Melancholic (2018) [Film Review]

Melancholic; or, The Bathhouse Job
     Let me ask you this. A Tokyo University graduate has to work at a big company and become happy?
The bathhouse setting appears frequently in Japanese movies. From Departures (2008) to Attamara Sento (2016), the significance of communal bath in Japanese culture is always emphasised. It is not only a place where one can take care of personal hygiene but also can experience physical proximity which, in theory, should influence emotional intimacy. Director Seiji Tanaka turns the symbolism of a bathhouse on its head in his outstanding debut feature called Melancholic (2018).

Release Info

Directed by: Seiji Tanaka Starring: Yoji Minagawa, Yoshitomo Isozaki, Mebuki Yoshida

Language: Japanese Original Title: メランコリック Runtime: 113 min

Synopsis
Kazuhiko Nabeoka (Yoji Minagawa) is a Tokyo University graduate who spends his days at home with parents. One day, he meets a high school colleague, Yuri (Mebuki Yoshida), at a local bathhouse. The girl, eager to see Kazuhiko more often, encourages him to apply for a job at the bathhouse. After an interview with the owner, Azuma (Makoto Hada), Kazuhiko gets the cleaning job together with another newcomer, Matsumoto (Yoshitomo Isozaki). Much to his surprise, Kazuhiko discovers that the bathhouse is used by the yakuza to execute people…

Stand By Me
The title of the film indeed reflects the personality of the main character. Kazuhiko is yet another by-product of the modern educational system, a person who does not know what to do in life. Consequently, director Seiji Tanaka turns Melancholic into a crazy coming-of-age tale in which a young man orientates himself towards a certain activity, yet this “activity” is actually cleaning the bathhouse from corpses.

The professional misadventures of Kazuhiko are yet another ingenious aspect of Melancholic. The dark comedy works extremely well and mixes effortlessly with the classic yakuza-centered thriller vibes. I really do not want to get into any spoilers, so let me say in the simplest terms possible that the film has major plot twists and really goes off the rails in the finale. Interestingly, even secondary characters receive strong character development in the third act!

With regard to performances, in my opinion, Yoji Minagawa did very well in the leading role, but the real star of the picture is Yoshitomo Isozaki as Matsumoto. He portrays his characters in an incredibly comic yet tragic manner. Additional shout out goes to the rest of the cast: Mebuki Yoshida as Kazuhiko’s quirky girlfriend, Makoto Hada as the stressed-out bathhouse owner, Yasuyuki Hamada as the mysterious Koreda, Masanobu Yata as the scary yakuza mobster, and (last but least) Stefanie Arianne as Angela, the mobster’s gaijin girl.

All things considered, I think it’s safe to conclude that the main theme of Melancholic is that of the everlasting generational conflict within Japanese society. Similarly to Masato Harada’s Kamikaze Taxi (1995) and SABU’s Postman Blues (1997), Melancholic also presents the viewers with a group of a young people who want to change their lives for the better, but the grumpy old-timers, who love the status quo, prevent them from doing so.

Recommendations
In spite of winning numerous awards at film festivals, including Best Director at Tokyo Film Festivals and Audience Award at Nippon Connection, I wish this movie could get greater exposure in the West. Thankfully, Third Window Films released Melancholic in dual format (Blu-Ray and DVD). Their region B edition includes a look at behind the scenes, Q&A with director and cast, Melancholic short film, and trailer. Overall score: 8/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»

Woman in Witness Protection (1997) [Film Review]

Woman in Witness Protection; or, See no Evil, Hear no Evil
     It’s fine. It’s called acting.
The late director Juzo Itami always crafted his movies around the topical concerns which troubled society, and Woman in Witness Protection is no exception. This time, the main heroine (as always played by Itami’s wife, Nobuko Miyamoto) finds herself on the run from a vicious cult. As a matter of fact, Itami focused on the issue of religious cults as early as 1988 in A Taxing Woman’s Return, where an IRS agent investigates an insidious religious group that is suspected of tax evasion.

Release Info

Directed by: Juzo Itami Starring: Nobuko Miyamoto, Masahiko Nishimura, Takehiro Murata

Language: Japanese Original Title: マルタイの女 Runtime: 131 min

Synopsis
In Woman in Witness Protection, we follow Biwako Isono (Nobuko Miyamoto), a shallow and spoiled movie star. All of a sudden, she witnesses a gruesome murder of an anti-cult lawyer and his wife. In order to protect the actress from religious fanatics, the police provide her with specially trained witness protection officers until the trial. In the meantime, Biwako has to deal with various means of harassment and attempts to tarnish her public image.

