Audition (1999) [Film Review]

Audition; or, Love, Unconditionally
     Only pain and suffering will make you realise who you are.
Takashi Miike’s Audition is one of those rare J-Horror films which I never thought would be discussed on this blog. As some of the readers already know, I am not a fan of the horror genre in general, but I decided to give this film a chance in view of my recent reinvigoration of interest in the works of Ryu Murakami. In view of the fact that Audition remains to date the most popular adaptation of Murakami’s famous novel, I finally caved in and I am sharing my thoughts on it.

Release Info

Directed by: Takashi Miike Starring: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura

Language: Japanese Original Title: オーディション Runtime: 115 min

Synopsis
Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is a TV producer who lost his wife seven years ago. His teenage son encourages Aoyama to get married again. The problem is that Aoyama has trouble finding the new other half. His colleague at work comes up with an idea to set up an audition call for a new movie. Out of the many women who compete to get the leading role, Aoyama choses a lady whom he finds the most intriguing, Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina).

Too Many Secrets
Like Hideo Nakata’s Ring (1998) or Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royale (2000), Audition is yet another classic instance of Japanese Horror that is continuously talked about and discussed among the academics. Personally, I regard this movie not so much as a horror (albeit it has a substantial amount of explicit content), but as a psychological thriller that throws shade at romance movies.

If anything, the first half of Audition feels like a parody of popular rom-coms penned by Richard Curtis. Such types of shugary sweet storylines about an honest guy and a fair lady finding true love through comedy-charged shenanigans only condition the viewers to repeat such patterns in real life, but the truth is that these do not work at all. In the case of Audition, they do not work either because the movie is not about happy-go-lucky cheerfulness, but about suffering: how traumatic events mess up our personalities.

Director Takashi Miike and cinematographer Hideo Yamamoto really brought to life this claustrophobic feeling of nihilism tainted by nostalgia for the Showa era that accompanies Ryu Murakami’s novels. Warm lighting in indoor locations and especially the usage of red colour really enhance the aspect of Aoyama’s depravation (the whole audition gig), but also of his victimhood whenever he interacts with Asami.

I apologise because I can’t help but cross over into the territory of deconstructing the film, but allow me to say that I regard the third act as pretty clear and straightforward. Asami was the childhood victim of her relatives, which subsequently turned her into a monster. Aoyama, on the other hand, never quite knew what he wanted as a man because he was essentially woman-less for a long time. The whole torture sequence is, in my opinion, Miike’s manifesto against pornography. What leads me to such an assumption are the positions of the characters in the scene, and specific POV shots that are very reminiscent of JAV productions. In consequence, what seems to be every man’s dream (being overpowered by a beautiful woman) turns out to be Aoyama’s worst nightmare.

With regard to performances, Ryo Ishibashi gives a compelling and sincere portrayal of Aoyama. I mainly know the actor from dramas, but he really carried the picture with his performance. As for Eihi Shiina as Asami, she was truly menacing as the love interest. The legendary Jun Kunimura deserves a mention because he plays a supporting role of a good guy in the film, and his character actually does not get killed off for a change.

Recommendations
All things considered, Audition is not a movie for the faint-hearted, but if you enjoy the filmography of Takashi Miike, the J-Horror genre in general, or at the very least the bizarre mind of Ryu Murakami, then you should watch this film. Where I live, it was issued on DVD by GutekFilm distribution label. Overall score: 7/10

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Ace Attorney (2012) [Film Review]

Ace Attorney; or, Justice for All

     Stop being so cocky. You've only been to court twice, and you're still a rookie. If I wanted an attorney, there are plenty out there that are much more competent than you.
If you need legal advice, then seek no father and call Ace Attorney! A 2012 movie directed by Takashi Miike is an adaptation of a famous adventure/legal drama video game series developed by Capcom. I’m sharing my thoughts on Phoenix Wright and his larger-than-life courtroom battles.

Release Info

Directed by: Takashi Miike Starring: Hiroki Narimiya, Takumi Saitoh, Rei Dan, Mirei Kiritani

Language: Japanese Original Title: 逆転裁判 Runtime: 133 min

Synopsis
In view of the increasing crime rate, the Japanese judiciary branch has adopted the so-called Bench Trial System. Attorneys and prosecutors directly face each other in an open court, and the court determines the defendant’s innocence within the timespan of 3 days. We follow a rookie attorney Phoenix Wright (Hiroki Narimiya) who is frequently aided by his mentor, Mia Fey (Rei Dan). After the mysterious murder of Mia, Phoenix manages to determine the innocence of her sister, Maya (Mirei Kiritani), who becomes his associate. However, this is not the end of their troubles. Phoenix and Maya will have to gear up for a difficult trial in which Phoenix’s childhood friend, Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth (Takumi Saitoh) is accused of murder. It turns out that the cases of Maya and Miles are linked to a tragic event which took place about 20 years earlier.

