Kaito Ruby (1988) [Film Review]

Kaito Ruby; or, Partners in Crime

     I don't know if you're a fool or just a plain good guy.
I have already written this on MDL, but allow me to repeat it: I’d have never thought that I will watch a romcom/heist flick with 22-year-old Kyoko Koizumi playing a criminal mastermind. It is so out of the ordinary seeing this great actress together with the legendary Hiroyuki Sanada (28 at that time) on the screen. Well, director Makoto Wada made it possible and Kaito Ruby is a sweet, fun flick indeed.

Release Info

Directed by: Makoto Wada Starring: Kyoko Koizumi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kumi Mizuno

Language: Japanese Original Title: 快盗ルビイ Runtime: 96 min

Synopsis
Toru Hayashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a nerdy guy who lives with his mom (Kumi Mizuno) in an apartment complex. One day, he notices that a beautiful girl known as Ruby (Kyoko Koizumi) moves into a flat two floors above him. All of a sudden, the girl confesses that is a professional burglar and enlists Toru to help her out in heist projects. Toru agrees but his cowardice always gets the better of him in heated situations.

Play it again, Toru
During the first thirty minutes of the film, you get an impression that this is a standard, run-on-the-mill, romantic comedy in which a clumsy guy falls for a quirky girl who is way of his league, but the longer the film lasts, the better it gets.

The jokes and slapstick comedy are entertaining to watch but the chemistry between Sanada and Koizumi is off the charts. Kaito Ruby really feels like an homage to American comedies from the 1950s, especially in terms of static cinematographic style, dream-like production design, and musical numbers (yes, Kyoko and Hiroyuki sing together!)

My only complaint is that the film could have been shorter because some of the sequences feel a bit prolonged (for instance, the boyfriend subplot). Nevertheless, it is still a great experience watching the film.

With regard to performances, Hiroyuki Sanada is obviously too cool for school as the next-door boy with huge glasses (didn’t recognise him at first!). Kyoko Koizumi also delivers a radically different performance from her standard drama roles as a know-it-all girl who is basically a missing member of Ocean’s Eleven. Additional bonus is the appearance of Kumi Mizuno herself as the sweet and patient mom.

Recommendations
If you are looking for a light comedy with great leads for Sunday afternoon, then Kaito Ruby is a great choice. The ending really has the spirit of Koki Mitani movies and Kyoko Kizumi also sings the main theme. All in all, Kaito Ruby will most certainly uplift your mood.Overall score: 8/10

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