La Forêt de l'amour

Sono Sion is a prolific filmmaker. Ergo they can't all be hits. This one is deck definitely a miss. The lack of story is not conducive to the film's 2 hours and 40 minute runtime. The cinematography is not on par with his other films (ie: Cold Fish). The ending is also very disappointing. If you haven't seen any of his films, I recommend starting with Suicide Circle. Cold Fish and Why Don't You Play in Hell? are also good in different ways.

Sion Sono is a director whom I respect immensely. Much like Takashi Miike, Sono is incredibly prolific, and his films, even when they aren't great, are always incredibly entertaining. Both Sono and Miike's films run the gamut as far as genre- they flit back and forth easily from mystery/thrillers (Sono- "Suicide Club", Miike- "Ichi the Killer") to sci-fi (Sono- "Tag", Miike- "As the Gods Will") to horror (Sono- "Cold Fish", Miike- "Audition") to comedy (Sono- "Love, Exposure", Miike- "The Happiness of the Katakuris") and every genre in between. While I really enjoy films from both directors, recently, it's been Sono's work that I've been most drawn to. Sono's films are bizarre, violent, and sometimes hilarious dips into cinema, and every time I watch one of his films I honestly can't predict what will happen next.

"The Forest of Love" is based on a (somewhat) true story. I say somewhat because the events that are depicted in this film did happen, but not in the totally bonkers way they are portrayed here. Sono stylizes his violence as much as Tarantino does in "Kill Bill Vol 1", and while there might not as high of a body count, the amount of gore that Sono gleefully throws at the viewer makes it difficult to think of the victims as... well, victims. The way Sono kills people off in this film feels as if it would be far more at home in a Dario Argento giallo film ("Deep Red" or "Tenebre") than it does in a biopic about a cult of personality gone awry. I had to keep reminding myself that these were real people, and some of the events they went through were incredibly disturbing. In a way, it's weird to watch this film when it clearly finds joy in depicting some of the more graphic details of this murder spree. Usually, films that depict horrific events like this do so with a bit of reverence for the victims, and this film is anything but reverent, and that tone takes a bit of getting used to.

Writer/director/editor Sion Sono's latest is based on convicted serial killer Futoshi Matsunaga, here renamed Joe Murata in the film and played exquisitely by Kippei Shîna with Sono's direction. Murder, masturbation, mutilation, self-harm, s&m, torture, gore, sex, control, extortion and more occur with irony, inevitability and imagination. Sono's masterpiece Cold Fish (2010) and grim & beautiful Guilty of Romance (2011) are also based on true stories, but let's be clear, his take on these stories are most likely far from reality. He is able to twist the facts to create details, dialogue, themes, strong characters and storytelling. Antiporno (2016) and Noriko's Dinner Table (2005) are his best stories not based on circumstantial facts and are perhaps even better because of it, although Cold Fish will remain one of the best and shocking movies for decades. (See my 2010 review: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2469898/) The movie is slow to start with a prologue and long chapter 1. We get to know the characters and dig into the childhood of two friends from an all-girl school. Some scenes are reminiscent of Suicide Club (2001) and Love Exposure (2008) yet darker and deliberate. On the other side, we are introduced to three young men filmmakers and finally, properly to Joe Murata after 20 minutes. Joe is both charming and alarming. An important scene from the shared childhood happens just before the 40 minutes mark. Chapter 2 (from 52 to 60 mins) is where the filming of Joe Murata's life begins for the film festival contest the students want to enter and is also where this film starts to take a new beginning by finally exposing Murata's penchant and proclivities. Chapter 3 (from 60-70 mins) is perhaps the best chapter as it confirms the power and powerlessness at play and will set the tone for the rest of the movie. Chapter 4 (from 70-127 mins) is a descent into depravity, absurdity, pity, envy, sadness and self-delusion with events after events of evocative imagery and daring directing. Finale (from 127-148 mins) still has plenty of surprises and worthy twists. The story will reveal more from all the chapters and the extent of the well-crafted piece will come to life. The second half and ending are positively well-worth to longish running time. Still, if you have not seen a Sono film with sex, violence and gore or are opposed to these ideas to be depicted in your living room, skip this Netflix Original and find something tamer. Thank you, Mr. Sono for staying true to your vision with this one. Now let's see what will come out of his first English-language film Prisoners of the Ghostland (2020), already in post-production, and how he uses sexy and talented Sofia Boutella to tell a tale he didn't write for once.

Guilty of Romance (2011)

In certain ways this film reminds me of Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite"....except "The Forest of Love" is that film on acid and punk rock.

The two films share a heavy social critique of their respective societies...both with a mixture of black comedy and drama. However, where Parasite feels more restrained and refined this film is pedal to the metal excess...almost 3 whole hours of increasing amounts of sex and violence. The pace of the story and characters is hilariously illogical (on purpose) at times...while their plot is both heartbreaking and despicable. The most important part for me was that for every moment in which I wondered "duuude (and duudeettes) what am I watching?" I wanted to keep watching until the end. To paraphrase another reviewer...it's not perfect...but it's certainly not forgettable.

I haven't seen any of this director's other films, but it's clear he had a distinct style for this film that I have never seen before . The insanity is very well executed. In lesser hands a film like this would have fallen completely apart. It's a very unique film that I'd encourage people who like movies to watch. However, it's definitely not for kids or someone who may be having suicidal thoughts.

Sion Sono is a special director. He does things his way and his movies are quite weird mostly to say the least. So the first review (if you can call three sentences a review) I read here did not surprise me. And I don't even mean the low score (1/10), but the argument that was made that there are too many characters and you could not concentrate on one individual (hero?).

Maybe that can work as a warning. Either that other "review" or me mentioning it. Whatever the case, if you go in this, be prepared to see a meta take on the very infamous forest (this is not the first movie about it and surely won't be the last). There are many things going on and some may feel supernatural (this is what the forest is famously know for after all) ... but what is the mystery and what will it all lead to?