Fisshu sutôrî

In short: Fish Story will take you on a wild, improbable ride that will leave you smiling once the credits begin. It is a film that rewards multiple viewings as it will leave you thinking and desiring to watch it again almost immediately. Great acting and an incredibly well put together set of events leads to a movie that definitely should be seen. My favorite film of 2009 so far.

If you haven't seen Fish Story yet, you may want to stop reading this review after this paragraph. There aren't spoilers in my review, but it is one of those movies that is best viewed with no preconceived ideas about the plot. Watch the film and enjoy the twists and turns that the story takes. It is a ride that most will undoubtedly enjoy.

Fish Story is about a punk band named Gekirin that recorded a single called "Fish Story" in 1975, a year before the Sex Pistols popularized punk music. Despite knowing that their music won't sell, Gekirin and their supportive producer decide to record this song knowing that one day it will impact the life of at least one person. The film jumps around different time periods ranging from 1975 to 2012, where a meteor is on a collision course for Earth. Going through the movie, the viewer is shown different stories without knowing what is going on or how they factor in to the main narrative.

Each part of the film is captivating, despite the fact that we don't really know what is going on in the film as a whole. Every new story reveals a piece to the puzzle and when they all come together at the end you'll feel like jumping up, running outside, and telling everyone that they NEED to watch Fish Story. Then you'll want to watch it again. This movie has one of the most satisfying endings that I have ever experienced.

I love the cast in this film. Acting was solid, but no award-winning performances. I particularly enjoyed Omori Nao, who played the producer that discovered Gekirin as well as a music shop owner whose store is open despite the pending destruction of Earth. I also thought Kora Kengo, playing Gekirin's singer, and Moriyama Mirai, playing a guy trained since birth to be a "champion of justice" (his action sequences were really cool) stood out. Based on a novel by Isaka Kotaro and adapted by Hayashi Tamio, Fish Story has a great script. Also, the cinematography is good (though certainly not groundbreaking) as well as the directing. Music is great, especially the song "Fish Story" which was written specially for the film.

I can't really name many faults with this film other than it was a little bit draggy in some spots. Also, some may not enjoy the girl's (Tabe Mikako) overenthusiastic acting but I found that it fit her character. The film was just under two hours, but I felt that length was not a problem.

Fish Story jumps around to different genre's (thriller, martial arts action, comedy, music documentary, etc) which I think keeps the movie incredibly engaging, constantly changing up the pace. During my second viewing, I couldn't help but think that I would enjoy watching a film that just took any one of the multiple stories presented and made it feature-length. All of them are that interesting. Having each individual story in the span of a single film, though, is what helps make Fish Story a magical experience. From beginning to end, you will be engaged and entertained. I advise everyone to see Fish Story.

--John Kincaid @ jkfilmjapan.wordpress.com/

The characters of this movie each lives in different generations of Japan. The members of an unsalable band named "Gekirin", a timid collage student, a high school girl who is caught up in sea-jack. First their stories each go on without any connection, however, facing the world's end, their stories starts to link.

First, the structure of story is full of surprise. For a long time I like the original novel before watching this film. Sometimes movies which based on novels betray the original fans, this movie do not. The casts each suit the characters (especially I like Masashi!) and the song which"Gekirin" performs is taken charge of Kazuyoshi Saito and more than just a movie sound.

This movie describes an imaginary miracle but shows us the importance of taking an action actively. When I am puzzled with something, the scene of Masashi always inspires me with courage.

Smart and witty movie about how a forgotten punk rock song (with a mystery within the song) links the lives of several characters who mostly never meet each other. The elements include, of course, a failed punk rock band in the late 1970's, a meek college student in the 1980's, a doomsday cult in 1999, a ferry hijacking in 2009, and a trio of people in a used record shop in a deserted city awaiting a comet strike in 2012. Plus some flashbacks to post WW2 Japan. Much of the movie revolves around the idea of a "champion of justice"

The movie is paced with a natural style so despite the sci-fi aspect the whole film is very low key. Virtually no special effects. That's not to say that there are no hidden pleasures, especially during the ferry hijacking which has excellent action scenes. The film is well-shot, well-acted and well-written. The music is good as well.

An unexpected little gem.

A comet hurtles towards Earth, and Tokyo is abandoned as people head to high ground. A cynical one-time guru comes across two otaku, a record shop owner and his customer, who believe an obscure seventies song, Fish Story, will save the world. Many years earlier, a timid young man laments his inability to stand up for himself. Some years after that, a narcoleptic high school girl finds herself trapped on a hijacked ship, where a pastry chef is her best hope for a champion for justice.

Director Nakamura fashions a likable, engaging human drama here, but deserves most credit for the naturalistic performances he elicits from his actors. Too often Japanese films are sunk by TV-style mugging from the principles, but here, there is a subtlety and nuanced portrayal evident throughout the ensemble cast. In the band, leader Atsushi Ito and Vocal Kengo Kora have betrayal and remorse to deal with between them. The tension is played out in a series of looks and never over-cooked. Kiyohiko Shibukawa as the drummer takes a while to speak, but when he does, it is with reason and tact. It would be so easy to have proto-punk band members sink into spats and histrionics. These portrayals resonate and convince. Gaku Hamada is especially effective as the meek friend who loses the girl (a spooky, sexy Mai Takahashi) to his overpowering alpha-male 'friend.' His tormenting of himself in the car after that particular episode is tragic and comic in equal degree, and proves the trigger to his redemption.

The portmanteau structure is an over-used trope these days and detracts from the drama here. However, the film succinctly ties it all up at the end, and visually too - the lack of expository dialogue here as compared to other J-cinema is refreshing. A wonderful soundtrack tops it all off, the best use of a song for thematic purpose since Gimme Heaven. "Summer Days" is now the anthem to my August.

This story is about a comet which is due to hit the earth in a matter of hours and how a song from 1975 called "Fish Story" will save the world in 2012. How? Thats part of the fun in watching the film. The film has some comedic moments in that you have references to superhero(ine) series from Japan, as well as other cultural mores. You see what appears to be a series of unconnected events somehow gel. The song itself is a proto punk song, recorded before the Sex Pistols, and its actually a good song. The acting goes all over the map, as there are flashbacks with disparate characters, but it is pretty much all good. Whatever the ending, you have to stay for it to see how things tie together. The world could come to an end (Japan would be pretty much submerged) if the comet hit, so just watch. It has a kind of new wavish sensibility, especially the scenes with the band who recorded "Fish Story". Not perfect, it drags slightly at times, but its worthwhile. I recommend it.