Dangan ranna

I finally saw this film tonight after renting it at Blockbuster (VHS). I have to agree that it is wildly original. Yes, maybe the characters were not fully realized but it isn't one of those movies. Rather, we are treated to the director's eye, his vision of what the story is about. And it does not stop. And to be honest, I didn't want it to. I do believe that Sabu had to have influenced the director's of 'Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels' and 'Run, Lola, Run'. But I absolutely loved the way the three leads SEE the beautiful woman on the street to distract them momentarily. I really need to see this director's other work because this film really intrigued me. If you want insight, culture, sturm und drang, go somewhere else. If you want a laugh, camera movement and criminal hilarity, look here.

An entertaining and substantive film, Non-Stop has drawn deserving comparisons with "Run Lola Run". The film quickly develops into a chase sequence, during which the viewers learn about the three main characters through flashbacks and daydream sequences. The chase serves not as as a fast-paced climax, but as a journey that makes up the majority of the film. During the "run" we see the characters grow and momentarily forget about their dreary lives, about the "macho" roles they've bought into, and eventually forgetting about why they started running in the first place. Much like fighting provided a "clarity" for the characters in "Fight Club," running provides this film's characters with a means to step away from the false values that we all allow society to create for us. Their running serves as way to truly taste life from an unclouded perspective, and all three find some level of clarity and joy in the process.

My appreciation and enjoyment only wavered slightly in the ending of the film, where instead of learning from their experience, the characters seem to revert to acting out those false macho roles I thought they had escaped from through their journey.

Still, the only true problem with this film is that it wasn't distributed outside Japan sooner.

Full of verve and energy yet little happens. Well, one thing doesn't happen, two things do and a chase ensues. One guy chases another and another chases him around the backstreets of Tokyo. A salaryman, a rock star drug addict and a yakuza member spend virtually the entire film chasing. There is some backstory provided and the whole makes a little more sense by the end. One difficulty for non Japanese is that this is clearly intended as a comedy but doesn't quite make. There is a scene, for instance where the three pass a pretty girl bending down in the street and they are distracted. In a Benny Hill sense with the appropriate cartoon music and only a hint of sexy visuals, there is probably a joke, whereas here the content is too prurient for us sensitive souls to find it amusing. The whole is worth a watch and in particular for those quickly disappearing little streets, here I understand mainly those behind Nakano Broadway.

The Japanese "Run Lola Run," his is one offbeat movie which will put a smile on just about anyone's face. Fans of Run Lola Run, Tampopo, Go!, and Slacker will probably like this one. It does tend to follow a formula that is increasingly popular these days of separate, seemingly unrelated vignettes, all contributing the the overall story in unexpected ways. catch it if you see it, otherwise wait for the rental.

This film is listed as a comedy, but it's not the "laugh out loud" type. In fact, there is some pretty serious subject matter involving a bank robbery, heroin addiction and the Japanese mafia. It's comparable to "Run Lola Run" in that yes, there is a lot of running! But it also shares "Lola's" non-linear story line. Some people may find this confusing. It's also similar in some respects to "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" as you learn (eventually) that all the characters introduced are connected in some way.

It helps to have some knowledge of the Asian culture (even if you learned it through Jackie Chan movies). The Asian's emphasis on honor and saving face is a key driving force for these characters. The relationship between the yakuza/mafia guys and their boss/master is laughable to an American sensibility. The motivations these guys have to run all over town in a marathon chase would never work in this country.

If you can be patient and wait it out, the plot will fall into place. If you don't like movies you have to figure out, or if you get lost during flashbacks, you probably won't enjoy this one. Don't expect a knee-slapper, but there are a few good chuckles (some probably unintended) and interesting plot twists.

P.S. If shaky hand-held camera work a la "Blair Witch" makes you queasy, beware!