Rinjin 13-gô

I have just watched the film, and there is not much I can say without spoiling some of it for you. Let's just say that is a revenge film, and like many Japanese films of its type, insanity plays a part. The film starts when a young man, Juzo, gets a job at a construction company. We learn that Juzo spent much of his school years hiding from bullies (and from the introduction, also being tortured in some VERY shocking ways). The cruel attacks by his supervisor at the site begin to affect Juzo, bringing more and more of his school memories to the surface, and the desire for REVENGE.

*The Neighbour Number 13 (Rinjin jusan go)* That's all I can say really, as I don't want to spoil or diffuse this film. I am pretty sure if you do a search you will find a couple of reviews on the boards, from the cinema release, but beware of spoilers: the story is everything in this film, there are few twists and turns, and some sections will leave you stumped.

I liked this film: it is very stylishly shot, and the use of colour is fantastic in some scenes. I have never read the original comic that this film is based on, but I can only assume that the film's many lapses into the surreal are faithful to the source: there is even an animated section of the film, and identifying the reality in this film is not always an easy thing to do.

There are some very still sequences that reminded me of Kitano's films (Hanabi or Brother in particular), and some of the more insane scenes are definitely like adding a pinch of Miike to the mix. While there is a fair bit of violence in the film, most of it occures offscreen, though the fate of one character is shown particularly graphically.

One aspect of the film that I am sure is from the source material, as it seems to be a very manga thing to do, is the depiction of some of the more grosser things in life, ie: bodily excretions, both liquid and solid are shown in this film, when I am sure few Hollywood films would not. It's nothing too graphic, but it was enough to make me squeal "Ewww gross!" like little girl. tongue.gif So in the end, I quite enjoyed this film. It is stylish, tense and atmospheric. This director's style, reminds me in some ways of Kitano's older work, in that I felt sometimes that was just following the characters around. Some scenes are just not trimmed down to keep the action flowing, and I like that. Like I said, there are some quiet moments, but they are often filmed in a kind of detached manner, and filled with tension, possibly reminiscent of Kiyoshi Kurosawa.

The Neighbour Number 13 is a film that would be best watched with friends, and discussed over SEVERAL pints of beer - or at least Cokes and Gummi bears tongue.gif While it isn't amazing, it is very interesting and looks fantastic. If you have bought all of your essentials and you are looking for a sidedish, I can fully recommend this film.

They say, "What goes around comes around," or "Karma is a bitch." In the case of bullies, I really hope that is true. Maybe they should show this film in schools to let them know that bullies sometimes get their just desserts, even if it is many years later.

Jûzô (Shun Oguri) was constantly bullied by Akai (Hirofumi Arai) and his friends in school. Now, they work for the same company, and even live in the same apartment building. Akai doesn't recognize Juzo, and that is good because he continues his bullying ways, and is going to get a taste of revenge.

But, before that we are witness to some real struggles between Juzo and his alter ego (Shidô Nakamura). This is presented in the form of an imaginary house, and again in cartoon form. Juzo doesn't want violence, but his alter ego is insistent. Apparently, the bullying drove him crazy.

The only think that prevent a higher score is the ending, which is very confusing. I have to chalk that up to the fact that this was a first attempt for both the director and the writers. Other than that, it was captivating -- with blood and gore, I have to add.

Takashi Miike makes a brief appearance as the first victim.

And here we have this hidden gem by first time director Yasuo Inoue. "Rinjin 13-go" AKA "Neighbour Number 13" is a revenge driven psychological movie that explores the inner conscience of an individual rejected and abused by society. Stylishly shot, the lead character develops a psychopathic split personality, the action is satisfyingly bloody not all that gory as I expected it would be, most of the violent acts done of-screen and as a hidden surprise it's got a cameo appearance by Takashi Miike. What more could I ask for? Nothing really. But one question still remains. Does it deliver? You bet it does, this a great film and it indeed offers some insightful glimmers into the mind of a psychopath.

Jûzô Murasaki (played by Shun Oguri) is an individual who has spent most of his childhood being bullied in school. Often humiliated and beaten he has never been able to stand up for himself. Years have passed since those days and now he has just moved in into his new apartment in a small tenement building. He finds a job as a construction worker under one, Tôru Akai (played by Hirofumi Arai). Akai, to put it simply is a bully. He spends most of his time torturing those that are underneath his rank, those that can't stand up for themselves. To make matters even worse Akai lives in the same apartment building one floor above. Juzo's childhood nightmare is brought back to the surface as he is subjected to a series of pranks leading up to a point where he is trapped in a toilet by Akai. Then, enters Number 13, Jûzô's split personality. One very nasty fellow who unlike his "roomate" has no qualms to use violence against, anybody or anything. 13 is the vessel holding all the anger, all the rage that has been building up in Jûzô for years. Once he is free all hell brakes loose, there are no more moral barriers to cross, everyone in his path gets it one way or the other.

Inoue does a commendable job in directing this movie. Bordering near the realm of the surreal, "Neighbour Number 13" is a dreamlike slasher, that has more brains than guts. Inoue makes it very clear that the story is much more complicated than it seems at first. Several sequences point to that, one good example is the opening shot. Showing us the arrival of NO.13 into Jûzô's mind. Not to mention the open-ended ending that certainly leaves a lot to think about. The actors do their jobs accordingly and it does feel very organic the way their characters react. Miike's surprise cameo is another cool addition (not to mention the way he gets killed)to this already good film, I'm not going to lie his appearance is partially one of the reasons why I watched this, so yeah I'm glad he's here even if it is for a few seconds or so.

So what do we have in the end? "Neighbour Number 13" a vastly enjoyable movie be it revenge/slasher/character study/psychological see it for whatever type you desire or just watch it as something unique, an amalgam that stays in a genre of its own. For a first time director Yasuo Inoue demonstrates some impressive skills and I'm definitely going to wait and see what he'll cook up in the future.

This movie is a pretty harsh look at how bullying and loneliness can affect someone's life. It's one of the best horror/revenge flicks I've ever seen.

What we have here is a story about a young boy who is abused by his fellow classmates. Due to this abuse he has grown up with a split personality. Which is his bad, vengeful, stronger side. The movie is basically about him coping with the emergence of his Mr. Hyde.

The movie plays incredibly well. Some may have issues with the long scenes, but for me the movie was shot incredibly well. It's this type of movie that makes me roll my eyes at these WB flicks or even TV shows. The cinematography, direction and music was nothing less than awesome. Whenever they show his alter side, it was nothing but pure badass, creepy goosebumps. There really is not much to complain about. It would have been nice to maybe get to know the characters a little more. Maybe to understand why Juzo went so kaka cuckoo. The other slight complaint is the ending. It's a tad confusing, but either way you think how it ended...it works.

This was a damn treat. A serious revenge/horror/thriller flick that delivers on pretty much all cylinders. I think I might start wearing my down vest again.

2005 Japanese horror film. The boy, who was bullied in his childhood, raises a monster inside him with a feeling of revenge. When it grows up, this monster takes action to take revenge. But which type of truth is difficult to understand. The one with no marks on his face or the one burned with acid? Also, why do these far eastern movies always end with uncertainty? Is this a legal requirement? It's a mediocre movie in my opinion.