Objection!
As a person completely unfamiliar with the craze surrounding this video game franchise, I have to admit that I greatly enjoyed this adaptation. I went in completely cold, without knowing the characters and the main story arc, but Takashi Miike’s skilful storytelling kept me on the edge of my seat. The dystopian world of retro fashion, over-the-top hairstyles, and top-of-the-line technology in courts is extremely amazing. Indeed, Ace Attorney is not only a well made homage to Capcom’s popular series, but also a clever commentary on Japan’s judiciary system (which, let’s face it, is extremely effective in the world of today).

Without getting into any spoilers, the storyline is very engrossing. Apart from epic court battles, there are lots of plot twists, and dramatic reveals along the way. You would think that these are cliched tropes, but these plot points actually drive the whole picture. In consequence, the movie never feels boring. 133 minutes passed by in a blink of an eye!

Apart from Takashi Miike’s direction, I have to praise the flawless cinematography of Masakazu Oka and the editing by Kenji Yamashita. The world of Phoenix Wright looks so flashy yet cozy at the same time.

On the other hand, the music score composed by Koji Endo is not very present throughout the duration of the movie. However, I read that the composer did try to implement original themes from the games.

With regard to performances, I am surprised that so many great actors appear in Ace Attorney! Evidently, the bromance undertones between Hiroki Narimita and Takumi Saitoh are a joy to watch. I also loved Mirei Kiritani, Dan Rei, and Kimiko Yo as the Fey girls. Ryo Ishibashi provides a convincing portrayal of a despicable villain. In addition, the wonderful Fumiyo Kohinata appears as a key character! Kudos to Eisuke Sasai and Akira Emoto for playing supporting parts of a prosecutor and a judge, respectively.

Recommendations
Even though you know nothing about the games, do not feel discouraged. Ace Attorney is a fun, escapist tale for everybody. Grab some popcorn and check out the improbable, yet romantic take on a world where justice prevails. Allegedly, the sequel is in development but no new material has seen the light of day since 2012.Overall score: 8/10

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Negotiator (2003) [Film Review]

Negotiator; or, Seeking Justice
     Selflessness. Killing the self, is the hardest thing to do.
I admit that I am not a massive fan of Takashi Miike, but I don’t mind checking out his earlier works from time to time. In fact, I think that his movies from the 1990s/early 2000s are more interesting than later endeavours (such as Ace Attorney (2012) Shield of Straw (2013)). As a result, I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon Negotiator from 2003 (not to be mistaken with Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi (2005) and The Negotiator: The Movie (2010)). This somewhat forgotten entry from Miike’s filmography serves as a proof that the director can craft an engaging drama with a touch of suspense.

Release Info

Directed by: Takashi Miike Starring: Hiroshi Mikami, Mayu Tsuruta, Shiro Sano, Kumi Nakamura

Language: Japanese Original Title: 交渉人 Runtime: 107 min

Synopsis
Inspector Ishida (Hiroshi Mikami) and Captain Tohno (Mayu Tsuruta) are two professional negotiators who handle the most difficult stand-off situations. There are rumours circulating that they might have been in a relationship but nothing is confirmed, especially in view of the fact that Ishida takes care of his ailing wife (Kumi Nakamura). All of a sudden, a group of masked men robs a convenience store, only to leave and barricade themselves in a hospital and take 27 patients as well as 3 doctors hostage. Tohno arrives at the scene and begins the negotiations, but she is relieved from her duties by Ishida who takes over the case. It turns out that Ishida’s wife is one of the captives. Although the negotiations go smoothly and the patients are quickly released, the criminals vanish without a trace, together with the physicians...

In the Line of Duty
One could think on the basis of the title that Negotiator is yet another police procedural endowed with standard cliches and plot twists of the genre. Indeed, this seems to be the first impression at the very beginning when we are presented with Ishida’s inconsequential actions towards the mysterious criminals (who basically have no motive for taking over a hospital). However, as the story progresses, more and more backstory is revealed through extensive flashbacks (the perspectives of Ishida and Tohno are especially essential). Evidently, I am not going to spoil anything (although the film is 17 years old already), so let me just express words of appreciation for Kota Yamada and his thoughtful screenplay.

Apart from focusing on the themes of crime and (in)proper punishment, Negotiator also excels at building a very grim and dark tone. This is what I regard to be the film’s only disadvantage because even though the third act is extremely powerful and provides a social commentary on the modern judiciary system, it is also very harrowing as well as depressing. As a result, the rewatch value of the film is brought down to zero.

With regard to performances, I am not that familiar with other roles of Hiroshi Mikami and Mayu Tsuruta, but they did a great job as the leads. In addition, Kumi Nakamura was excellent as Mrs Ishida. Shiro Sano was also convincing as a police detective who is outwitted in the film’s finale. What is more, such awesome stars as Kenichi Endo, Masato Ibu, and Yoji Tanaka appear in small supporting parts.

Recommendations
If you would like to check out Takashi Miike who does not rely on a wacky screenplay, excessive gore, and special effects, then I recommend Negotiator. It is a very neat crime flick if you are in the mood for reflective dramas. Yet another Koshinin deserves to occupy a place next to Yusuke Santamaria’s film and Ryoko Yonekura’s franchise. Overall score: 7/10

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