Strangely, this actually reminded me of early Cassavetes. Maybe the combination of black and white and mostly plotless storyline with interesting dialogue amongst a group of friends.
One thing is for certain, this definitely is not like his feature films. Completely different mood, obvious budget and talent improvements in his later works. Fans of Itami will have a difficult time recognizing this short film as one of his. Personally, I would have been convinced this was an Ozu or MIzoguchi before Itami, with his signature flair, music, and consistent use of his muses- most notably his wife. Compared side by side with his ten feature films, "Rubber Band Pistol" is like the "Which one of these is not like the others?" answer in his filmography. And not only because it is the only short. Length consideration aside, this is undeniably different.
Different is not necessarily a negative thing, but in this case, with Itami's ouerve being so iconic, impressive, insightful, and intriguing, it does make this short film a disappointment and nowhere near as engaging or fun. But a lesser Itami is still better than many other films that make much more in the box office. A simple story, if one can even call it that- a group of friends living life, nothing more, nothing less. Like people watching, it is occasionally interesting, will evoke laughter and nostalgia for some, but mostly forgettable and mundane.
This is certainly not a good place to start for virgin viewers, as it is not representative of what would become Itami's signature style. But, an entertaining enough watch for completists going through the director's ouerve- an informative piece for comparison in demonstrating how far he came as an auteur filmmaker. Also of note is the fact that although he did take on many minor acting roles in other films over the years, this is the only time he acted in something he also wrote and directed.
