Yomigaeri no chi (2009)
19 Dec 2009 • Drama • 1h 23m
I'm not quite sure what to make of this film, but here goes..Once upon a time, way back when there were ancient kingdoms and evil warlords, an expert masseur is contracted by one of said warlords, who has problems with his testicles after having had sex with too many women (some of whom may have had sexually transmitted diseases). The masseur helps the warlord feel better, but when he tries to leave again, the warlord tells him to stay with him forever. When he kindly refuses that offer, the warlord has him killed.. but the story does not end here, as the masseur chooses to be sent back to earth, when he faces the heavenly crossroads. Back on earth, he seeks his revenge over the warlord, but must first be transported to the holy fountain of rejuvenation or something..The story begins very well, leading up to an interesting and entertaining adventure, but along the way gets more and more bizarre, with several long and incomprehensible sequences being interwoven in the plot, the weirdest being a long scene with the masseur screaming in slow-motion while bathing in the fountain, with roaring loud guitar-noises being played at the same time. When the movie finally neared the climax, I was so bored and annoyed, that I didn't even cared what happened with either the masseur or the warlord, and was just thankful that the film was over, so I could go do something with my life again, instead of wasting it sitting through what felt like an 5-hour long music-video of a band I didn't like.Now, I don't really know who'd enjoy a movie like this, but I presume that it would be people who like artsy movies which is made more for the feel than for the story itself. A lot of beautifully shot scenes, and a fantastic performance by the warlord-actor, but otherwise a muddled journey through an incomprehensible (and unexplained) rebirth of a man who'd rather have revenge than go to heaven, when given the choice.
Director
Writer
Starring
Language:
Japanese
Awards:
Country:
Japan
Metacritic Score:
DVD Release Date:
Box Office Total: