Love Hotel

A solid Somai, though not a film that is all that remarkable. I've seen plenty of similar dramas, dealing with failure, suicide, prostitution, and the like. It sounds quite heavy and there are some dark scenes, but it's not an overly depressing film. So far, Somai's work has been very consistent.

When Muraki's company goes under, he ends up in a whirlpool of trouble. His plan to lend money from the Yakuza is a bust, and when he can't pay them back they rape his wife. Muraki feels defeated and checks into a hotel, planning to kill himself. There he meets a prostitute, who he falls in love with.

The performances are good, the cinematography is decent (but somewhat unremarkable), while the drama covers familiar territory, (though admittedly, mostly covered by more recent films). It's a perfectly fine film that doesn't overstay its welcome, fans of Japanese dramas will feel right at home, but it lacks something to make it a bit more memorable.