Guilty of Romance

This movie is disgusting and completely depraved. All characters are despicable. But below the surface lies a poignant critique of modernity. We live in an era which is totally nihilistic. There is no transcendence, no higher purpose in life anymore and thus no morality. These circumstances are a result of "good" times, in purely economic, materialistic terms. Because "good" times create weak men, who in turn create women who are absolute harlots, which furthermore turns any once great society into a degenerate Sodom and Gomorrah of soulless, depressed and unhappy prostitutes, metaphorical or in some cases literal.

Follows three call-girls and their intertwining lives inside the Castle Love Hotel ------------ A bored housewife decides to live life on the wild side .. She's introduced to the sex world through nude modeling , and after a scary encounter in the Love Hotel District she becomes attracted to a bold proud call-girl who takes her under her wing .

She teaches the housewife to cherish her body as a play-toy , and charge every man when there's sex involved not out of love .. The housewife's life slowly degenerates until she and call-girl pasts come colliding together ..

A police detective (who's also call-girl on side), investigates the murder of one of the women , as the case sheds some insight on the life she's living aswell ---------------- NC-21 :: Highly adult , Highly perverse .. Do not watch around children or elders

8.5/10

Sion Sono, the rising star of Japanese cinema, has been crafting a name for himself with a long line of excellent and unique movies, ever since the cult hit Suicide Club, including 2008's critically acclaimed Love Exposure.

In 2011's festival circuit, including the Helsinki International Film Festival, the director was not represented by one, but TWO excellent films, "Cold Fish" and the movie under review here - "Guilty of Romance".

It is my claim that in Guilty of Romance, we have perhaps the director's best work to date - a masterpiece depicting a psychological vertigo into sublime, sensual desire (and ultimately depravity).

Guilty of Romance, in the trappings of a psychological thriller, is a surprisingly touching tale, in the rough shape of an antique tragedy, about repressed desire and the incapacity of human beings to ever find what they truly (think they) desire. The films touches on the wide scope of human emotions, ranging from the sublime to the base, from the terrifying to the ridiculous, co-existing in every human being as a terrifying, sublime possibility. All of us can be angels or demons. All of us can soar in the heavens or sink into the depths of hell. All of us are humans with our dangerous powerhouse, doubling as cesspool, of thwarted emotions and perverted desires, seething under the calm surface of our everyday lives, waiting to bubble up and turn our lives upside down - but only because our lives weren't stable to begin with (and perhaps NEEDED a bit of disturbing!)...

All this material, our "all too human" character, is explored to great end in this movie. To understand the movie, it helps to understand a bit of Freud and Lacan (and of course Kafka, who is mentioned in the story itself). But to really grasp and feel the movie, one needs, perhaps, to have been hopelessly in love, at least once in one's life, or to have felt a comparably strong passion, to understand the point where reason fails and desire takes over.

Due to Sion Sono's uncompromising style, to viewer needs to feel comfortable with his or her own emotional baggage, because the brutality and horror of the plot can strike an unwary heart as obscene - but this is only a mirage, since the themes of the movie, I claim, are perfectly ordinary and everyday, just repressed from our everyday consciousness. The film, to put it simply, conveys human desire as a burning, never-ending vertigo of passion (accurately enough) that threatens to overtake human beings even when they think they have finally reached calm and quiet in some safe haven of the soul - like in the all-too-perfect marriage of the protagonist, which quickly gives way, instead, to an exciting adventure into the world of depravity, which both liberates and ensnares our heroine.

Desire, for human beings, is the pain that we love - and loving it hurts. (If you've ever been in love, you know what I'm talking about.)

The gist of the film is that there are desires deeper than words and customs can bear. Even words need to be made into flesh... And flesh demands its reward. Desire is the fuel that can spiral us into hell, or lift us into the heavens...

That's all that can be said about the story without spoiling it. It goes through various twists and turns that need to be experienced to be fully meaningful.

If Love Exposure was Sion Sono's "War and Peace," then this film is his Mulholland Drive or Sunset Boulevard (in addition to being a loose interpretation of Kafka's "Castle") - a terrific psychological thriller with spiritual trappings, all shot in beautiful, colourful, hypnotic film. This film is simply gorgeous to look at. Every shot is like a picture frame you could hang on your wall. The film is edited together like a love letter to the most patient, intelligent, passionate and yearning person (audience?) in the world. This is not an easy film, but this is indeed a very rewarding film, both in the luxury of details and, formally, in the larger arch of the whole film's epic narrative.

The film's absorbing soundtrack, of Baroque and Classical music (typical to Sono's work of late), adds its own extra flair, and is both appropriately placed and emotionally effective. Even the colour palette of the movie works marvels to reflect the changing psychological landscape of the heroine, highlighting her descent to depravity. The fast-paced editing keeps things constantly fresh, and the structure of the film is carefully constructed to provide an impeccable vista into a spiritual maelstrom that is psychologically lurid but realistic as an allegory of human desire - despite the absurd, surreal and self-consciously Kafkaesque flourishes that accompany the tale to its tragic depths.

