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Summary: A man continually trying and failing to get his wife to stay dead; a self-absorbed ad agency creative director who comes up with one unworkably inane idea after another; a Brittish hitman who only wants to know everyone's function in life; and an unfortunate office worker and father whose brain is left scrambled after a stage hypnotist is murdered in mid-performance. Starting off as unrelated plot lines, they intertwine with each other as they continue on their respective ways. (IMDB)
The first 90 minutes looks and feels great, but really isn't anything more mind-blowing than 90 straight minutes of Japanese TV commercials. Thankfully, though it doesn't finish everything that it started, it ends with a wiff of grace. Extra props for Sonny Chiba's cameo.
Alas, starved of a purpose for being that might distinguish the best of Tarantino, Stone and Herzog, Survive Style 5 renders itself a curious failure, resembling primarily the fevered dream of a Pulp Fiction or Natural Born Killers fanboy unable to comprehend the depth of plot and weight those films, in all their comedy, belie. Unlike them, Sekiguchi's film is only an unconvincingly madcap diversion. My advice: take on Sion Sono's epic-length Love Exposure instead.
Proof that style over substance (no pun intended) can work to a startling degree. The atmosphere and energy in this are phenomenal. Tragically overlooked. The performances, especially Tadanobu Asano's are dead on. As a guy who has a soft spot for unique and creative aesthetics, this movie is and always will be one of my favorites. Sure, the plot(s) are a tad bit thin here and there, but I couldn't be bothered to care.
What the hell did I just watch? I mean it does manage to be a genius amalgam of traditional cinema and the avant-garde, capitalizing on both distinctly Japanese and cosmopolitan storytelling, providing one of the most strangely addicting bizarre rides into the surreal, but... what the hell is it? It certainly isn't a movie, I'll tell you that.
This is a real masterpiece of style. It's major sensory overload, with stunning colors, crazy sets, bizarro special effects, and all sorts of odd tricks and diversions, combined with a dynamic soundtrack. However, although the film is enthralling in its visual assault, it doesn't really add up to more than an exercise in style.
Oh my God. Seriously, see this film. Class, wit, murder, reincarnation, chickens, and pelvic thrusting. I laughed a lot, and I really like the colors and the design of this film. The soundtrack is spiffy as well. Definately check out this film if you're into Pulp Fiction (but with more humor and less gore)