by Don Morton

Up
One of the best things about Pixar animations is their refusal to pander to children. Or to talk down to them. Oh, there’s plenty of color and activity for the tykes to enjoy, but their movies remain anchored in the art of storytelling. They have substance. And this flyaway fantasy marries comedy and drama to create a satisfying experience. Do not by any means arrive late. The 12-minute prologue delivers the film’s backstory with economy, wit and emotion, and actually moved some in the screening audience to tears (sniffle). It’s a buddy film. A curmudgeonly old widower (voice by Ed Asner), in order to avoid being sent to an old folks’ home, attaches countless balloons to his little house and flies it away, unaware that upon liftoff, a cub scout (Jordan Nagai) was on his porch hoping to earn a helping-the-elderly merit badge. But that’s just the kickoff, and the story develops into a journey of (self) discovery as it flies along through uncharted territory, which I will not tell you about. Recommend seeing it in 2D rather than 3D, which adds little, dims the colors and necessitates dubbing in Japanese. Japanese title: Carl Jiisan no Sora Tobu Ie. (96 min)

Kansai Cinema Listings

UMEDA

TOHO CINEMAS UMEDA

(HEP NAVIO 7~9F) Tel: 06-6316-1312
Wed for women ¥1,000, Fri. first show ¥1,300.
first of every month ¥1,000.
http://www.toho.co.jp

www.tohotheater.jp

Public Enemies,
Julie and Julia,
Avatar,
The Fourth Kind,
Saw 6,
Drag Me to Hell,
Disney’s A Christmas Carol,
Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
The Rebound,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
Up

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 16
The Surrogates

From Jan 23
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassas,
A Perfect Getaway

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

UMEDA PICCADILLY

(Above Izumi-no Hiroba)
Tel: 06-6315-1414
Wed for women ¥1,000
www.shochiku-eigakan.com/

2012,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
The 4th Kind

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

UMEDA BURG7

(South From Hansin Dep. Store, E-MA Build. 7~13F)
06-4795-7602
Wed for women ¥1,000, after 21:00 ¥1,200,
except Sat every first of the month ¥1,000
www.t-joy.net

Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
Up,
Watchers,
Public,
Enemies,
Avatar,
The Fourth Kind

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 22
The Surrogate

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

UMEDA GARDEN CINEMA

(Umeda Sky Build. Tower East 4F)
¥1,000, every first of the month ¥1,000
www.kadokawa-gardencinema.jp

The Informant

From Jan 16
The Young Victoria

CINE LIEBRE UMEDA

(Umeda Sky Build. Tower East 3F)
Tel: 06-6440-5930
Wed for women ¥1,000, first of the month ¥1,000
www.cinelibre.jp

Anvil

From Jan 9
500 Days of Summer

THEATER UMEDA

(Umeda Loft B1F) 06-6359-1080
on Wed for women ¥1,000, on Tue for men ¥1,000,
first of the month ¥1,000

Black Water,
Synecdoche,
New York

MINAMI

TOHO CINEMAS NAMBA

(8F, 3-8-9, Chuo-ku, Osaka) Tel: 06-6647-5705
Wed for women ¥1,000
www.tohotheater.jp/theater/namba

Saw 6,
Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
The Rebound,
Public Enemies,
Julie and Julia,
Avatar,
The Fourth Kind

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 22
Surrogates

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

NAMBA PARKS CINEMA

Inside Namba Park 6F, 8F, 9F
Tel: 06-6643-3215.
Wed for women ¥1,000. All movies after 8pm ¥1,200

Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
The Rebound,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
Infestation,
Public Enemies,
Julie and Julia,
Avatar,
The Fourth Kind

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 22
Surrogates

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

CINE POP

(1-2-3 Sennichimae 2-11-5 Shikishima Build.)
Tel: 06-6641-3719
Wed for women ¥1,000, Fri. first show ¥1,300,
first of the month ¥1,000

2012,
The Rebound,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
Public Enemies

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

KYOTO

KYOTO CINEMA

(Cocon Torimaru Bldg. 3F, Shijo-Kudaru, Torimaru-dori.)
Tel: 075(353)4723
Wed. for women: ¥1,000, every first of the month ¥1000

Synedoche,
New York,
Looking for Anne

From Jan 16
The Young Victoria

MOVIX KYOTO

(Nakagyo-ku, Shinkyogoku, Sanjyo-sagaru, Sakuranomachi 400banchi) Tel: 075(254)3215
Wed for women ¥1,000, every first of the month ¥1,000.
http://www.movix.jp

Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
The Rebound,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
Public Enemies,
Julie and Julia,
Avatar,
The Fourth Kind

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 22
Surrogates

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

KOBE

OS CINE MINT KOBE

(Inside MINT Kobe 9-12F)
Tel: 078-291-5330
Tue. for women ¥1,000, Fri. first show ¥1,300 every first of the month ¥1,000

Saw 6,
Inglourious Basterds,
2012,
Up,
Public Enemies,
Avatar

From Jan 15
Where the Wild Things Are

From Jan 22
Surrogates

From Jan 23
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassas

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

KOBE KOKUSAI SHOCHIKU

(Chuo-ku, Goko-dori 8-1-6 Kobe Kokusai Kaikan, 11F)
Tel: 078-230-3580
Tue for women ¥1,000, first of the month ¥1,000.
www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/theaters

2012,
The Rebound,
New Moon: Twilight Saga,
The Fourth Kind

From Jan 16
The Young Victoria

From Jan 29
The Lovely Bones

SANNOMIYA CINE PHONEIX

(Harborland Mosaic 3F) TEL: 078-360-7000
Tue for women ¥1,000

Rec:2

From Jan 9
Capitalism: A Love Story

CINE MOSAIC

(Harborland Mosaic 3f) TEL: 078-360-7000
Tue for women ¥1,000, Fri first show ¥1,300

Up,
Public Enemies,
Avatar

CINELIVRE KOBE

(Chou-ku, Namihana-cho 59) Tel: 078-334-2126
Tue for women ¥1,000, every first of the month ¥1,000.
http://www.nikkatsu.com

Synedoche,
New York,
Julie and Julia,
Death Sentence

From Jan 9
500 Days of Summer

**NOTE
Films and show times are subject to change without notice. Call in advance to check and verify times.

Compiled by Maki Nibayashi