Watches
October 23, 2023
A peculiar Wakamatsu film. It felt more like a mid to late-90s crime flick (think Kurosawa or serious Miike), made by someone who was merely getting started in the industry. Not that the film makes any rookie mistakes, it's just that Wakamatsu has such a distinct and unique style, that it's quite hard to believe he could even direct a more straightforward genre film like this.
Goda is throwing one last party to celebrate the closing of his bar. He invites some old friends, but in the middle of the celebration, a Vietnamese woman stumbles in. She claims she just killed a prominent Yakuza boss and has gotten hold of incriminating evidence against him and his gang.
In many ways a simple and typical crime flick, with only a few minor hints towards Wakamatsu's cinematic legacy. Still, it's a nicely paced, well-acted, and properly stylized genre film that nicely ticks all the boxes. Not the kind of film you'd expect Wakamatsu to make, but that doesn't make it a bad film.