Poisson d’Avril (1986) [Film Review]

Poisson d’Avril; or, Manic Dinner
     A long time ago, the new year began on April 1st. On that day, people would play little jokes on each other, known as poisson d'avril. That was how April Fools' Day started. Eventually, a custom developed where people would exchange chocolate fish...
This particular week I was in the mood for some kind of light-hearted motion picture, so I decided to follow a MDL recommendation made on the feeds a couple of months ago by @kura2ninja. The original suggestion centered on the 1986 romantic comedy film Poisson d’Avril directed by the late Nobuhiko Obayashi and starring the late Yukihiro Takahashi in the leading role. I admit that I missed out on this movie while preparing my guide devoted to Obayashi last year, but I do not feel disappointed that I finally watched this little gem cooked up by one of my all-time favourite directors.

Release Info

Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi Starring: Yukihiro Takahashi, Kyo Kanoko, Miyoko Akaza

Language: Japanese Original Title: 四月の魚 Runtime: 109 min

Synopsis
Shohei Nemoto (Yukihiro Takahashi) used to be a prolific movie director who unfortunately made a box-office bomb and was unable to get a filmmaking gig since then. He is married to Fujiko Kinugasa (Miyoko Akaza), an extremely popular actress who plays lead parts in dramas alongside handsome idols. All of a sudden, Shohei receives a letter from the South Seas where he shot a commercial. A good friend of his, Chief Panapora (Tetsuro Tanba), is coming to Japan. Shohei sees this as an opportunity to pitch a movie idea to an influential friend, but he remembers that he is obliged to fulfil a controversial promise so as not to offend the Chief. In order to fool the Chief, and protect the dignity of his wife, Shohei hires a young actress Mari (Kyo Kanoko) to “play” Mrs Nemoto for one night…

The Name of the Candy
I have to say that I was a bit wary of the movie at first because of its absolutely distasteful theatrical poster, which gives you an idea that this is going to be a kinky and NSFW comedy. However, Nobuhiko Obayashi actually made an enjoyable comedy of mistakes very much in the style of good old French productions, such as Jean Girault’s Pouic-Pouic (1963) and Éduoard Molinaro’s Oscar (1967). Poisson d’Avril is, indeed, a witty farce that ridiculous celebrity lifestyle, but also poignantly examines the value of marriage and happiness between spouses.

The screenplay written by Obayashi, James Miki, and Tadashi Naito obviously provides the viewers with a much-needed dosage of slapstick humour and over-the-top crazy situations. Nevertheless, it is the execution of the whole thing that turns the film into an enjoyable and delightful experience. Even though the locations are mostly indoors, and the aspect ratio is a simple 4:3 full frame presentation, I can’t help but love the cinematography in this film. Shohei’s house is shot so beautifully and with vibrant colours, especially the kitchen and the living room. There is not a single scene in the film where the setting is bland or makes you feel bored.

What is more, Obayashi’s editing really spices up the wacky tone of the film. When there is some heated situation going on, some sense of urgency involving the main character, Obayashi resolves to the usage of not only quick cuts, but also of rudimentary time lapse to make events go even faster! In addition, similarly to House (1977), the director also extensively uses sound effects during slapstick moments, almost as if playfully winking at the audience, reminding them not to treat the plot all too seriously because it is a comedy after all.

Now, we get to the nitty gritty of Poisson d’Avril, the late Yukihiro Takahashi. Enthusiasts of Japanese culture obviously know that this man was a prolific musician, a pioneer of Electronic Pop, and the lead vocalist of Yellow Magic Orchestra. It makes me all the more sad that Yukihiro had not had a blooming acting career after Poisson d’Avril. The man steals every scene he is in, and many of his exaggerated facial expressions (*cue PTSD flashbacks to his South Seas visit*) are so darn funny!

His performance in the film clearly demonstrates that he could do comedy as well as drama. Perhaps he got too worried and shied away from the acting spotlight, because rumour has it that Yukihiro got ulcer and did not participate in the film’s official premiere press conference. Apart from Poisson d’Avril, he appeared in episodic roles in The Island Closest to Heaven (1984), Norwegian Wood (2010), and Labyrinth of Cinema (2020).

What is more, Yukihiro Takahashi also helmed the soundtrack in the film which is a joy to listen to and it truly alleviates the mood of the story, starting from the main theme and finishing on long-ish segments of incidental music. Some bits and pieces of the latter actually reminded me of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s compositions for The Last Emperor (1987). I guess it goes to show that great minds from YMO think alike.The original soundtrack was released in limited edition on vinyl in 2022.

With regard to other performances, Kyo Kanoko appears in her debut role as Mari and she has a wonderful onscreen chemistry with Yukihiro. Obayashi’s regular, Miyoko Akaza, brilliantly plays the egocentric and overbearing wife who, nonetheless, cares deep inside about her marriage. Wakaba Irie has a supporting role as the wife’s assistant, and she provides a lot of comic relief in the middle section of the film. Tetsuro Tanba basically plays himself as the crazy tribal guy who speaks broken Japanese and French. There are also cameo appearances done by James Miki, Toru Minegishi, and Nobuhiko Obayashi himself.

One word about the availability of the film: I was unable to include it in my guide last year because I tried (and still try) to watch Obayashi’s films as legally as possible. Unfortunately, this movie is completely unavailable anywhere, so the only means to watch it are (sadly) present online. I sincerely hope that this gets a proper release someday either on a streaming platform or on physical media. We need to get Obayashi’s movies out of the copyright hellhole of obscurity. Do not get me wrong, I appreciate the struggle of Obayashi’s fans to find his lost movies and translate them to English, but we have to stop illegal streamers who rob fansubbers from their hard work and profit from it.

Recommendations
If you want to watch an unconventional comedy with the great Yukihiro Takahashi, awesome music, and a touch of romance, then I recommend Poisson d’Avril. It is definitely a feel-good movie with a heart-warming ending that will leave you uplifted. My thanks go to Nobuhiko Obayashi and his unlimited versatility that allowed him to craft such a nice romcom.Overall score: 8/10

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