Gozu
Movie Review:
Takashi
Miike is one of the planet's most prolific filmmakers, and
also one of the most unhinged. Here he combines his passions
for Japanese mobsters and gonzo horror to thoroughly freak
us out. And it's rather wonderful, in a deranged sort of
way.
We know
something's wrong with mob boss Ozaki (Aikawa) when he orders
the assassination of a tiny terrier he's sure must be a
"Yakuza attack dog". But when Minami (Hideki Sone)
gets the order to "take Ozaki to the dump", he
hesitates. The man may be nuts, but he's his mentor! When
Minami reaches the town of Nagoya, which feels like the
end of the road in more ways than one, things start to get
very strange. Ozaki goes missing, Minami meets a series
of increasingly offbeat strangers, and then a young woman
(Yoshino) shows up claiming to be Ozaki himself.
The
strange odyssey Minami takes is like a David Cronenberg
movie based on a David Lynch script that's been doctored
by the Farrelly brothers! In other words, it's pure Miike.
The film is jammed with mind-boggling characters such as
a sensitive guy with a half-white face (Hino), a mob boss
(Ishibashi) with a thing for ladles, and a brother-sister
innkeeper team (Harumi Sone and Tomita) for whom the word
eccentric doesn't come close. The film is jammed with touches
that are hysterically funny ... as well as gut-wrenchingly
yucky. Meanwhile, the overall narrative may only make sense
as a exploration of how Minami comes to terms with his sexuality.
In this sense, Hideki Sone's performance is subtle and telling,
which can't have been easy to do.
At over
two hours, the film is far too long, and some of the scenes
beyond the limits other directors would set for gruesomeness
(the climax is unforgettable!). But this is extremely sure-handed
filmmaking that's impossible to watch without squirming
in our seats. And after watching all the bland stuff Hollywood
cranks out, this is a blast of fresh air. Among other things.
Ahem.
Rich
Cline
Site
Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This
site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film
owners of Gozu and intellectual copyright holders of the
movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie,
characters, merchandise & storyline.
