L'ultimo Yakuza

Incredibly directing over 100 films of various shapes and sizes since his first official film went out for public consumption in 1991, famed Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike always provides his viewers with wild, unpredictable and often extremely original offerings (with in most cases additional blood shed and limb lopping) and in keeping up with tradition, black comedy First Love is yet another unique product from a visionary who has refused to ever rest on his laurels.

Showcasing a softer side to his persona and even dialing things back a little bit here and there throughout, First Love is in some ways a different kind of Miike ride as we spend a night with downtrodden up and coming boxer and personality by-passed Leo, who by a chance encounter finds himself involved with the Yakuza owned Monica and on the run from a bunch of Tokyo criminals that are all mixed up in a drug-swindle that sets in motion a group of warring parties all hell-bent on revenge and coming out on top.

Viewers have all certainly seen these type of "one night in the life" of type of films and there are elements of First Love that feel familiar but flying by at a consistent rate and throwing curve-balls at us every chance he gets (nothing can prepare you for visions of Monica's creepy father), there's enough fresh and exiting elements to Miike's vision that it ensures should a viewer fall under its spell, its likely that this odd hybrid of gangster film, romance and thriller will become a new favorite very quickly.

It's not a film that is going to make itself a legacy like some of Miike's most renowned works like 13 Assassins, Ichi the Killer and Audition but Miike fans are going to have a blast watching one of their favorite directors take himself and his audience on a wild Tokyo fueled ride that increasingly ramps up the craziness and zaniness as Leo and Monica get further and further entrenched into a night on the town that features lopped limbs, cartoon segments and fast-paced car chases and offers a more original narrative than countless other Hollywood counterparts and even in its last moments showcases a director with a growing heart and sense of sentimentality as Leo and Monica's journey may even warm hearts in unsuspecting ways.

So while not a fully-fledged instant Miike classic, First Love is a fun, fast-paced and frenetic fusion of violence, love and crazed criminals all set against the ever colorful and energetic backgrounds of one of the most vivid and unique cities in the world.

Final Say -

First Love is a fresh take on a familiar story line and while many of Miike's well-known staples are present, this is a film that feels a little different from what we've come to expect from the much-discussed director and provides a fun night out on the blood-soaked streets of Tokyo.

3 1/2 fortune tellers out of 5.

... it does exactly what is says on the side of the Takashi Miike tin and some.

On the light side of Miike but still with plenty of what you expect from his palette. Camera work and cliches work perfect here supported by a great soundtrack. Kind of modern jazz frenzy beat. Also great to see Shota Sometani in a different roll.

Pretty good to have a taste of Miike.

Good casting, great cinematography, fitting score and decent directing, but there were obvious plot and technical issues. The 108 run time felt much longer and some scenes were too long and/or unnecessary. The choreography and camera shots were terrible in the action scenes. A good film but could've easily been great.

Takashi Miike's filmography is one of the most impressive out there; he's directed over 100 films, with many of them being cult classics like 'Audition' and 'Ichi the Killer.' He's a filmmaker that's constantly pushing boundaries, exploring new horizons and delivering memorable spectacles that you want to see again and again.

So why does 'First Love,' a film about a boxer and a call girl in the crosshairs of a violent war between Yakuza members and various killers searching for a bag of drugs, feel so average?

Masa Nakamura, a previous Miike collaborator, wrote the admittedly very detailed screenplay for the film and manages to introduce multiple characters and subplots that believably converge into one climactic showdown, yet there are certain characters that are built up to be forces not to reckon with and end up not contributing much to the film, or living up to their "legend." The central relationship between the main characters, Leo and Monica (which turns out to be a moniker), feels underdeveloped and turns out to be not as important as one would expect. Even a reoccurring character she hallucinates from the film doesn't provide much development for her character and ends up being a red herring of sorts. I previously read rave reviews for the film and many critics called the film "hilarious," but there's really only one character who provides some chuckle-worthy lines; everything else feels serious and dark, especially the outlandish shootout in the climax, which could have gone absolutely balls-to-the-wall in its execution, but plays it rather safe.

Visually, the movie looks great. The actors all perform extremely well and I was definitely invested enough to wonder what would happen to each character as the film went along. It's not a bad movie by any means, but from a director who's made some insane movies, I had expected around the same level for this one. It is still worth a watch, but go in expecting "chilled out" Miike.