Tsumi toka batsu toka

This is a black comedy in the Japanese/British style about an unsuccessful model named Ayame (the pretty Riko Narumi) who unwittingly steals a girlie magazine she is in from a convenience store. The magazine has her in it but upside down and having the remnants of a squashed bug on her upper lip. As a sentence, she has to be police chief for a day (according to the person introducing the film at the Japan Society in New York where this film premiered, this actually happens). Her assistant is a former lover who is a serial killer. He once tried to kill her but she as well as the police are looking the other way about that. Also in the mix is Sakura Ando as Momo. In the span of one week I've seen her in three films, "Love Exposure", "Ain't No Tomorrows" and this one. She is remarkably versatile and should have a great career ahead of her, like the equally talented Ms. Narumi. Anyway, throw in a salaryman who witnesses a murder done by the serial killer and then gets hit by a truck, as well as a trio of hapless robbers with a taser gun and you have a comedy which is all over the place. Stay with it, though. If you don't like black comedy I think you should skip it, but otherwise it is recommended. Don't take it seriously and you'll be fine.

For a Japanese comedy and a Third Windows Films release, then "Tsumi Toka Batsu Toka" (aka "Crime or Punishment?!?") is a fairly tame and flat experience. For a comedy, then it was surprisingly devoid of laughing moments.

The story is about a young girl posing in a girlie magazine whose life is turned upside-down, literally, as she finds out her photo has been posted upside-down in the magazine. But this is also a tale of various fates coming together.

The good part about "Crime or Punishment?!?" is that the director, Keralino Sandorovich, actually managed to pull it off with a couple of very different story lines coming together and entwining nicely for a greatly spun story. Each storyline is nicely executed and presented, and is woven into one another in a good way.

Acting-wise, then "Crime or Punishment?!?" doesn't really boast any overly outstanding performances. That being said, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that the acting in the movie was bad, not at all, it was just plain and ordinary. Which didn't lift the movie up from the mediocre experience that it turned out to be.

And the lack of laughs throughout the movie didn't exactly help the movie out much either. Sure, there is comedy here and there throughout the movie. But just don't expect this to by the type of comedy that will leave you in tears from laughing.

Third Window Films have some really good titles to their name, but of course, it would be stupidity to expect every single title they produce will be of equal quality. I was disappointed with "Crime or Punishment?!?", but hey, this might just be what you are looking for.