There are some brilliant moments in this, making the moment of its underwater setting, feeling deeper with each moment. The storyline is also charged with many political points, feeling very relevant today four decades on, so is a vengeance piece with a lot of heart.
Mari Shirato is borderline iconic in this, giving a good performance of depth and energy, making this a brilliant example of pinku eiga crossover. Being a genre film does give it the odd drawback, but not enough to detract from its overall impact as an angry and emotional portrayal.
Like all Japanese directors, Kitano has made his final film several times, here mixing the comedy of Getting Any? with the yakuza trilogy of Outrage. For the last couple of decades, his films have been a bit of a struggle, but this simply doesn't care, and is all the better for it. Enjoyable, even.
Repeating the scenario in his 2 guises, this is more effective than Takeshis' in showcasing this, though much less ambitious. Roping in some old friends, they basically dick-about in front of the camera, and it's a quick and enjoyable watch. Far from back on form, he at least still has something.
Not particularly familiar with the work of Edogawa Ranpo, I'm not particularly sure this collection of shorts does his work any justice. There is a real lack of energy that comes across in each of the 4 segments, and while having his moments, Asano's natural charm struggles to bring enough life.
Made by 4 directors: 1 hard to pin down, 1 from a career in exploitation cinema and 2 novices, this feels a little made-for-TV and amateurish in parts. It's a somewhat bumpy collection, with Crawling Bugs the most memorable at the close, with Asano showing a comic turn as a madman.
Comments
Takeshi Kitano goes all Hong Sang-soo on us.
https://letterboxd.com/film/broken-rage/
Fish repeating on me.
https://letterboxd.com/film/mermaid-legend/