Survive Style 5+ (2004) [Film Review]

Survive Style 5+; or, Staying Alive

     What’s your function in life?

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to comedies. Some people like slapstick, whereas others are more keen on situational stuff. I’m quite open to many kinds of comedies, but when we are talking about Japanese super weird take on the genre, then I’m full on board with that. Gen Sekiguchi’s Survive Style 5+ is such a movie and it is just awesome.

Release Info

Directed by: Gen Sekiguchi Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Kyoko Koizumi, Ittoku Kishibe, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa

Language: Japanese Original Title: SURVIVE STYLE5+ Runtime: 120 min

 

Synopsis

The movie follows five stories that are loosely connected with each other. Ishigaki (Tadanobu Asano) is a guy who repeatedly kills his wife (Reika Hashimoto) only to find her waiting for him, furious, at their home. Yoko (Kyoko Koizumi) is a commercial executive who tries to come up with ideas for TV ads. Tatsuya (Ittoku Kishibe) is a salaryman who gets hypnotised on stage by a performer (Hiroshi Abe) who is killed in the middle of the act. There are also three burglars (Yoshiyuki Morishita, Jai West, Kanji Tsuda) who aimlessly wander through the city. In addition, all of the characters encounter a British assassin-for-hire (Vinnie Jones) and his frightened interpreter (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa).

 

You Can’t Unsee It!

While looking for Japanese comedies a few years ago, Survive Style 5+ was the number 1 recommendation on many movie sites. However, if you expect the type of a conventional and linear story with funny elements, then you are wrong. This movie feels more like a collection of a few shorts, each dealing with a different matter, which come together only at the very end. All in all, the film was directed by a guy specialising in making short films.

 

What made me like Survive Style 5+ is the freewheeling quirkiness that ultimately forms into morality tales. We have a guy who, for some reason, kills his wife and then she magically reappears at their home only to physically attack him in an epic way. There’s a lady with some really weird ideas for commercials which always get rejected. Not to mention a salaryman who acts as if he were a bird and a homosexual burglar who is afraid of admitting his love to a friend. As a result, we get lots of craziness thrown at us and this leads to the only inevitable outcome: hysterical laughter.

 

I was also surprised by a number of great actors and actresses who appear in this flick. We get to see Tadanobu Asano, Reika Hashimoto, Kyoko Koizumi, Hiroshi Abe, Ittoku Kishibe, and Yoshiyoshi Arakawa in one picture! Vinnie Jones and his overdone Brit accent also have to be mentioned. I loved their performances but my heart was stolen by Hiroshi Abe’s small part as the crazy, womanising hypnotist. You always rock, Hiroshi(!) In addition, I also liked the cameos made by Sonny Chiba, Tae Kimura, and Kotaro Shiga.

 

The additional plus of Survive Style 5+ is the soundtrack. Apart from James Shimoji’s wonderful compositions like the main theme or Angel Air, we get to hear a variety of recognisable tracks, such as Rob Laufer’s Go, Go, Go, Yasuyuki Okamura and Takkyu Isino's Come Baby, and Cake’s version of I Will Survive. The soundtrack is so good that it can be listened to on its own.

 

Recommendations

To sum up, if you are trying to get a taste of Japanese comedies, then Survive Style 5+ is the best starter. It has quirkiness, dynamic vibes, and (possibly) one of the greatest endings in film history. Apart from making you laugh, it will also heighten your emotions with a bit of touching messages. In short, Survive Style 5+ is an amazing film and you need to watch it ASAP if you have not done so already.

Overall score: 9/10

The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War (2015) [Film Review]

The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War; or, Oshii Strikes Back

It's a tradition of SV2. Is it OK with you, as the second generation Captain?

     We've made it this far. I consider the tradition as a blessing.

Four months after the release of the drama, Mamoru Oshii concluded his live-action Patlabor project with the premiere of The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War in Japanese cinemas on the 1st of May, 2015. It is the final chapter of the new SV2’s story arc while also explaining the aftermath of the events from Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993). Is it a worthy live-action adaptation? Let’s find out.

Release Info

Directed by: Mamoru Oshii Starring: Erina Mano, Toshio Kakei, Reiko Takashima, Yoshiko Sakakibara

Language: Japanese Original Title: THE NEXT GENERATION パトレイバー　首都決戦 Runtime: 94 min

 

Synopsis

13 years after Yukihito Tsuge’s attempted coup d’état, the followers of his ideals try to recreate the state of nationwide unrest with the bombing of the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo. Captain of the SV2, Keiji Gotoda (Toshio Kakei) is recruited by Kei Takahata (Reiko Takashima) from Public Security to help her find and arrest the terrorists. In the meantime, Captain Nagumo Shinobu (Yoshiko Sakakibara) returns from the UN’s mission in the Middle East and informs Gotoda what really happened to her and Goto after the apprehension of Tsuge. In order to stop the chaos, Gotoda opposes his incompetent superiors and sends the SV2 team on the search for a highly advanced military helicopter known as the Grey Ghost.

 

Shoot for Tomorrow!

Upon its original release, the movie did less than well at the box office, becoming the least grossing live-action Japanese production of 2015. Nevertheless, apart from the standard home video release, the producers pushed hard for a Director’s Cut edition in order to reimburse the income loss. However, Mamoru Oshii claims that he was the one lobbying for the Director’s Cut because he was denied of this privilege for theatres. Regardless of who is right in this conflict, one thing which is certain is that the movie is not for everyone.