This movie has been accused by some reviewers as having no point beyond shock value. Indeed, it is very difficult to convey the madness of desire without seeming over-the-top. However, the potent, sensual, shocking story functions an allegory of the perverted desire trapped within the heart of every human being, and its excesses are thus justified. This fearless film, I vouch, is one of the top ten films about human desire ever made, up there with Mulholland Drive and Sunset Boulevard, and one of the best Japanese films of the new millennium.

A great film like this is not for everyone, as should be expected, for the patient viewer, its beauty will be revealed. Let the movie be appreciated by those with eyes to see (and a heart to feel).

Summa summarum: a great film that reaches, by way of depravity, the heights of a surprising, brutal masterpiece of a psychological exploration of human desire. It shows the capacities of the art form, wrapped in the tight package of an entertaining, ridiculous and blood-thirsty two hours, well spent on a roller-coaster ride of (all-too-human) desire.

A barbaric murder occurs in a love hotel district of Tokyo, and Kazuko Yoshida leads the investigative team, her story interweaving with that of Izumi, the wife of a renowned writer. Izumi leads a banal existence of no excitement, constantly at the behest of her exacting husband. Trying to break the monotony, she gets a job, where a modelling agent spies her beauty and naivety. Izumi is then lured into the world of pornographic modelling, and soon is deep inside the underground sex industry, surrounded by degenerates and curs. A woman named Mitsuko takes Izumi under her wing, but whether or not Mitsuko's plans for Izumi are honorable- and how their story links in with Kazuko's- remains to be seen in Sion Sono's 'Guilty of Romance.'

Inspired by the infamous Yasuko Watanabe case, 'Guilty of Romance' is a hard-hitting, sinister drama that is quite depressing and absolutely riveting. Sono's tale paints a portrait of a profoundly sad, lonely woman trying to find a sense of agency in her life, and how she is ultimately corrupted and exploited by a society built on self-interest and full of vacuous cads. It is gritty and devastating, though it must be said that the latter part of the film gets rather muddled and contrived.

The simple poignancy of Izumi's tale is slightly obscured by all the sound and fury of the second half, full of twists and turns that feel unnecessary and trite. That said, the film as a whole is still powerful, and at close to two and a half hours; it's not surprising that 'Guilty of Romance' lags in places.

Cinematographer Sôhei Tanikawa and Sono have worked together numerous times, their collaborations usually resulting in striking visuals that one remembers long after seeing them. Such is the case with 'Guilty of Romance;' it is a neon-soaked feast for the eyes. The use of colour in the film is particularly effective and artistic, as well as Tanikawa's work with light and shadow and the composition and framing of images on screen. Tanikawa's efforts add unquestionable power to scenes, and is very memorable.

Jun'ichi Itô's editing is restrained but alert work, he allows scenes play in their own time, but doesn't let things drag out. The film also benefits from Chiyoe Hakamada's costume design, which is understated and evocative. The clothing she designed for Mitsuko is particularly strong, with the outfits adding depth to the character and suiting the dual sides of her personality perfectly. Also of note is Yasuhiro Morinaga's muted score, which is dramatic and atmospheric, lending to the proceedings a tragic air most in keeping with the subject matter.

'Guilty of Romance' has a cast all performing at the top of their games. Megumi Kagurazaka stars as Izumi, giving a multi-faceted, subtle performance both alluring and affecting. She portrays the character as she undergoes a remarkable change from naïve housewife to grande horizontale masterfully, remaining sympathetic throughout. It is a brave performance many others couldn't pull off, and Kagurazaka does it with an enviable, enrapturing ease and grace.

Makoto Togashi co-stars as Mitsuko, an incredibly complicated and dangerous woman, delivering a performance of great intensity and strength. She is frankly terrifying at times, and is clearly enjoying playing such an unhinged character. She imbues Mitsuko with much depth, however, making her a believable creation, as well as a frightening one. Not in the film until roughly the halfway mark, as soon as Togashi is on-screen she draws your attention and keeps it held.

Miki Mizuno also stars, as the policewoman Kazuko, and though her story is less interesting, Mizuno performs well, leaving an indelible impression on the viewer. From the supporting cast, Kanji Tsuda and Ryûju Kobayashi stand out, giving two strong performances as Izumi's husband- who has his own secrets- and a seedy pimp with a fondness for pink paint, respectively.

'Guilty of Romance' is a dark drama that is difficult to watch in places, but always captivating. Though the story loses steam in the last act, the power of the narrative is not overly hampered. Strongly acted and featuring striking visuals from Sôhei Tanikawa, it is an experience not easily forgotten. The film may be guilty of having a weak last act and a bad title, but on all other charges it is innocent; apart from the charge of being powerful, absorbing cinema. Of that, it is guilty on all counts.

Very unusual and intriguing.

Starts off incredibly well - edgy, very interesting, and doesn't give much away. The transformation of the author's wife is captivating, and has many lessons in liberty, self-will, individualism and their consequences.

However, the second act is confusing, drags on a bit and the plot is not entirely water-tight. Some things just seem added in for shock or weirdness value.

The conclusion is good and closes the loop well, though leaving room for a continuing moral.

Solid performances all round.