Survive Style 5+ (2004) [Film Review]

Survive Style 5+; or, Staying Alive

     What’s your function in life?

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to comedies. Some people like slapstick, whereas others are more keen on situational stuff. I’m quite open to many kinds of comedies, but when we are talking about Japanese super weird take on the genre, then I’m full on board with that. Gen Sekiguchi’s Survive Style 5+ is such a movie and it is just awesome.

Release Info

Directed by: Gen Sekiguchi Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Kyoko Koizumi, Ittoku Kishibe, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa

Language: Japanese Original Title: SURVIVE STYLE5+ Runtime: 120 min

 

Synopsis

The movie follows five stories that are loosely connected with each other. Ishigaki (Tadanobu Asano) is a guy who repeatedly kills his wife (Reika Hashimoto) only to find her waiting for him, furious, at their home. Yoko (Kyoko Koizumi) is a commercial executive who tries to come up with ideas for TV ads. Tatsuya (Ittoku Kishibe) is a salaryman who gets hypnotised on stage by a performer (Hiroshi Abe) who is killed in the middle of the act. There are also three burglars (Yoshiyuki Morishita, Jai West, Kanji Tsuda) who aimlessly wander through the city. In addition, all of the characters encounter a British assassin-for-hire (Vinnie Jones) and his frightened interpreter (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa).

 

You Can’t Unsee It!

While looking for Japanese comedies a few years ago, Survive Style 5+ was the number 1 recommendation on many movie sites. However, if you expect the type of a conventional and linear story with funny elements, then you are wrong. This movie feels more like a collection of a few shorts, each dealing with a different matter, which come together only at the very end. All in all, the film was directed by a guy specialising in making short films.

 

What made me like Survive Style 5+ is the freewheeling quirkiness that ultimately forms into morality tales. We have a guy who, for some reason, kills his wife and then she magically reappears at their home only to physically attack him in an epic way. There’s a lady with some really weird ideas for commercials which always get rejected. Not to mention a salaryman who acts as if he were a bird and a homosexual burglar who is afraid of admitting his love to a friend. As a result, we get lots of craziness thrown at us and this leads to the only inevitable outcome: hysterical laughter.

 

I was also surprised by a number of great actors and actresses who appear in this flick. We get to see Tadanobu Asano, Reika Hashimoto, Kyoko Koizumi, Hiroshi Abe, Ittoku Kishibe, and Yoshiyoshi Arakawa in one picture! Vinnie Jones and his overdone Brit accent also have to be mentioned. I loved their performances but my heart was stolen by Hiroshi Abe’s small part as the crazy, womanising hypnotist. You always rock, Hiroshi(!) In addition, I also liked the cameos made by Sonny Chiba, Tae Kimura, and Kotaro Shiga.

 

The additional plus of Survive Style 5+ is the soundtrack. Apart from James Shimoji’s wonderful compositions like the main theme or Angel Air, we get to hear a variety of recognisable tracks, such as Rob Laufer’s Go, Go, Go, Yasuyuki Okamura and Takkyu Isino's Come Baby, and Cake’s version of I Will Survive. The soundtrack is so good that it can be listened to on its own.

 

Recommendations

To sum up, if you are trying to get a taste of Japanese comedies, then Survive Style 5+ is the best starter. It has quirkiness, dynamic vibes, and (possibly) one of the greatest endings in film history. Apart from making you laugh, it will also heighten your emotions with a bit of touching messages. In short, Survive Style 5+ is an amazing film and you need to watch it ASAP if you have not done so already.

Overall score: 9/10