Cinemanita
SURVIVE STYLE 5 + (2004)
Directed by Gen Sekiguchi
120 minutes
In Japanese mostly, with English subtitles
This is one of those films that rarely ever get made these days because its a hard sell to producers who don't want to take a risk on anything so unique and daring. Its the kind of film that doesn't fit into a box....its a dark comedy, but also an action, horror, science fiction, and drama film all rolled into one. And then on top of it all, the whole thing is delivered in a truly demented, mind-blowing, out-of-this-world, manga-like style. Since the film is so unusual it shouldn't be surprising that it was hardly distributed, and therefore it has rarely been screened outside of film festivals.
I could try and give you hint about the multiple narratives that are happening simultaneously in this film, but I think its better to know nothing about it, and just let the whole thing unfold before you in a blaze. You can enjoy this film purely for visual reasons. Each shot is beautifully sculpted and the sets are amazing and the editing is simply stunning. Basically, this is a film that just has to be seen and experienced rather than described!
Also the film includes a great cast which includes Vinnie Jones (Snatch, Lock stock..), Tadanobu Asano (Ichi the Killer) and the deadly elegant Sonny Chiba (Battleship Royal, Kill Bill). If you need a point of reference for this film, then perhaps it's comparable to Takashi Miike's "Happiness of the Katakuri's" in its being a gesamtkunstwerk of weirdness. In any case, this mind-blowing manga-ish feature film is guaranteed to leave you speechless!
Special thanks to film critic Luuk van Huet for pointing this one out to me!
And oh yes, the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEH7nDkiP
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sick
