartime, Cleveland Fest Provides Healthy Dose of Global Cinema". IndieWire. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ Brown, Todd (13 July 2005). "Mike Yokohama: A Forest With No Name Review – Twitch". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "Mike Yokohama – A Forest with No Name". Time Out London. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ "Mike Yokohama: A Forest With No Name". FilmBizzaro.com. Retrieved 2 April 2012.