All the World’s a Stage
To put it in simple terms, Woman in Witness Protection is Juzo Itami’s middle finger towards Aum Shinrikyo. By means of his usual black comedy style and brutal satire, the director exposes the fallacies of the cult and how it engages in domestic terrorism. The premise of the story is actually based on the real-life murder of Tsutsumi Sakamoto and his family. In addition, Itami can’t help himself but name Aum and Asahara in one of the interrogation scenes when police officers try to disprove the might of the glorious “Guru” by stating that he actually can’t levitate.

The movie is divided into appropriate sections (the murder, the investigation, the arrest, etc.) in order to present the sequence of events and how the law enforcement works. In the midst of all that we have Biwako Isono who is not entirely sure how she should behave as a witness, yet she has to maintain her acting profession while the cult is targeting her.

I believe that the closest equivalent of Woman in Witness Protection is Itami's Minbo (1992). That is, both films tackle controversial topics and have huge shifts in tone (comedic scenes are crosscut with dead serious sequences).

With regard to performances, Nobuko Miyamoto aces it once again by playing a highly energetic, outspoken, yet complex heroine. Words of appreciation also go to Masahiko Nishimura and Takehiro Murata as policemen protecting Nobuko’s character from numerous dangers. In addition, Masahiko Tsukgawa, another Itami’s regular, has a small but interesting role of Biwako’s love interest.

Recommendations
All in all, Woman in Witness Protection is a very clever comedy drama, but this is not to say that the film is free from ghastly sequences. In a Tarantino-like manner, Itami underlines the fact that nothing will stop religious fanatics from accomplishing their goals (even if it means threatening, bribery, or killing). It is quite a shame that this was the director's last movie before his untimely demise.Overall score: 7/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»

Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! (2007) [Film Review]

Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers!; or, National Lampoon’s Countryside
     Greetings, I would like to introduce myself first. I'm Wago Sumika, age 22. I'm an actress. But the truth is, I haven't done anything remarkable as of yet thanks to the lack of competence by the agency I was with. I want to become an actress that makes people say "there is no replacement for Wago Sumika" as soon as possible. I am prepared to endure through any hardship to make that happen.
When thinking about family dramas made in Japan, people frequently enumerate such skilled filmmakers as Yasujiro Ozu, Hirokazu Koreeda, Miwa Nishikawa, or even Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Personally, I believe that director Daihachi Yoshida also deserves an honorable mention mainly because of his awesome debut feature from 2007 called Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! based on the novel by Yukiko Motoya.

Release Info

Directed by: Daihachi Yoshida Starring: Eriko Sato, Masatoshi Nagase, Aimi Satsukawa, Hiromi Nagasaku

Language: Japanese Original Title: 腑抜けども、悲しみの愛を見せろ Runtime: 112 min

Synopsis
An elderly couple living in the countryside, Mr and Mrs Wago, tragically die in a road accident while trying to save a cat. The funeral ceremony leads to the reunification of three siblings: Shinji (Masatoshi Nagase) who now takes care of family business, 18-year-old Kiyomi (Aimi Satsukawa) who aspires to become a mangaka, and Sumika (Eriko Sato) who is determined to make it big as an actress in Tokyo. However, Sumika’s dream and her quest to its fulfillment unfortunately influences the family in a negative way. She bullies Shinji into supporting her financially and tortures Kiyomi for what she did to her in the past. Having been recently fired from her talent agency, Sumika does not let go and writes a letter to an acclaimed movie director Tetsuo Komori (Nobumichi Tosa). Surprisingly, she receives a reply...

All in the Family
While sitting down to watch Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! I had no idea what to expect because I knew nothing about director Daihachi Yoshida and the main cast. The movie begins in quite a grim way only to kick into comedy gear a few minutes later. The central figure of the storyline is Sumika as we see her wreaking havoc across her home town just so she could prove that she is a true actress.

