machintim

The story centres on a failed yakuza that has been exiled to Taiwan and now provides a hit man service for local gang leaders. The backdrop is a rainy Taipei which throughout the film is hated by all of the main characters and is seemingly impossible to escape from (Interesting from a Japanese film maker). The hit man, Yuuji, (Sho Aikawa) has his life turned upside down by the arrival of his supposed son who is cast off by his mother, a woman Yuuji doesn't remember in any detail. Eventually paired up with a prostitute he meets along the way they are offered an escape from the lives they appear to hate. The story is brilliantly told both through a cinematography and script. The locations and indeed the weather play an important role in setting a mood and reflecting the troubled lives of the main characters. Yuuji and chen, Yuuji's son, (Played by Lianmei Chen) work together brilliantly. Chen is a mute but the thoughtful and pragmatic performance by Lianmei Chen means this does not hinder the empathy you can feel for the character. Sho Aikawa, although he has most of the screen time and very little script, plays Yuuji to perfection. This film is another example of why Miike is well respected as a film maker. The usual blood and revenge storyline is there, but with a plot that you need to see played out in full and characters who you care for throughout. It is an excellent example of how a film should be made to incorporate gripping drama into an ultra violent gangster movie. I would recommend anyone to watch Rainy Dog, it may not be typical Mike but it is defiantly Miike Gold.

It is a little difficult to imagine why this film was released in its current form. It has some potential, the action sequences look a little mundane as we have seen it all before but they are quick and effective. The story is quirky enough to be interesting and some of the backdrops look good.

The problem is, Ultraviolet neither makes sense nor holds together as a film. Huge chunks of action and story seem to have been lost on the cutting room floor. The film is left overloaded with the expensive bits that had already been paid for. Lots of sweeping city-scapes and shots of Mila walking down corridors don't make a film.

It reminds me of other Japanese live action Manga smash-ups (See Kasshern etc). The problem is that Japanese films have every right not to make sense and be completely over the top, as it is what they do best. Unfortunately, due to a westernised need for slight reality, Hollywood have attempted same thing and ended up with a cheap looking film with a poor script stuck together with a bunch of crap one liners.

This is a Hayao Miyazaki film therefore there are a few things you can expect, a young girl, some adventures, strange fairy tale land and a voyage of self discovery. Of course the film does not disappoint all these elements are there. There is a sense that the film has some wider world elements that set it apart from other Miyazaki movies. This mainly comes from the backdrop of an Orwell 1984 type war with seemingly irrelevant sides and aims. This is developing into a common theme in Japanese cinema at the moment, perhaps unsurprisingly considering that is what the rest of the world is talking about. However the Japanese take on it is always a little obvious and is drilled home to such a degree it is less thought provoking. However it is a visually stunning film where the characters and plot are well developed. There are numerous quirky characters to keep younger movie goers entertained, although I haven't seen the dubbed versions so some of this may be lost in translation. All in all a good modern "Brothers Grimm" type tale. If you only watch one Miyazaki film watch "Spirited Away" if you want to see a few more this isn't a bad place to go next.