Zokki (2021) [Film Review]

Zokki; or, Too Many Secrets
     Lately, I've been thinking. If a living creature loses what it keeps secret, maybe it can't go on living. Once we finish confessing all our secrets... Or rather... If we confessed all our secrets, would we die, I wonder? So Ryoko, take care of your secrets. Keep as many as you can.
If I were to tell you that there is a Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, and Takumi Saitoh movie out there, you would probably wonder who managed to bring together such a mind-blowing cast of excellent actors. In this case, nothing could be further from the truth! The three gentlemen joined forces… as directors(!) and brought to the screen an adaptation of the manga series by Hiroyuki Ohashi called Zokki.

Release Info

Directed by: Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, Takumi Saitoh Starring: Riho Yoshioka, Ryuhei Matsuda, Joe Kujo

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゾッキ Runtime: 113 min

Synopsis (issued by the distributor)
There’s an old man who feels the need to impart his knowledge to a grown-up granddaughter; a quiet loner seeking self-discovery on his bike and the fisherman he encounters who invites him to a special meal; a school friendship that turns awkward because of an infatuation with an older sibling; a boy and his father who have very different ideas about how to enjoy themselves; and a friendship between two neighbours that revolves around a series of notes. Scripted by Yutaka Kuramochi, Zokki is less an anthology than a series of snapshots of a strange and quirky world.

Made in Japan
In my opinion, Zokki fits very much into the same narrative stylistics as Survive Style 5+ (2004) and Fish Story (2009). What I mean is that the viewers are presented with a series of vignettes, which gradually cross over into their respective contexts and ultimately constitute one whole. I would not say that Zokki is a wild comedy, but if you have seen Satoshi Miki's flicks, then you will recognise the flavour of distinct quirkiness that could have been manufactured only in Japan.

Although there are five stories featured, the three main ones caught my attention: The first story feels as if it had been penned by Haruki Murakami himself. A guy who clearly has issues with intimate stuff embarks on a bike journey. The second story revolves around two high school students who befriend each other and, consequently, one of them develops an unhealthy obsession. The third one is that of a complex relationship between a father and a son with a touch of horror. To be honest, I think the movie would have been better had the third tale been trimmed a little because it feels prolonged and, in a way, lacks resolution. Still, I very much enjoyed the first two segments, especially the part about high-schoolers.

With regard to performances, unfortunately we are not getting to see Naoto Takenaka, Takayuki Yamada, and Takeru Saitoh in action, but watch out for the leading parts done by Riho Yoshioka, Ryuhei Matsuda, and Joe Kujo. There are also wonderful cameo appearances from Jun Kunimura, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Yurina Yanagi, Masanobu Ando, and Mai Kiryuu.

Recommendations
If you are in need of yet another set of happy-go-lucky short stories sprinkled with Japanese sensibility, then I recommend Zokki. The movie comes out on Blu-ray from Third Window on the 25th of April. This edition is going to contain such bonus features as interviews with all three directors, a look at behind the scenes, and a theatrical trailer.Overall score: 7/10

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