The movie certainly takes advantage of Yasujiro Ozu’s and Mikio Naruse’s filmmaking styles in certain scenes but it is not a straightforward parody of Tokyo Story (1953) or When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960). Funuke tries to be its own thing with the usage of slapstick, innovative flashbacks, and situational comedy. As a result, it becomes not only an entertaining spectacle but also an engrossing drama in which you can’t help but care for the characters. In consequence, the film feels like a baby conceived by SABU and Quentin Tarantino.

With regard to performances, Eriko Sato is undeniably too cool for school as unstoppable Sumika. From the arrival scene to the “climactic” battle in the fields, she gives her best in the leading role. My praise also goes to Aimi Satsukawa and Masatoshi Nagase who played the siblings. Another mention goes to Hiromi Nagasaku for her hilarious appearance as Shinji’s wife, Machiko. It comes as no surprise that Nagasaku won Best Supporting Actress award twice for her performance of extremely agreeable yet sexually-frustrated housewife.

Recommendations
If you are looking for an exemplary black comedy from Japan, then give a chance to Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers! I guarantee that crazy confrontations will leave you laughing, whereas outrageous plot twists will make you feel gobsmacked. This movie is for keeps. Please try to grab a Blu-Ray copy of the film from Third Window, which also contains making-of featurette as well as deleted and extended scenes.

Overall score: 8/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»

Kamikaze Taxi (1995) [Film Review]

Kamikaze Taxi; or, The Winds of the Andes

     I heard music. Not Japanese pop. Not heavy metal either. It was music. I just felt he and I could become friends.

Taxi transportation is so popular in the realm of cinema. Martin Scorsese made the immortal Taxi Driver in 1976, Luc Besson wrote and produced Taxi (1998) comedy, whereas director Jang Hoon had the chance to tackle the subject matter in a 2017 movie. Let me tell you that the Japanese also had their piece of the action in 1995 with Masato Harada’s Kamikaze Taxi, a brutal satire on the topical problems which still continue to perplex the Japanese society.

Release Info

Directed by: Masato Harada Starring: Koji Yakusho, Kazuya Takahashi, Reiko Kataoka, Kenichi Yajima, Mickey Curtis

Language: Japanese Original Title: 復讐の天使 Runtime: 134 min (Theatrical Cut)

Synopsis
Tatsuo (Kazuya Takahashi) is a young yakuza member who is responsible for delivering prostitutes to high-profile clients. After a rough night, one of Tatsuo’s girls gets killed, whereas the other one is badly injured. The gangster wants revenge on a prominent politician (Taketoshi Naito) who did this, but his boss, Animaru (Mickey Curtis), forbids to take any action. Tatsuo disobeys the order and raids the politician’s household, stealing his savings in the process. Now, Tatsuo is on the run from the yakuza gangsters who want the money back, and his only chance to stay alive is a quirky taxi driver, Kantake Kazumasa (Koji Yakusho), who may look like a Japanese citizen, but is actually an immigrant worker of Peruvian nationality...

Wild Target
I was aware of the movie for quite some time primarily because I’m a fan of Koji Yakusho (actually, who isn’t?!), but I could check it out just recently thanks to kind souls on Youtube and their uploads (the movie is out of print). Well, the movie certainly subverts your expectations. I thought that this will be something like a happy-go-lucky flick crafted by Shinobu Yaguchi, but Kamikaze Taxi has more of a Takeshi Kitano touch but without Takeshi Kitano…

The opening sequence is just all over the place, and just as when I was about to turn the film off, the storyline finally started making some sense. Evidently, Masato Harada is not an auteur filmmaker focused on coherent storytelling. The film feels like a series of disjointed vignettes in which people either shot at each other, have prolonged death sequences, or deliver lofty monologues about life and justice.

Nevertheless, beneath all that V-Cinema sleaze, there is a masterpiece of a movie lurking and waiting to be discovered by the viewers. Kamikaze Taxi ruthlessly exposes such social issues as ultranationalist politicians, abuse of women, belief in New Age crap, drugs, genocide, distorting historical facts, and discrimination against immigrant workers. In consequence, our protagonists find themselves on a quest through the pathological margins of a society to kill the bad guys and put things right.

Definitive highlights of the movie are excellent cinematography as well as downright breathtaking music score composed by Masahiro Kawasaki. Allegedly, director Harada ordered the composer to listen to hours of Peruvian music because he wanted to have a soundtrack with South American vibes.

