Contigo a muerte

Very emotional story, approached with objective realism and a deep, meaningful message; What would you do for love?

There is a song by LOX and an artist/rapper (Eve) called Ride or Die chick. Well sometimes they use a different word and not chick, but I only mention it, because the title reminded me of the song ... and I reckon you could say it is fitting when it comes to the story.

Now this starts off quite intense ... sexy time (and nudity) and violence combined into something quite horrible - in a "good sense" I reckon. As in suspensful and making the movie interesting ... not to mention the characters. Then we get a flashback that explains why we are were we are ... and then the drama starts and unfolds. So while you may feel that the movie starts with a bang (no pun intended), it really does slow down.

So I reckon some might not like this because of the way it starts (squeamish people) and some will not like how it continues ... those who got sucked in by that really powerful beginning. And then there are those like me, who like the mixture of those two things. Slow moving mostly, it does not hold back its punches ... not for the faint hearted as you may already have recognized.

First of all, the fact that a female-led LGBT movie made it to Netflix Japan is huge considering Japan has very little representation.

Lots of great qualities about this movie. The acting and cinematography is different from normal Japanese films, which often show acting that is over dramatized to force humor. This film doesn't do that. Kiko and the supporting lead actress did a great job playing complex characters that take the whole movie to fully understand.

The cinematography also showcased lower class life in rural parts of Japan, which often get overlooked in Japanese films that make it abroad.

However, I think American viewers who mostly watch American films might not understand this film, and many of those viewers will likely complain about the length. American films used to be long, too, but later became no longer than 90 minutes because Americans' attention spans are just too short these days. Current Hollywood films contain scene after scene of "in your face" drama and action, sacrificing artistic film for purely entertainment. Perhaps that works for super hero and comedy films, but Ride or Die isn't this type of film. American movies also stop short of explaining the ending of films, but this movie takes you to the very end.

Japanese art and TV are *masters* of displaying the subtleties of everyday life and the tenderness of human emotion and connection. That's exactly what's happening in the parts of this film that some Americans may consider "slow." If you have an understanding of Japanese culture and art, then this will make sense as you watch the film. There is also a strong culture of natsukashii/nostalgic-ness, especially pertaining to high school, in pop culture here in Japan, which explains the number of flashbacks to high school.

Those people who are complaining about Kiko's nudity don't understand who Kiko is. She is not the run-of-the-mill actress/model. She is very body-positive and lives to push the boundaries on what society deems acceptable.

That said, I think it's a fantastic piece of art if you're willing to try understanding the film through a non-American lens, but it's definitely not for suited for everyone.

This is a well crafted movie with some beautiful dark romance. The story is all interesting, sweet, thrilling, sad and crazy, it's also well written and unfolds beautifully. Cinematography is nice as well. Lead performances are superb and the chemistry between them is awesome with an obvious passion. But it's nonsensical sometimes, and so long and slow-paced.

Thankfully, this movie is not a knock-off of Thelma and Louis. That said, it has its moments but also a lot of flaws.

The good: The subject of domestic abuse or LGBTQ is not often seen in Japanese cinema, so this movie is a welcomed rarity. The soundtrack is also interesting, as if it is trying to convince the viewer that they are watching merely a romantic movie.

The bad: The acting is too wooden at times. The dialogue sometimes sounds like exposition rather than organic conversation. The story at its very basic is not very believable. This last part is the worst, because the movie seems.to suggest that if you're LGBTQ, then you must have a mental problem.

Verdict: It's worth a watch, but really it's more of an unevenly told story about two lost women that is more a fantasy rather than an important dramatic commentary on societal norms versus those who are different in Japan.