Himizu [DVD]

Speedballing your way through a countrywide coming of age, where nationalism is teenage angst and isolationism is just a fancy way of saying depression - Himizu (finding your place in the world, one mental breakdown at a time)

Enjoyed this dvd very much. Great acting and scenes.

As in the other Sono Sion recent movies, "Himizu" is Intense and violent, focused on the difficult relationship between the world of adults and the teens. The actors and the cinematography are great but it is not as inspired and delightfully ambiguous as "Suicide Club" and especially "Noroko’s Dinner (Suicide 0)", and not as epic and crazy as “Love Exposure".

Enjoyed this film very much. Would recommend it to people who like this sort of genre.

Poor

Himizu had it's premiere at the Terracotta Film Festival, in London, back in April. I happened to be there to see the film before but decided, as there wasn't much else to do, to stay on to see this one as well - as it was the last film of the event.... best decision ever!!The story centres around 2 young school kids trying to cope with life following a natural disaster and both have parents that, basically, don't care what happens to them. Shôta Sometani & Fumi Nikaidô did well with what, at some moments, was a tough emotional storyline (both going on to win an award at the 2011 Venice Film Festival and it's clear to see why). Yuichi (Shôta Sometani) goes through quite a journey, for someone who's only 14/15 years old, over the course of the film and you can sort of understand why he does what he does.There are other characters that keep the story moving along - these include a group of adults living in tents / shelters near the rental shop, who try and help out, a criminal (Denden,  Cold Fish [DVD ]) to whom Yuichi's father owes money and of course the parents.There are dark, violent moments, romance and, thankfuly, comic moments that make the 2+ hours go by quicker then you think - you really get caught up in what's happening in these peoples lives and how they're going to deal with whats coming next.I can't recommend this one highly enough.

Sono's somewhat twisted message of hope to Japan makes difficult viewing, but if you can stomach some genuinely distressing scenes - Himizu offers a genuinely compelling story. Both story and characters are tragic to a degree of being darkly comic, I've never seen so many people get slapped around before!Yuichi's world is falling apart and despite his desire to be a good person, there lurks inside him a hunger of self destruction, fed by his mother's ambivalence and one fateful night with his father, Yuichi becomes a danger to society - an almost damning reflection of modern Japan, where we all too often see incidents of indiscriminate stabbings in the streets.Keiko's own tragic circumstances cause her to feel a compulsion and desire to be wanted by those who would turn her away (to a sadistic degree with her parents) and thus she is drawn to Yuichi, who himself doesn't want complications in life. She persists in offering herself to Yuichi and may ultimately act as a catalyst to his salvation.The Tohoku earthquake merely acts as a vehicle to reflect the breakdown in society, and in Sono's warped manner you can expect something that will leave a lasting impression.The music, and ending scenes in particular are especially poignant - with solid acting all around.I recommend Himizu

Sono Sion is easily one of the most exciting, if not THE most exciting director working in Japan currently. His catalog of films have brought some of the most powerful movies I have ever experienced, and once again, Himizu delivers the goods.The film is a journey, that is in parts melancholic, funny, disturbing, playful, repulsive and ultimately redeeming. The two young leads certainly do deserve the hype around them, their performances are outstanding. As with most Sono Sion films, viewers must be warned against some of the content of the film, a lot of it darker than the average viewer would want to subject themselves to. And yes, as in one review, there is violence against women/domestic violence, but nothing as bad as other Sono Sion films such as "Strange Circus" or the recent "Guilty of Romance".However, for fans of Sono Sion, this is definitely worth checking out. For those who haven't seen a Sion film before, I'd recommend starting with Love Exposure and working your way up to this one- this being a much darker and disturbing film.Anyway, I love this movie. It is very stimulating viewing and has a rewarding and powerful resolution. If this kind of movie is your thing, go for it, if not, maybe avoid it.As far as the actual blu ray is concerned, once again Third Window provides an excellent transfer picture and sound-wise, and the extras are fascinating.