The Magic Hour (2008)
- Original title
- ザ・マジックアワー
- Directed by
- Kōki Mitani
- Genre
- comedy film
- Country
- Japan
- Runtime
- 2h 16m
- Rated
- 12
- Rating
- 7.5 of 10 from 44 voters
- Elsewhere
- IMDb
The catalogue in 3D
The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.
How it feels
In a fictional port town, a local gang boss hires a failing actor to pose as a legendary hit man. The actor has no idea he is in real danger, which leads to a series of slapstick mistakes.
playfullightheartedsillyfast-pacedchaoticcomedicwhimsicalnostalgic
What happens
The Magic Hour (ザ・マジックアワー) is a 2008 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Kōki Mitani. Set in the fictional port town of Sukago, the film depicts the slapstick that ensues when an unsuccessful actor is turned into a "legendary hit man" by the boss of the town who has his hands on his mistress. The film features numerous homages to famous scenes from Hollywood classics and Japanese masterpieces. For example, Eri Fukatsu sings on the crescent moon in the play, which is Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown, and the song is I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, which Sean Penn sang to Samantha Morton. According to photography experts, "the golden hour, sometimes called the 'magic hour', is roughly the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset, although the exact duration varies between seasons. During these times the sun is low in the sky, producing a soft, diffused light which is much more flattering than the harsh midday sun." In photography and cinematography, the magic hour is only a moment and the most beautiful time of the day, when afterglow of a sunset lights up around. By extension in this film, it means "the most glittering years of everyone's life". A Chinese remake, Too Cool to Kill, was released in 2022. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)
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Achilles and the Tortoise (2008)- More like this film, on a shelf you can walk up to.It's the lit case on the top shelf.