Waga jinsei saiaku no toki

Okay, so we begin with the Mike Hammer parody, the office in a movie theater, and the detective (wildly overdressed) drives a Rambler. Then the mood turns serious and we're supposed to take this clown seriously after all. There was either a bad script or a director who didn't understand the script. The results are a few moments of humor, some pretty gory violence, and almost total incomprehension on my part. There may have been clever curve balls the director was throwing, and I couldn't pick up the spin of the ball. If so, ah well. But if I'm correct, this confection just isn't worth the time it takes to watch it. Good cinematography and clever "cute" ideas start the film off, but they wear out their welcome about halfway in.

This film instantly became one of my favorite movies after watching it. Starring Masatoshi Nagase, who first came to the notice of American audiences after appearing in Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (1990), this serial styled private eye film just oozes with creativity and dark humour. It's got everything I look for in cult films: ultra-violence, weird cult gangs, great style and a downbeat plot. Some folks will undoubtedly be confused by this movie, especially those who lack interest in cult cinema or those who are not used to the pacing of Japanese films. What can I say, this is not going to be for everybody, but to those who really get it, and you will know who you are, this movie is a classic waiting to happen.

A private eye film, in Japanese, shot in black and white with the hero going by the name of Maiku Hama whose office is in a movie theatre. How can you go wrong with a combination like that?

This is a really clever film that veers confidently between mild violence, comedy and a relatively interesting story line.

It's the little things that really make this film stand out - the scene where Maiku is beaten mercilessly with a stick by his sensei is hilarious. The cold blooded murders aren't graphic, but you'll remember them for a long time. The cinematography is first rate, especially the use lighting which really makes the black and white medium work fantastically well.

Highly recommended.

I went to my public library to browse their pretty large DVD collection and stumbled upon "The Most Terrible Time in My Life" in the foreign section. I watched it that afternoon and was so impressed that i had to watch it again later that night. It's a perfect blend of what the average American moviegoer would notice as "Kill Bill" (or any Tarantino film) meets "Lethal Weapon" meets "Kung Fu Hustle" meets "Gross Pointe Blank." Really, even this description is selling the movie short. The acting is so effective that even Englsh speaking viewers who usually watch foreign films with the dubbing turned on would appreciate the option of original track w/subtitles. No voice actor could compare. The movie is a beautifully shot homage to classic French, Asian, and American Cinema, while remaining modern enough in story, dialog and situation to appeal to a broad scope of audience types. In short, this movie is definitely one for the collection.

The Most Terrible Time In My Life is quite simply a real oddity of a film. The film is a hodgepodge of influences (namely Seijun Suzuki and Mickey Spillane), genres (Japanese '60s B-movies, film-noir, and comedy), and ideas. Really, the film should feel like a mess as it shifts on the drop of a dime from trying to appear like a serious noir to being a wacky comedy, but surprisingly it all manages to work.

Kaizo Hayashi, the director, even gets to work in his heavy influence from Seijun Suzuki without it feeling derivative (that right there, you have to admit, is a feat worthy of notice!). It is strange to watch a Japanese movie from 1994 that simultaneously feels like it is a mid-'90s Japanese film and an early '60s B-movie shot by Suzuki on one of his much less abstract and experimental endeavors.

But see, right there is one of the most charming and endearing characteristics of The Most Terrible Time In My Life; that the film feels old and new, original and old-hat, that it acts serious and then suddenly goofy and then back to being serious, that it can be hip and carefree and then gritty and a downer and back again--and all of this throughout the film somehow works.

This film is incredibly entertaining and interesting, and immensely enjoyable (plus the cameo by Jo Shishido *AS* Jo Shishido, who seemingly is not an actor in the world of the movie but instead the long-standing P.I. mentor to the protagonist, is mind blowing to anyone who is a fan of "Cheek's" films or his work with Suzuki). If you can get a hold of this film, you really should, it is well worth your time if you have any interest in film noir/neo-noir, Mike Hammer, Seijun Suzuki, or left-field Japanese cinema.