I really enjoyed this movie, had some great cinematography and some great characters, also a good story. This isnt as crazy as Miikes other movies, its definatly a littlw slower pase, but i still really enjoyed this movie. If you have an open mind check this out. And i was also surprised when i got this movie in the mail to find out that it was a movie made for tv... GREAT WATCH!
What are your opinions?
I first knew about Miike because of his bloody movies that deals with "Yakuza gangsters", but recently I've seen 2 of his films that have nothing in common with his "Black Trilogy" or "Ichi The Killer" and the likes:
"The Bird People In China" and "Sabu"
The first one is a Hit! the second one reminded me more a soap opera than a quality period drama.
Anyway one thing should be taken for true: Miike is a multifacetic director that can direct movies from almost any genre with equal success. If just he could shoot less "quantity" and more "quality", then perhaps he could deliver some of the best japanese films since Kurosawa, Teinosuke Kinugasa or Kon Ichikawa, and to start being recognized not only as a "cult" director but as a filmmaker, an "auteur".
Me thinks Miike doesn't care about it, though. So he will keep shooting movies in 2-3 weeks, 10 per year! some good, some average, some flawed as Sabu.
cheers.
i love Miike's diversity. he also seems to pull everything out of the actors and makes even the smallest characters in his movies honestly believable. I'm amazed at everything i have watched of his, even if i don't end up loving every single final product. he could turn the phone book into a movie and make it interesting. Miike is much much more then a "cult" director thats for sure.
Brian, there's a message in my AlphaBits. It says "OOOOOO".
Peter, those are Cheerios.