A Master Returns With First Teaser For Mitani Koki's KIYOSU KAIGI

Japanese writer-director Mitani Koki is - in my opinion - one of the world's truly great overlooked masters. He is one of the absolute best at what he does and has been for many, many years now and yet he gets very little respect or attention outside of his native Japan?

Why? Because critical praise, it seems, is reserved for directors who make movies about people being sad and Mitani likes to make people laugh, instead.

The director of Suite Dreams and The Magic Hour - also the writer of University of Laughs - Mitani's specialty are super classy comedies that would have fit right in to Hollywood's Golden Age, the sorts of films that delight in poking fun at social strata and good manners and take great joy in being witty and clever rather than going for the big punchline.

And now Mitani is back with his Kiyosu Kaigi - an adaptation of his own novel - a period set picture featuring a massive cast of stars - including regular player Yakusho Koji along with Asano Tadanobu and Terajima Susumu - arriving at Kiyosu Castle to deal with logistical matters following the death of a local lord. It's a vintage Mitani setup, one that involves multiple characters with conflicting motivations and will enable him to set multiple plates a-spinning and the first teaser looks simply fantastic. Take a look below.