Modo de Sobrevivência 5

Some people out there may imagine the Japanese of Tokyo to be stoic and colorless like Vulcans. To some extent, that is how they really are. The buildings are gray, and if it's overcast, everything kind of blends together into a formalized drone. There is more paperwork added each day, another speech to sleep through, and the shuffle begins anew. Add the business formalities, and society can get very stiff over there.

That is one side of Japan.

SURVIVE STYLE 5 is the other side. Somewhere buried beneath the hard samurai exterior, the Japanese are the silliest, flashiest people on the face of the earth. Just watch the game shows on TV to see what I mean. It takes the slightest spark to transform a crowd of adults into a crowd of Pokemon monsters. Add this side of Japan, and every conversation at the workplace has a Comic Book BANG! POW! and HORRA!

The movie features five story lines (1) A hip to be square family of four (2) A girl that won't stay buried (3) An assassin on a hit job (4) A hypnotist (5) A traveling band of fools in a van. Here's a puzzle for you -- what is the common element that connects these 5 story lines? Beats me. Maybe it's the STYLE.

SURVIVE STYLE 5 is like a multi-colored salad falling to the kitchen floor in slow motion. Everyone stands agape as the orange leaves scatter like purple rain. Most memorable are the vivid colors and extreme silliness. Take for example the absurd scene where a typical nuclear family is rocking out in the car on their way to a hypnosis show. All four are bobbing their heads to punk rock and shouting American profanities in unison.

A cohesive story would have propelled this movie into greatness. But because it's so scatterbrained, it can safely be filed in the "two-hour music video" drawer. You might want to display it at the entrance to your home on special occasions -- like an Andy Warhol photograph. It can serve as a reminder of how absurd the world can get. "Yes, the world did have a story to tell once upon a time. It made absolutely no sense, but it had such a beautiful Christmas Tree!"

If SURVIVE STYLE 5 is your cup of tea, I recommend Taste of Tea, released in 2004 starring Tadanobu Asano.

JY

Jimboduck-dot-com

Hey, let's just get back these IMDb reviews under control.

This is an enjoyable, multi-levelled film that will particularly appeal to a European and American audience - just because it is so different.

However, in view of the whole range of current Japanese/Chinese/Tiawanese film output, anyone giving this a ten star rating should get out more. Especially those people (and you know who you are) have written a "review" which is a word for word quote from the DVD cover.

Having watched it twice, I enjoyed it. It's got style, and originality. It's really watchable. But, it's a bit like candy-floss - it appears more substantial than it is. In some circumstances, it would acquire a cult following of those wishing to explain each and every scene, in infinite depth.

There are some great performances. Unfortunately, Vinne Jones does not provide one of these. In his previous, and more honourable career, as a soccer player, he achieved a certain degree of fame as a last stop, hatchett man defender.

In his retirement, he was superb in his cameo role in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" However, his role in this film is just a joke. Now, I quite understand if he was cast as a joke - this would lend a degree of irony to his role. But, I just don't think that was the intention.

So, in conclusion, watching this will not be a wasted 2 hours of your life - but if you haven't already seen 3-Iron, Oldboy, Immortal, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance or Casshern, why not do yourself a favour, and leave this as the light - but substantial - piece of fluff it is?

There are 5 stories that somehow connect but not really intertwine (this is the deceptive part), however, I liked all of them, the movie puts a especial emphasis in bizarreness, but it doesn't go too far.

Wife and Husband- This is in fact the fantastic part of the movie, the silentness of the wife is the main tool for getting you into that sweet vacillation of whether things are real or not, but there are lot more, as the costumes she wears every time (Which reminds me to a movie knows as "héroe" by this latitudes) and the phase-shifts. Here we also have the sweet dose of violence.

Killers - I got pretty surprised when I ran into "Big Chris"! The contrast between Jones and the translator was way bizarre. There's not much going on here, since both of them are like a lone functional character.

Birdman- The "strange" vector of the film, yet the cutest, Keiichi's perspective keeps the frankness of children accurately. I LOVED the teacher scene.

Yoko the Creative- Oh god, Yoko's ideas for commercials are so unfunny they become funny, and Yoko is funny herself. Really laugh with the way she laughs and with the wild winking when she's having her "afflati". Here I may mark two characters I would had LOVED to see a little bit more of = The café girls. The accident girl was so funnily pathetic, and that were really strengthened by the uncaring friend. I wonder what would have happened to her if she'd got a third scene!!

The Housebreakers = And again we find a bizarre contrast, this time between the "ugly" and the "sexy" burglars. This story takes little of the film's length and it is also the most disconnected one, but adds a funky "sexuality" note.

And to finish, I liked the music.

Definitely one of my favorites!

There are so many creative and innovative ideas and genuine rip-off's of clichés. A real fun to watch. And the stunning art style ... never seen a so detailed and thought-out flick like this one. Even when you watching this film a second time you still might get lost in figuring out all these details.

Music was also perfectly used; a 100% match with the art style (something like Rock/Pop ...(?).. well, you'll get it when you see it) Even the slower and moderate background music (simple piano chords), which was used in the middle of the film for quite a long time, was also a consummate choice.

The highlight, alongside the art style, of this movie was definitely characters and acting. Every one of them really stand out. Some of the reviews complained about a cliché-kind of presentation of Vinnie Jones. You know, this was intentionally; hinting at the cliché image of Gaikokujin (foreigners) in japan. It is just an amazing performance of the entire cast.

If i happen to see this movie presented in an art exhibition, i wouldn't be surprised at all. A real masterpiece, though some might only like it, but not love it, as i do ... well, too bad! ;)

What is Survive Style 5+? One of the best films I have ever seen in my life. This film is about 5 ( or more, you decide) styles of living, depicted in a seemingly haphazard and bewildering form. The use of song, colors, cinematography will ensure most people have no excuse BUT to be captivated by every scene. Even those that simply miss out on all the symbolism and allegories for every day life will find this movie highly entertaining simply from the excellent performances and superb overall presentation.

The movie opens up with a man, who's apparently murdered his wife, burying her in the forest with a couple of meaningful comments about murder itself. That serious moment opens up a floodgate of seemingly subconscious events and comedy that is meant to jar you from the underlying essence of the movie for a moment. The film introduces other "styles of life", for example a group of bumbling burglar teens, a hit-man (Vinnie Jones) and his translator, an advertising guru who thinks every think she makes is the pinnacle of hilarity, and a family that apparently has a few issues of their own to deal with.

Each layer of bizarre is followed by another layer of bizarre, until the ending will most likely leave you with your jaw on the floor. The great thing about SS5+ is that deep within the layers of apparently non-sensical comedy and action, there is a meaning to unearth, most people will come up with their own ideas as to "what it all means" and THAT is the best aspect of SS5+, enjoy.