 |
"I don't wanna be a samurai. I just wanna have sex all day."
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At a glance:
There are quite a few Japanese movie titles which start with
"hana"
(meanin
"flower") and some of these simply get the short title when
they reach other countries. It was tough to tell them all apart but this
isn't the murder mystery I thought I was gonna watch! Somewhere in pathetic, rural Edo (old Tokyo) a few hundred
years ago, a travellin samurai (Junichi Okada) stays in decrepit
conditions as he struggles to locate his father's killer. Life however,
is never that easy because nobody will give him respect until he
performs that sacred task, except perhaps the hot widow-next-door, Osae (Rie
Miyazawa) and his young son. As time goes by, the contemplative samurai
discovers that the ancient codes seem to be a hindrance on the way by
which he really wants to live his life.
Bad news on the doorstep:
 |
"We have come to kill the LGBT community
that threatens our values!" |
This movie is directed by Hirokazu
Koreeda who is well-known for his morbid themes of death and loss - yet
the movie explores these with the most annoyin lack of attention and
sobriety. Although I have only read about his impressive line of movies,
they certainly promise some hard-hittin drama. Did I miss the point,
or does this movie simplu not translate well to foreign audiences?
I can't remember if I cried:
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I wasn't kiddin about this bein
a lazy Sunday afternoon movie. |
It's obvious the film
isn't meant to be a silly farce but much of the story has been muddled
by unhelpful sidetrackin and an excess of dialogue - or is it an excess of subtitles? This is definitely
not your average samurai movie, what with its black humour and light
overtones. The subject matter of the redundant samurai is sufficiently
discussed but lacks any sort of cinematic impact for it to retain
resonance. The 'boyband' samurai actor just couldn't carry any real pain
or guilt in his performance. Also, too much of our attention is
diverted to the village idiot, the lover of the landlord's wife and also
other bit-part characters which gives the movie an episodic,
lazy afternoon viewin feel.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Despite its rich historical and
cultural details e.g. the (literally) shitty 17th century outhouse, the
village plays and also a subplot on the famous 47-ronin story, this
movie projects a stubborn lack of urgency. The directional kamikaze is
finally committed when a dissatisfyin, all-too-pleasant endin was
served.
★★
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