A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016) opens Friday

A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE played the New York Asian FIlm Festival last year. With the film hitting theaters Friday here is a slightly modified repost of that review.

When I was descending into Asian film with wild abandon Iwai Shunji's SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY was held out to be the be all and end all of Japanese film by several people I know. It was a film I was verbally and almost physically attacked for not liking (and you thought fanboys are tough today). Despite several attempts at the film it has never clicked with me.

The funny thing is that outside of his segment in JAM FILMS called Arita and his HANA AND ALICE I really don't care for his films all that much. I don't think they are much of anything leaving me scratching my head and wondering what the fuss, and the occasional excessive run times are all about.

Which brings me to Shunji's latest film A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE which opens Friday in theaters....

The film is the story of a young woman who isn't socially adapt. She meets a young man, they quickly marry only to have the marriage fail. She then becomes a maid and later companion to a dying woman. Its a film about trying to make connections and trying to find ourselves. It can be an intriguing look at society today

A BRIDE FOR RIP VAN WINKLE vexes me. A film of great beauty and occasional stunningly wonderful moments, the film more frequently seems to skid off in self indulgent navel gazing. Sequences that seem to be firing on all cylinders are followed one ones where the film seems to just be idling and letting things play out way past the point they need to.

At some point, as I did with SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY 20 years ago I shut off and just let the film wash over me.

When the film ended I went on line and started to read about the film. I wanted to know what I was missing.

Apparently nothing since there are two versions of the film and the the full 179 minute one is hitting US screens. It's a film that runs a full hour longer than shorter version which is also played at the same time in theaters in Asia. This full version is exactly what Shunji wanted to release and reaction to the cut is either gushing love or similar to mine-which is "it's got moments".

Where does that leave any recommendation?

I have no idea. If you like Shunji's earlier films give the film a go. If not it will depend upon how you feel about a film that frequently rambles nowhere.