|
An Ex-Boxer working for a game parlour owner gets caught
up in a complex blackmail operation he doesn't understand.
Before long he's caught between two yakuza bosses and a mysterious
thief whose motivation is unknown. Add in the boss' daughter,
who has a crush on him, and watch him struggle to make sense
of it all and come out alive...
At
the start of Wild Life it is quickly established how
regimented our hero's (Sakai's) life is. Every day he does
the same thing at the same time - and ends up doing a jigsaw
puzzle and going to bed. The jigsaw puzzle is a metaphor for
this entire movie. You have to piece together what is going
on in the film as you go along. And it's only at the end of
the movie, when the last piece is in place, that you can sit
back and see the entire picture clearly. It's also a movie
that is worth watching again in order to pick up all the subtle
elements you may have missed.
The
movie is broken down into various scenes - all of which are
played out of context and out of sequence. While confusing
to begin with, it's worth sticking with. These segments also
run through a student filmmaker's guide of genres - which
is interesting. In fact, you'll be forgiven for restarting
this movie after the first five minutes just to get your head
around what's going on.
There are plenty of humorous situations, which help to keep
this light-hearted. The funniest scenes revolve around Sakai's
past. He looks rather weedy, and when confronted by a group
of gangsters he soon sets about knocking them flying. And,
like the best comedy cartoon moments, Sakai is off-screen
and all we hear is the sound of punching and then see his
assailants flying through the air.
Extras
include an interview with the director, audio commentary with
Japanese movie expert Jasper Sharp, and cast and crew bio/filmographies.
Wild
Life is intelligent, thought provoking and visually beautiful.
One of the most stimulating Japanese movies I've seen in a
long time.
Nick
Smithson
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below
to purchase this item.
|
|
|
$22.45
(Amazon.com)
Region 1 Edition |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|
