SOSEIJI (Gemini)
***
directed by
Shinya Tsukamoto
stars
Masahiro Motoki
Ryo
Yukio has it all: a nice house, his own clinic where he works as a doctor, and a beautiful wife (played by the alluring former fashion model Ryo), while just outside of the gate other people live in poverty. Bizarre happenings, however, begin to wind their way into the doctor's life. First Yukio's parents die, then the mysterious nightly starts. Yukio gets attacked by a beastly shadow, replete with a face identical to the protagonist. The beast manages to throw him into a well, and to take his place.
Director Shinya Tsukamoto made his name internationally with Tetsuo: Iron Man and the follow-up, Tetsuo 2: Body Hammer. He has also directed Tokyo Fist, done numerous TV commercials, and acted in other directors' films. Now in this production for major studio Toho, he has gone for a period piece - Soseiji is based on a short novel by the Meiji-era novelist Edogawa Rampo, who became famous for his mystery stories.
Masahiro Motoki (who appeared in the role of Rampo in the film of that name) plays both Yukio and the shadow, and instead of cutting back and forth, Tsukamoto has used computer graphics in order to fit both characters in the same shot. Tsukamoto obviously contrasts good and evil, heaven and hell, and throws the Jekyl & Hyde sides of the human personality into play. The movie has interestingly weird imagery, with the Meiji period reconstructed mainly in one house, and the actors looking sick with their pale make-up. The director obviously had a bigger production budget here than with his previous efforts, resulting in a more polished and less energetic work than his first - and most interesting - film Tetsuo: Iron Man. The problem, which also surfaces to a lesser degree in other Tsukamoto films, is that despite the striking visual power, the characters remain somewhat distant to the viewer.
Showing at 17, 60
Over 230 more film listings in this month's Tokyo Journal!!