Dynamixor
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Logan
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
John Buckworth
I read some of the other reviews, I've just watched it on Shudder and I thought there was a lot of (admittedly very dry and dark) humour; some characters do very very unpleasant things (I really don't think this is a spoiler) but I found myself laughing as well as wincing during the 2 hours of this film. (Having said that, I did pause the film about a half-hour in, turned the lights back on and watched 10 minutes of the Golf Open highlights on BBC2 just to have a little break from some of the unremitting bleakness).Plenty of synopses in other reviews, you've already read at least one.Beautifully filmed, loads of excellent visual loveliness amongst the brutality, soundtrack is very good and used to help identify the (frequent) flashbacks (nothing wrong with challenging the viewer to KEEP UP).If you like 'Old Boy', 'Bad Lieutenant' and 'Mad Detective' I think you will really enjoy this film. I did say enjoy. I thought it was excellent.
morrison-dylan-fan
Getting a chance to host an event on IMDb's Film Festival thread,I started gathering up the titles on DVD.Putting things into place whilst nearing the end of IMDb's Horror board October Challenge,I was pleased to discover that one of the films was hitting UK DVD (that Empire magazine reviewer Kim Newman would pick as his "breakout star" in His October 2016 "straight to video" page) on Halloween, (despite coming out in cinemas in 2014)which led to me entering the world of Kanako.The plot:After a bitter divorce detective Akihiro Fujishima loses contact with his wife and their innocent teenage daughter Kanako. Carrying the bitterness on his shoulders, Fujishima is taken aback when his ex- wife phones to reveal that Kanako has gone missing.Finding that Kanako (who got perfect marks at school) has left all her belongings in the bedroom, Fujishima starts tracking down her pals.Pulling info out of them, Fujishima is horrified to discover a completely different world of Kanako to the one he knew.View on the film:Spraying the screen with Comic-Book-style credits,co-writer/(along with Miako Tadano & Nobuhiro Monma) director Tetsuya Nakashima and cinematographer Shôichi Atô unleash a hyper-stylised Neo-Noir revenge nightmare,blazing with unsettling catchy cover songs and burning rapid-fire edits from editor Yoshiyuki Koike.Breaking out in waves of lavish animation being kicked with harsh point-blank violence, Nakashima closely works with Koike to pull back some of the confrontational edge with a rich dour Neo-Noir stillness splashed from every clue Fujishima finds,as the vibrant reds and blues engulfing Kanako life image fade into bursts of crimson and sour greens.Taken from the world of Akio Fukamachi's hard-nosed novel,the screenplay by Nakashima/ Tadano and Monma sharply use flashbacks to get under the burnt skins of loners Fujishima and Kanako,as the writers brilliantly twist and turn the initial pristine image of Kanako,and also tear open the ruthless brittle wires of Fujishima's scrambled mind.Shaking the animated violence he uses to get clues on Kanako,the writers soak the title in a tense, sombre Neo-Noir atmosphere,as Fujishima finds his perfect image of Kanako to melt away in the snow.Screaming out in pure anger over finding Kanako, Kôji Yakusho gives an excellent performance as Fujishima,whose Noir loner desperation Yakusho fires up with unforgiving, wounded rage,as the world of Kanako crumbles.
franzrebs
I don't understand how this movie can only get a 6.8 rating. There's not much to say about its cinematography except that it's brilliant and beautiful. A lot of people somehow complained that it was "dizzying" which I cannot attest to. The scenes do cut so fast sometimes and there were instances were I had to catch up with the distinction between flash backs and present scenes. One tip is to pay attention early on, but a second viewing is not at all discouraged.The story was well thought out. There are many layers that can engage the viewer and put you on the edge of your seat. A lot of questions are asked, you're not sure if you should love/hate the character, different possibilities are played out, and when you get to the revelation near the end you get mind blown but not so much that it seems absurd; in fact it fits in perfectly and the tragedy is justified. Basically there was no dull moment in this movie.Not all questions are answered for you, though, especially with how the father feels about his daughter. He keeps calling her a bitch but it's hard to buy into that and you know there's so much more, be it a simple paternal love or something darker and more complex, if you dare to consider that.I would recommend this movie to anyone who can stomach the violence and often repressed side of the human psyche for the sake of cinema and let the mastery of visuals dominate your experience. I won't get tired of watching this movie over and over again. I hope its gets released internationally and get the recognition that it deserves.
thebanzaicharger
I have no idea what to say. It's impossible not to go "What The Hell" like, a 100 times until the end of the movie. I can't even describe it.===1. STORY - 6/10=== The story's pretty much about a father searching for his lost daughter, who has been missing for about a week. Every step closer to finding his daughter, sheds a new light on his daughter's true colours. Quite an adventure. It gave me new ideas and tips on to how to create a real thrilling story. The downside is, watching this movie made me walk over to a corner, get down into a fetus position, and rock back and forth. It was REALLY violent, REALLY disturbing, ABSOLUTELY depressing and OVER THE TOP disgusting. The upside is, however, was it wasn't one of those films with random killing and stuff. The movie actually had a story. Everything'll be explained throughout the movie until the credits. All they did was add a little more bonkers into every action they did.===2. ACTING - 9/10=== The acting however, was absolutely fantastic. Akikazu, Kanako, and everyone else. They all did an amazing job. The movie's true aim was to show that you can't trust anybody but yourself. In the movie, you think that the character seems nice, but next thing you know, they just go ridiculously crazy.===3. CINEMATOGRAPHY - 9/10=== The cinematography and imagery were REALLY good. It really gave the vibe of a dark,cold and sad world.===4. SOUNDTRACK - 8.5/10=== The music's really good too. Playing some classic Dean Martin hits while a murder is taking place. It really gave me the feeling of uneasiness they wanted to deliver.===5. OVERALL - 7/10=== Never watch this at a family gathering.I watched this movie because I loved the film "Kamikaze Girls" which was made by the same director. But instead, I got a film with a 'slice of hell' mushed all over it.Moral To Story: Never do drugs.
