Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

What a fascinating film to behold, truly. I had no idea it was based on any urban legend. One could swear, based on much of the film's tone and atmosphere, that it was a horror film in disguise. In its own way, it is a horror film, but it's not bound by any genre and instead it manages to be both supremely disturbing, it gets under your skin, but also really beautiful and engrossing on an emotional level. People seeking it out because "treasure hunter" sounds like it would make for something really fun should probably look away. The film will no doubt polarize many, with its most ardent fans defending it until their last breath while others will criticize it for being pointless or boring, or both. Regardless, it's a majestic film and unlike anything I've probably ever seen, and there couldn't have been anyone better cast than Kikuchi.

"Kumiko The Treasure Hunter" (2014 release; 104 min.) brings the story of Kumiko. As the movie opens, we see Kumiko walking alongside the beach with a map, eventually retrieving a VHS tape from under a rock. It turns out to be the movie "Fargo", and Kumiko becomes obsessed with it, and in particular the character played Steve Buscemi , who buries a briefcase full of money in the Fargo snow. Meanwhile, we witness Kumiko becoming more and more aloof and isolated in her day-to-day life, including her job as an Office Lady in corporate Japan. It's only when she is watching "Fargo" that she feels alive. Kumiko eventually decides to go to Fargo. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Several comments: the movie is directed, co-written by and stars David Zellner (his brother Nathan co-wrote the script). The story is a fantastical concoction that is loosely based on true events, and when I say "loosely", you should read that in the broadest possible meaning. The movie's initial 45 minutes play out in Tokyo, and Zellner captures the loneliness and isolation of the Kumiko character, still an Office Lady at age 29, perfectly. When Kumiko is caught trying to steal a huge world atlas from the library and is asked why, Kumiko passionately explains that "I am like a Spanish Conquistador, retrieving untold treasures!", to the shock of the library guard. The last hour of the movie plays out in the US, and captures the mood of the 'frozen tundra' and also the mood of the "Fargo" movie perfectly. When Kumiko is wondering the snowy fields, the movie becomes the anti-"Wild" movie: rather than finding herself, Kumiko becomes more and more lost. Please note that, like in "Wild", there are long stretches in this film where not a word is spoken. Knowing some of the background on the real life events on which this is loosely based, I was quite surprised with the ending offered by this movie… Last but not least, there is a great instrumental soundtrack, composed and performed by Austin-based indie band The Octopus Project.

I head read about this movie, and was intrigued by it. Imagine my surprise when "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter" opened without any pre-release fanfare or advertising at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend. I went to see it right away and the Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great. Which is a shame, as this is a very nice 'little' movie that is quirky and off-center, yet always entertaining if not intriguing. IF that sounds like it might appeal to you, you cannot go wrong with this. "Kumiko The Treasure Hunter" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

"It is my destiny." Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi)

Kumiko, finding a hidden VHS copy of Fargo (1996), leaves Tokyo to go to N. Dakota to find the film's buried treasure. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, is as fine a fantasy as you will find outside of the Disney Empire, and more insightful. Based upon an urban legend about a Japanese tourist who froze to death seeking the treasure, a bit of the Coen brothers' fabulous story lingers in this equally endearing tale.

Kumiko's a lost 29 year-old soul looking for the end of the rainbow--a little like most of us with dreams or bucket lists just beyond our grasp—but we'll still dream of them or actually pursue the dream in the face of insurmountable odds. Kumiko at her job is distanced from her peers and an enigma to her boss, who lets her go with the company credit card because she is depressed, and he needs to fill her "office lady" spot with a younger model.

As she's reminded along her journey, the film Fargo is just fiction, and the town not a pleasant time to be in winter. Yet, Kumiko persists with help from a kindly old lady (Shirley Venard), who would rather take her to The Mall of America, and deputy sheriff (director Zellner), whose motives are pure as the driven snow that covers the land. That snow gradually overcomes every scene with purity and menace, a blank slate upon which her dream can come true and nature, human and otherwise, can send her to oblivion if it wishes.

Looking a little like Red Riding Hood, she's the opposite of realists, who see Kumiko's folly yet cannot stop her drive to get to Fargo and the buried loot.

The film is a Seinfeld variant because nothing happens except the most profoundly simple occurrences strengthening Kumiko's resolve and making us believers in her Quixote-like quest. For the lost Tokyo soul with only a pet bunny rabbit as Panza-like friend, Kumiko seeks to fulfill her fantasy, the naysayers be damned. (She likens herself to a Spanish Conquistador.) She hurts no one, and when at last she smiles, you know her quest is valuable only to her, a symbol of her achieving something in life to set her apart from boring normalcy.

This film works as allegory, applying to all who should hold on to their dreams if only for themselves. Otherwise, it's a delightful tale acted perfectly, a treat to please our fancy and remind us about private dreams that keep us going.

I wonder what the Coen brothers think to this film - besides the fact they apparently didn't credit the use of the scenes from Fargo. Not that anyone would mistake it for anything else. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter has one of the most absurd setups for such an otherwise archetypal story. If there wasn't such a well known case of it actually happening, it would be difficult to swallow. It's simultaneously an American Dream and a culture rejection story that would make Ozu proud. In her pursuit for unimaginable riches, Kumiko neglects all aspects and expectations of her life, burning bridges every step of the way. It's a harsh examination of modern standards for young Asian women subverted with a 'gold rush' trope.

Kumiko is of course the least likely suspect for this journey, but that makes it more engaging than anyone else. While it feels like she gets out of situations by literally escaping without much of a scratch too often, its frequency paints a portrait of how far she's getting to each point of no return. In true Coen fashion, its fleeting supporting cast are memorably eccentric and provide much of the humour while lead Rinko Kikuchi provides the gravitas of the drama, taking the bizarre quest sincerely in every step. The photography is exquisite, contrasting the two worlds but putting America in the same tone and pace as Japan. Kumiko is a great tribute to the Coen's study of the corruption of money, building on it in the most out of the box way.

8/10

Not knowing anything about this movie beforehand I was very pleasantly surprised. It starts with what could have just been another Japanese "horror out of the TV" movie but it quickly turns into a beautifully shot road movie with brilliant actress Rinko Kikuchi in virtually every scene. The photography reproduced on the giant digital screen is breathtaking. With minimal cutting and extended static shots this is visually very impressive. Unfortunately the film was marred by an extremely loud music soundtrack. Sometimes less is better. I would have preferred silence. As there was very little dialogue the movie would then get to speak for itself.