With regard to performances, Koji Yakusho absolutely steals the show as a mystical taxi driver who speaks broken Japanese and suffers from personal trauma. Kazuya Takahashi also does very well as revenge-driven Tatsuo, and Reiko Kataoka is quite memorable as his girl sidekick. Mickey Curtis himself also appears in a supporting role of Animaru, the crime boss who likes playing jazz. In addition, Taguchi Tomorrow himself has a cameo as Charlie Chaplin.

A word of caution, there are different cuts of the film out there. Initially, I have seen the theatrical version which runs at 134 mins. There is also an international version (160 mins), and fan recut (176) which sees the inclusion of deleted scenes. Basically, the only major sequence that got cut out from the theatrical cut is the protagonists’ stay at an onsen resort where they engage in all sorts of pastime games/group theraphy with the personnel.

Recommendations
All things considered, Kamikaze Taxi may suffer from narrative shortcomings, yet it manages to be captivatingly poetic and touching. Undeniably, it is a brilliant commentary on Japan and its problems which are constantly being swept under the rug. Overall score: 7/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»

The Quiet Family (1998) [Film Review]

The Quiet Family; or, Lonely Lodge

     Did I tell you about Chul-ki? He was so good at digging that if you gave him a shovel, he'd automatically dig his way. Whenever I see a shovel, it reminds me of Chul-ki. I wonder what he's doing now…
Director Kim Jee Woon is, in my humble opinion, the wildest Korean filmmaker alive. In the course of his career, he churned out such outstanding motion pictures as A Tale of Two Sisters (2003), A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), and I Saw the Devil (2010). However, his feature debut also has to be remembered, a 1998 black comedy titled The Quiet Family.

Release Info

Directed by: Kim Jee Woon Starring: Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik

Language: Korean Original Title: 조용한 가족 Runtime: 99 min

Synopsis
The Kang family has left the metropolitan hustle and bustle for the idyllic countryside. They bought an old house in the mountains with an intention of turning it into a lodge for tourists. The problem is that the family’s business endeavor is not extremely popular. The family is desperate for a guest, and when the first visitor arrives, they can’t believe their fortune. Unfortunately, things go terribly out of control due to a tragic incident...

The Happiness of the Kang Family
I have to say that I gave The Quiet Family a chance with a bit of doubt and suspicion. Whenever I looked on the internet (apart from wikipedia), there always were reserved and spoiler-free opinions. Thankfully, a friend’s recommendation from MDL ultimately persuaded me to watch the film and I did not regret a minute of it!

Evidently, it is very hard to write The Quiet Family without disclosing plot twists, so let me just say that Kim Jee Woon's theatrical debut is a pure black comedy at its best. However, I would not classify it as a horror, in contrast to what other reviewers say on IMDb and YouTube. Indeed, The Quiet Family has a couple of deeply disheartening moments, but these are not scary by any means.

Without a doubt, the screenplay itself is extremely gripping. While watching the film, I really felt bad for the Kang family and their misadventures. They did not do anything wrong, yet had to suffer through a lot of ordeals. The dynamics between the characters were absolutely spot on.

Cinematography by Jeong Kwang Seok is just top notch. The movie starts with an overview shot of the lounge, so from the very first scene, the viewers are exposed to the mental geography of a large setting. This clever introduction allows us to follow more easily the scenes taking place in many different rooms.

What is more, the music score by Jo Yeong Wook and Jeon Sang Yoon is extremely catchy, especially the opening credits piece. In addition, the usage of The Partridge Family's "I Think I Love You" song at the very end is a cherry on the cake.

With regard to performances, Park In Hwan, Na Moon Hee, Song Kang Ho, Choi Min Sik, Go Ho Kyung, and Lee Yoon Seong are wonderful as the Kang gang. This is the film just before Song Kang Ho was jettisoned into stardom with Shiri (1999) and Joint Security Area (2000)! How crazy is that? This guy does not age at all.

It comes as no surprise that the film was remade, but the Hollywood machinery of greed and exploitation has not touched it so far. In fact, Takashi Miike made a Japanese remake in 2001 called The Happiness of the Katakuris, whereas Indian industry produced three different versions for the local markets of Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.

Recommendations
Highly recommended if you are in the mood for a very black comedy, indeed. The Quiet Family is a striking what-if take on the difficult plight of lodge/hotel owners in present times. Be careful what you wish for because you may receive a lot more than you originally wanted.Overall score: 8/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»