Watched this in theater a few weeks ago... quite a strong work, though not on par with Tsukamoto's very best films. The Japanese pg-12 rating is a sick joke - the gory make-up effects are straight out of Tokyo Fist, and the emotional impact makes the film a very hard viewing even for a adult. Tsukamoto may reach towards more psychological topics, but he hasn't turned into a boring arthouse fart. The frantic camerawork and noise level alone are enough to drive the weaker ones out of the theater. That being sad, the digital HD cinematography look great, with some mesmerizingly beautiful scenes, and the singer / debut actress Cocco gives a terrific performance in the ultra-hard leading role.
I will have to wait 'till the Third Window Films DVD release. Been wanting to see this movie since I first saw the Japanese trailer. Tsukamoto is the man - I think he can truly depict some off-beat stuff without it turning into over-exaggerated comical schlock.
I haven't seen the UK trailer, but the Japanese trailer was just..., whoah. Man, that poor woman, dude... Probably going to give me a seizure, lol.
Hope the UK DVD release goes well, given the recent Third Window Films happening.
Special Features: trailer, premiere screening at Venice Film Festival, greeting, talk show with Lily Franky and Shinya Tsukamoto (subject to change), and audio commentary from Shinya Tsukamoto
First Press Detail: color booklet, outer case with a different design
- http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=KIXF-95
- www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B008BHLKYY/
So, I finally got the Third Window Films DVD of Kotoko. I watched it with really loud sound, and my ears are still ringing. Overall, I think it's a good movie.
I should say that I related to Kotoko on many accounts. It was kind of interesting to watch it, because I kind of share some of Kotoko's borderline qualities. I don't mean that I'm a crazy person, but I mean her obsessions and phobias, and also being a shut-in not feeling the passing of time.
I like the poetic depiction of Kotoko's "double vision". I interpreted it as a visual metaphor for Kotoko's phobias. It's not so much that she actually sees 2 of people, but it's more like something that's poetically illustrated out of her mind, rather than being a completely concrete visual representation. She is constantly shut into her own mind, and so even when she's outdoors she has a reluctance towards the outside world. The guy on the bike, there's not really 2 of them, but it's her way of illustrating her sense of danger coming towards her, you know. There are sequences I found to be quite honest, which balanced it out so that the movie wouldn't get completely warped out of it.
It's also interesting how it can be hard to aid people suffering from a mind beside itself. And the reverse situation, when people with a mind beside itself trying to raise children in a equally mad world. I understand that Tsukamoto also threw in a metaphor for war into the film. When you're caught in a war, and even if you try your best to protect your child from it, the situation is usually completely beyond the individuals control. Even if you try your best, there's never any guarantee that you won't be afflicted by the horrifying consequences of war not matter how solid your intentions and efforts may be. Kotoko wants to protect her child from the mad world, but she's also at war with herself, and so the situation is kind of beyond her control.
My point is, I think there's some interesting things like that in the movie that I think we can all relate to somehow. I mean, it's not super deep, but it's Tsukamoto's take on a crazy world.
Well. I like the beginning and the end, but the middle part I found kind of pointless. I mean, it is really absurd and crazy, but I don't know... It just didn't resonate with me at all, and so I became kind of bored by it. I did find the ending quite moving, though. Seriously.
