My enjoyment of Shion Sono's remarkable new film was soured slightly by being physically assaulted in a McDonalds afterwards. This incident confirms what I've long suspected about Leicester Square; despite outward appearances, it truly is the armpit of London. Still, bruised rib aside, I've lived to tell the tale.So on with the review. Shion Sono's Cold Fish is the only Japanese film I managed to get tickets for in this year's London Film Festival. Naturally I wanted to see Miike's 13 Assassins, but it sold out faster than a whippet on a travelator. As it happens, I don't think I got the short straw: Sono will have enhanced his reputation no end with this highly unusual thriller come gorefest, based (loosely you would have to think) on a true story about a serial killer. The film charts the descent into madness and brutality of the meek family man, tropical fish shop owner and eponymous cold fish of the piece, Mr Shamoto. Miike himself would have been proud of this; in fact, in many ways, it's not a million miles away from Visitor Q. A solid 4.5 film to my mind, but since I'm feeling generous I'll give it a 5.
As he proved with Suicide Club, Sono has a deft touch, both visually and in terms of plotting, but with Cold Fish, he's switched it up a gear. The film never drags - even though it is slightly lop-sided and will undoubtedly be too over the top for many - it's cleverly edited and chock full of inventive, unpredictable dialogue, with an attention to detail that warms my heart. Be warned though, this is not for the weak-stomached nor the easily offended; the last act has scenes of butchery that would make a an abattoir blush. But there's more to Cold Fish than savage black humour. After drawing you in with some nicely acted exchanges, outlining his protagonists' motivations, and allowing you to think you understand what will turn out to be their redeeming qualities, Sono gradually lets the reins of sanity slip. The characters' arcs are pushed to their extreme conclusions, seemingly in the face of logic. In so doing, he tears into the assumptions underlying a shared notion of 'humanity' and points to the beast, barely tamed, lurking just below the surface in all of us.
冷たい熱帯魚日本
Dir. Shion Sono, 2010
Every time I've been to Leicester Square I've met with disappointment. A grim place.
ReplyDeleteFilm sounds great, but how exactly does a whippet on a travelator sell out? I hardly think it would be in demand for Audi commercials, supermarket opening etc. In fact I can think of few things more likely to retain their artistic integrity in the face of the yankee dollar than a whippet on a travelator.
the poster reminds me of peckinpah's straw dogs. is it a remake, or just based loosely on the same premise?
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I gotta say, I haven't seen Straw Dogs, but reading the synopsis you'd have to think the poster for Cold Fish is a homage to that yeah. It's actually based on the true story of a dog breeder called Gene Sekine - Sono swaps dogs for tropical fish - but I'd say it's highly likely he was influenced by Peckinpah as well.
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