Japon

Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas' debut feature is a mysterious fever dream about a lame, unnamed man (Alejandro Ferretis) who travels from Mexico City to the countryside to commit suicide. After a long, harrowing journey by car to a remote village overlooking a canyon, he settles into rustic lodgings at the home of an elderly, uneducated, and deeply religious widow (Magdalena Flores), and the two begin an intimate if awkward relationship. Cinematographer Diego Martínez Vignatti's roving, widescreen lens captures panoramic otherworldly vistas then turns around and focuses intently on the textures and micro-worlds of the ground below Ferretis' feet in this visually ravishing, somewhat enigmatic film. A possible harbinger of more good things to come from Reygadas, this offbeat drama is highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 42-minute interview with director Carlos Reygadas, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a powerful film.] (T. Keogh) [Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 26, 2019—Criterion, 134 min., in Spanish w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: 2 discs, $29.95; Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 2002’s Japón features a great transfer with DTS-HD 2.0 audio on the Blu-ray release. Extras include a production diary by star Alejandro Ferretis (101 min.), a 2017 conversation between filmmakers Carlos Reygadas and Amat Escalante (43 min.), Reygadas’s 1998 short 'Adulte' (7 min.), a deleted scene (2 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by novelist Valeria Luiselli, behind-the-scenes photos, and original storyboards. Bottom line: this Mexican contemporary classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]