Tokyo Eyes

Maybe the actors are not very well known and the plot is kinda strange but the story is really funny and entertaining is ideal in order to have a good time. It's a movie that combines comedy, action and a kind of strange romance.

I have seen this film on TV, and I think I was right not to have bought a ticket to see this film in a cinema, because the actors, especially H.Yoshikawa, made me laugh, though they were not supposed to. I honestly think that this is not a bad film. I guess you will spend some nice time seeing his film, but you should not be too serious.

This film, more than any other, has me convinced the critics are completely clueless. It is a perfect blend of everything great about French, Hong Kong, and Japanese storytelling.

Hinano Yoshikawa is vulnerable--and beautiful--throughout. Saying her acting was bad is like saying Juliette Lewis was bad in Cape Fear. If she really is so clueless in real life, well that was just genius casting. Shinji Takeda also gives a great, naturalistic performance.

The last 15 minutes is often criticized or misunderstood. This is really a case of French "who cares what it means, it's beautiful" meets Japanese "you should know what it means, we don't have to explain it." From an American screenwriting craft POV, one may say that it diverges too much from the preceding story, but...I was rapt to the screen and deeply satisfied when the credits rolled.

Critics of this film--and you should watch for this in the future--use phrases such as "something like" and "more or less." In criticizing Kitano's cameo, in particular, it is clear they have no idea what they're talking about. Anyone who is a big enough fan to have actually seen Kitano hit someone on the head with a giant hammer--purposely--will know that this is a classic Kitano performance.

This is an intriguing film in its early running. Its protagonist is driven by estrangement to aberrant behavior, and his budding relation with a kindred spirit makes for a potentially unusual story. But, ultimately it falls flat, never delivering any real punch. The acting is a little light weight to boot, too. Tekeshi Kitano has a near cameo role which does nothing for the momentum of the film, playing a Yakuza who shows up to retrieve a gun, and is more a distraction than anything else. There are many better Japanese films directed by real Japanese.

The man shoots people but never kills them. This is not a thriller, it's a Tokyo life slices showing... with French eyes. It's amazing, sensual and incredibly modern.