Guilty of Romance

This movie is disgusting and completely depraved. All characters are despicable. But below the surface lies a poignant critique of modernity. We live in an era which is totally nihilistic. There is no transcendence, no higher purpose in life anymore and thus no morality. These circumstances are a result of "good" times, in purely economic, materialistic terms. Because "good" times create weak men, who in turn create women who are absolute harlots, which furthermore turns any once great society into a degenerate Sodom and Gomorrah of soulless, depressed and unhappy prostitutes, metaphorical or in some cases literal.

I loved the concept of the movie and some scenes were effective and haunting but I thought that it was somewhat dissociated. The editing felt a bit weird to me, as if someone used material from two different movies.

Very unusual and intriguing.

Starts off incredibly well - edgy, very interesting, and doesn't give much away. The transformation of the author's wife is captivating, and has many lessons in liberty, self-will, individualism and their consequences.

However, the second act is confusing, drags on a bit and the plot is not entirely water-tight. Some things just seem added in for shock or weirdness value.

The conclusion is good and closes the loop well, though leaving room for a continuing moral.

Solid performances all round.

After really enjoying Cold Fish at this years Melbourne International Film Festival, I went ahead and got a ticket to a screening of Guilty of Romance.

The only thing that really held my interest (and stopped me from walking out of the cinema) was the gorgeous Megumi Kagurazaka. Outside of this, I found GOR to be underwritten and pretentious.

Didn't care about any of the characters and the stories of three Japanese women quickly became laboured. Overly long scenes, characters shouting at each other, ridiculous literary quotes, a half baked attempt to add a crime caper twist, some kind of messages about modern feminism in Japan? Everything becomes muddled and there is simply no emotion here. Granted I am an Anglo Aussie so I can only assume I am missing much by not being Japanese and understanding their culture.

As a film, Cold Fish was in another league compared to this sorry, overblown mess.

You know Sono. You know that he doesn't want films to be easy. You know he doesn't care about your feelings. You know that he wants to tell you much more than "blood and tits", even if some people can't pass that layer.

This is a difficult one, but again, it delivers, makes you think about everything he wanted to say. Great performance and visuals.