Cobras e Piercings

Like the wonderful book this was based on, the film is a small little gem. One that revolves around just three people. It explores the 'dark' world they come from, full of piercings, tattoos and rough sex. The film is very sensual but doesn't exclude passion from proceedings. Everything in the film is detailed as some form of release from the suffocating world each character finds them self in. Shot with utter simplicity, the development of the main tattoo is the perfect metaphor for the development of the female lead, as she becomes entwined with demons. The shots are calm and well considered, each one bringing to life a darker world in an accessible way. An excellent adaptation.

For those who've seen "Noriko's Dinner Table" and wondered what happened to the younger sister played by Yuriko Yoshitaka ('just a nameless girl, walking toward the center of the city'), it may come as no surprise to see her show up naked, tattooed, and pierced in this tale of middle-class urban ennui in the underground. From one dreamworld to another. She doesn't have the sexual maturity to make the S&M stuff in this film remotely erotic and the two guys she bounces between, two tattooed punks, while giving us a multi-layered view of that world, are little more than posers. Their poses do reach beyond stereotype and the film tries to be cool towards them, demonstrating a reasonable awareness of the subject matter, but it comes up short in execution. I like Yoshitaka a lot, think she is a promising young actress, but don't think she is suited for this role. Snakes and Earrings is far more modern and realistic/relatable than a CAT III film, probably because its story comes from a teen-aged girl's prize winning novel rather than the sexist fantasies of old men, but while the film has a contemporary world view it doesn't have the story punch necessary to elevate it much beyond voyeurism. For those just interested in seeing Yoshitaka naked there's plenty of that but it's not enough to make this film more than a guilty pleasure.

The story behind this movie was incredibly facinating.

The acting was pretty good an I believed what they were trying to portray to me.

I can deff understand how many people won\t like this movie because they are stuck in their "hollywood happy ending" ways. They think that all movies should be rainbows and balloons and happily ever after. Those people should stick to their north American or disney movies because they have been trained like sheep to only enjoy these types of movies. For those with a higher IQ and a little more depth, give this movie a shot as it was a surprising look into the life of the main character and her journey to find herself

7.1.

Young Rui feels nothing until Ama chats her up at a bar in Tokyo. Fascinated by his numerous piercings and his split tongue, she begins a relationship with him and body art. Upon meeting Ama's cold friend and artist, Shiba, she slips into a love traingle that's more a square: Ama (kind and needy), Shiba (cold and powerful) and the various piercings and tatoos she collects on her body.

The plot is nothing new, but perhaps the added factor of BDSM as a woman's sexual awakening is new? While on the street and in public, Ama is violent towards those who would hurt her (and "nice" under the sheets), she allows Shiba to love her only through violence and degradation. She also enjoys torturing herself and dreams of splitting her tongue to please Ama.

Love, sex, life and pain are all explored throughout. What does it mean to live a life? More importantly, what does it mean to live a life with a lover? How do we seperate desire from necessity? Is pain a marker of a life lived? All three main characters are struggling to find a meaning and connection. A revelation towards the end suggests even Ama was insecure about his place in the world, forcing Rui to confront her actions, and the relationships she has with both men.

The acting, mainly from the young cast, is fine, but nothing amazing. Shiba and Ama don't get enough time to develop more than the different facets of Rui they represent, as the movie is played through her eyes. Yuriko Yoshitaka (Rui), does well as the conflicted protagonist, but dips into the hysterical well too often towards climax (a common trait in Japanese performance) that may be off putting for many western viewers. Still, if you're a fan of body art and the lives of young Japanese Yankee, you'll probably have a blast with this.

I see myself as someone who's reasonably capable of separating movies from the books they're based on, but in this case it is just too difficult.

The book Snakes and Earrings is actually pretty good. The story is about a girl who suffers from some kind of depression that makes her so numb she has to feel pain to feel alive. The film is about a really annoying girl who just seems... for lack of a better word: stupid.

I'm not gonna spoil the plot, I'll just say that I found the film an interesting example of how a good story can turn bad when the filmmaker forgets to focus on characters and their wants and needs. Frankly, all of the characters in the film version were extremely underdeveloped, especially the female one. I don't want my time back, I'm just a bit disappointed.