University of Laughs (2004)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Please don't spend money on this.

Great Film overall

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

In Showa era, before the World War 2, a prosecutor named Sakisaka and a dramatist named Tsubaki meets in an investigation room of the metropolitan police department. At first Sakisaka tries to prevent Tsubaki's theatrical company "University of Laughs," but as they rewrite the script, Sakisaka comes to enjoy the rewriting with Tsubaki…This movie is almost composed of the conversations of the two and the situation hardly changes from the investigation room. Thus, some people may think this movie do not have passionate scene and the images are boring. On the other hand, the two actors play the contrastive characterized men. I think it great that their conversations which draws the attentions of the audience. Tsubaki has a ready wit and promptly thinks of the lines which are full of humor. The humor which Tsubaki think every time made me laugh. I was also impressed with the set of the structure. Actually they are buildings now exist, they looks like the real Tokyo in the beginning of Showa era.

Sakisaka, working as an inspector of comedy script, hardly laughs. One day, he meets a scriptwriter named Tsubaki Hajime. Tsubaki comes to him to get the script checked, then it can be on at his theater. However, Sakisaka doesn't say "ok", he asks him to rewrite and bring it the next day. Tsumaki follows his advice and the two come to make the script more interesting together. But it doesn't last so long. One day, Tsubaki brings a sad news with a great comedy script and then,,,I laughed a lot seeing this movie. Koji Yakusho, acted Sakisaka, is one of the greatest actors in Japan. I'm a big fan of him. Sakisaka is a serious person. He doesn't laugh and dislike comedy, but gradually changes. Yakusho expressed the small change faithfully in the film. And I'm also a fan of Koji Mitani. His movies are always funny and interesting.This movie must make you laugh and give you bravery to keep going what you like to do.

I went into this movie knowing only the title , "WARAI NO DAIGAKU" (UNIVERSITY OF LAUGHS) and that it was in Japanese. Having seen it, I think it's a good film to see in the theater (to share the audience's experience), but I wouldn't buy it.The film, which is based on a screen play, may seemed a little simple/minimalist at times (and in some ways, it is). But, it's original, unpredictable, and simply enjoyable to watch as you become more involved with the interactions between the young play write and the censor.I didn't really think of the acting while watching the film--but that's a sign of good acting, right, when the viewer doesn't second guess the events unfolding on screen. So, I think the acting was very believable and good.From an outside cultural viewpoint, it was interesting seeing a 1940s Japan, where the streets signs aren't plagued by English or katakana. In addition to simply seeing sets and wardrobe from the 1940s, and coming to understand how comedy was back then, there are a couple social comments as well (about the war).UNIVERSITY OF LAUGHS is not just a slap-stick comedy or purely for entertainment value, and that surprised me. Depth and personality (and conflicts) are developed in a short amount of time on screen, and social issues of the time (which still apply today) are even addressed at times.If you want to lose yourself in a story for a couple hours while laughing a little and seeing 1940s Japan, this film is for you. But I don't think it leaves enough of an impression to become a hit with audiences overseas.

Writing comedy is hard, especially, if you have to face an authoritarian, ex-soldier censor officer who never laughed all his life and was proud of it. That's the premise of this extraordinary movie which is set in Japan during WWII. It is originally a play, so we can hope for tons and tons of witty dialogs between the young playwright and the censor officer. The former is struggling to get approval of his next comedy script while the latter is determined to close down all theater performances in the city, simply because "…it is inappropriate to get a few laughs during this time of war…" Then, suddenly, the movie turns into a lesson of how to write a good comedy as the censor officer keeps criticizing the script and demands changing. There are lots of warm and funny moments, but toward the ending, it suddenly becomes tense and heartbreaking. It almost becomes a tragedy. The whole movie is basically played by those two characters. Other characters can easily be extras. The setting is very minimalist as nearly 80 percent of the movie is located inside the interrogation room. The message we can get from this movie is that there is always comedy inside anybody's life, whether you want it or not. It is no use denying it. Just as it is no use denying not to like this incredible movie once you see it.