A Japanese Twilight Zone-style anthology.
A group of travellers, trapped in a railway station waiting room by a torrential downpour, pass the time by listening to a mysterious man who tells four stories of the bizarre and unreal.
His first tale concerns the survivors of a plane crash who, desperate to seek shelter from a raging blizzard, risk their lives to set off on foot for a cabin which, according to a map, is not too far away. They eventually find the deserted shack and settle down for the night, but, as they sleep, someone (or something) kills them one-by-one. Could the ghost of a girl they left to die in the cold be responsible?
In the second story, a cowardly samurai finds a cellular phone, sent to him by a historical researcher from the future who is keen to verify some facts. The samurai learns that he is destined to become an important historical figure, but in order to do so, he must lead a dangerous coup...
Story number three features a chess champion who, after being beaten by a computer, hits skid row. Three years later, he is found by a millionaire who wishes to play the ex-champ in a chess game which, once started, takes a distinctly weird turn...
The final tale follows a couple about to marry, who decide to 'test-run' their future life together via a marriage simulator. Will their lives be wedded bliss or does the simulator show trouble ahead?
This uneven anthology compensates for its sometimes rather weak storytelling with some surprisingly good visuals from the four directors involved (each handles a separate segment). The direction and cinematography are deftly handled; at turns creepy, funny, surreal and heartwarming, the movie may be unexceptional plot-wise, but it is never boring to look at.
His first tale concerns the survivors of a plane crash who, desperate to seek shelter from a raging blizzard, risk their lives to set off on foot for a cabin which, according to a map, is not too far away. They eventually find the deserted shack and settle down for the night, but, as they sleep, someone (or something) kills them one-by-one. Could the ghost of a girl they left to die in the cold be responsible?
In the second story, a cowardly samurai finds a cellular phone, sent to him by a historical researcher from the future who is keen to verify some facts. The samurai learns that he is destined to become an important historical figure, but in order to do so, he must lead a dangerous coup...
Story number three features a chess champion who, after being beaten by a computer, hits skid row. Three years later, he is found by a millionaire who wishes to play the ex-champ in a chess game which, once started, takes a distinctly weird turn...
The final tale follows a couple about to marry, who decide to 'test-run' their future life together via a marriage simulator. Will their lives be wedded bliss or does the simulator show trouble ahead?
This uneven anthology compensates for its sometimes rather weak storytelling with some surprisingly good visuals from the four directors involved (each handles a separate segment). The direction and cinematography are deftly handled; at turns creepy, funny, surreal and heartwarming, the movie may be unexceptional plot-wise, but it is never boring to look at.
- BA_Harrison
- 11 oct. 2006