 

In comparison with the drama, much of the light-hearted tone and comedy was significantly toned down. Right from the opening scene, Oshii replicates the dead-serious atmosphere from Patlabor 2: The Movie. In fact, The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War is not just a follow-up but also a remake of that classic anime feature. Did you like such sequences as Wyvern interception, assault on the Yokohama Bay Bridge, Shinobu’s demotion, Goto’s pondering about peace, the destruction of SV2 base, or exploding Tokyo MPD? Well, you’re in luck because Tokyo War re-enacts those scenes nearly frame by frame.

 

If you expect an original story with mecha action, then you may be disappointed. I, on the other hand, was quite satisfied. In spite of Oshii’s standard philosophical interjections, I enjoyed the film for what it was and what it tried to achieve. It serves as a poetic echoing of the second anime movie. While reiterating Oshii’s views from the anime on the current political state of Japan, it also gets across the message about doing the right thing. The “time bomb” in the story are Tsuge’s followers and it is up to Gotoda and his team to stop them, so that they could prove to themselves that they truly are SV2 police officers.

 

Apart from nostalgic referencing, I also liked the fact that the character of Captain Nagumo Shinobu was brought back. We can’t see her face but she speaks in her original voice from the anime, provided by the legendary Yoshiko Sakakibara. In addition, I also enjoyed the presence of Reiko Takashima who this time had more stuff to than in the drama. Her character felt as the substitute for Shinobu and she had a great chemistry with Toshio Kakei playing Gotoda. Other cast members from the drama (I’m looking at you Erina Mano, Seiji Fukushi, and Rina Ohta) also did extremely well.

 

Recommendations

If you like the drama and love the second anime film, then The Next Generation Patlabor: Tokyo War is the movie for you. I appreciate the amount of sweat which Oshii put into this, but I don't approve his constant espionage-thriller take on the series. Nevertheless, I honestly would love to see the sequel (though it’s unlikely). This film proves that Patlabor can exist outside of the anime realm and that there’s still lots of cinematic potential for this franchise. Maybe somebody else will take over and come up with new live action films in the future? I can only hope. In the meantime, I will be revisiting this flick every once in a while.

Overall score: 7/10

Parasite (2019) [Film Review]

Parasite; or, Shoplifters: Extreme Edition

     Ki Woo, you know what kind of plan never fails? No plan at all. You know why? If you make a plan, life never works out that way. Look around us. Did these people think, “Let’s all spend the night in a gym?”. But look now. Everyone’s sleeping on the floor, us included. That’s why people shouldn’t make plans. With no plan, nothing can go wrong.

Parasite is the 7th motion picture directed by a South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon Ho. It won Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival as well as three Chunsa Film Art Awards. In addition, the movie is the latest hot topic on many movie forums due to its original storyline and unexpected twists. Is it a true masterpiece that was rightfully awarded with a 8-minute-long standing ovation at Cannes? Needless to say, I had to find out on my own.

Release Info

Directed by: Bong Joon Ho Starring: Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yeo Jeong, Choi Woo Shik

Language: Korean Original Title: 기생충 Runtime: 132 min

 

Synopsis

Kim Ki Taek (Song Kang Ho) is an unemployed driver who lives with his wife, Choong Sook (Jang Hye Jin), and their two children, son Ki Woo (Choi Woo Shik) and daughter Ki Jung (Park So Dam) in a rundown semi-basement apartment. The family has no prospects for a steady job and they resort to doing low-paid activities. All of a sudden, Min Hyuk (Park Seo Joon), Ki Woo’s friend, drops by and offers him to take over his job as an English tutor for a wealthy family, the Parks (Lee Sun Kyun and Cho Yeo Jeong). Ki Woo accepts and he ends up in a house of style and glamour. Gaining the Parks’ trust, Ki Taek’s family deceitfully takes over positions of the household’s other workers. Little do they know that this will lead to disastrous consequences.

 

House of the Long Shadows

Positive recommendations from MyDramaList and the movie poster provided me with a cognitive dissonance. I expected a super dark and psychedelic slasher, but the first half of the movie seemed like a funny comedy about small time crooks. My initial reaction was like: “What’s all the fuss? It’s just a black comedy/family drama”. However, when the doorbell started ringing halfway through the picture, all hell broke loose…

 

Parasite’s main assets are not the drastic shifts in tone, but the message it tries to communicate. I would not call the storyline as the “ever-trendy” Marxist critique of capitalism. This movie is not just about the haves and the have-nots. It’s about the deterioration of our society and we get to see that through the lens of Ki Taek and his family on three different levels.

 

I could not help but compare Parasite with the previous Cannes’ winner, Shoplifters (2018). Even though the two films are completely different, I found myself cheering for both families who found themselves in unexpected circumstances. This is where my main issue with Parasite arises: I badly wanted the story to remain a family drama but it turned into a graphic thriller. In consequence, this hair-raising 180 degree turn of events resulted in the ending which left me a bit unsatisfied.

 

Speaking about performances, Song Kang Ho always provides a class act and it’s great to see him continuing the collaboration with director Bong Joon Ho. Jang Hye Jin and Park So Dam also are fantastic as the mother and the daughter, respectively. However, the real highlight of this film is Choi Woo Shik as the son. Honourable mention goes to Lee Jung Eun for her more than unnerving performance.

 

Recommendations

Go ahead and check this one out. Parasite is a very interesting and entertaining story which deserves its widespread praise. Even if some scenes are graphic, I think it is best to watch it with your family and/or friends because the film keeps you guessing what will happen next. To conclude, Parasite effectively discouraged me from trying to buy a fancy house with a big garden for myself.

Overall score: 8/10