Ikari (2016) Reviews

• A suspenseful film with deep emotions

  Gordon-112016-11-21

  This film begins with a gruesome murder scene, where a man and a woman are found dead in their home. The police traces who the killer is by thumbprints, and the killer's photo is all over the news. Three fugitives' lives, who look like the killer in the photo, are told in the film. I bought the cinema ticket without knowing what the film was about. And wow, I was blown away by it. I did not expect the story to be so gripping and engaging. Though there are a lot of characters, they are all properly introduced, so that there is no confusion as to who is who. The identity of the killer is kept a secret throughout until the very end, which makes the film suspenseful. I am also positively surprised by the major subplot of two homosexual characters, with a few explicit scenes that I do not normally associate with Japanese films. Furthermore, emotions are very well portrayed in the film, including love, trust, mistrust and very heavy guilt. There are so many heartbreaking scenes that exposes the characters' hurt and deep sadness, making "Ikari" a film to watch and feel. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly.

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• Rage and mistrust

  harry_tk_yung2016-11-29

  There are three separate stories linked by a gruesome murder. One of the three projects rage, but the other two examine trust and mistrust, particularly the trail of love in the face of doubt. The murder is not premeditated. A normal couple is found stabbed to death in their home by a total stranger and the suspect's identity is quickly established as a man with sporadic outbreaks of psychopathic fits. Scrawled on the wall in blood, threatening to jump out of the movie screen, is the word RAGE. While the photo of the man is used in a nation-wide manhunt, it is believed that he has undergone plastic surgery which clouds the certainty of his recognition. A year later, three mysterious men turn up in three different parts of the country. The movie is structured in quick cuts (no pun intended) from one short scene to another in narration of these three stories. Tashiro, a taciturn young man, appears in a fishing village where he works part time for a fisherman Yohei (Ken Watanabe), who has just brought home his spoilt teenage daughter Aiko (Aoi Miyazaki), runaway to experience the life of a sex "escort". Aiko soon falls in love with Tashiro. The father's resistance softens as Tashiro finally tells them his story: he is running away and hiding from gangsters who killed his father. They now haunt him for repayment of his father's debts. Just as it looks as if Tashiro has found shelter from a stormy life, a computer-reconstructed picture of what the murder suspect may look like after the plastic surgery is distributed nationwide, with incriminating resemblance to him. Father and daughter find their trust in this young man quickly eroding. Naoto, another taciturn young man, appears in a gay district in Tokyo where he encounters a happy-go-lucky middle class man Yuma (Satoshi Tsumabuki). Relationship between the two men deepens as Naoto moves in with Yuma. Their mutual affection is further strengthened when Yuma's hospital-bound invalid mother grows fond of Naoto, before she dies. The first spark of doubt arises when Yuma spots Naoto in a café with an attractive young woman. Then, as the composite picture of the murder suspect is exposed, it has the same effect on Yuma as it has on the father and daughter. Tanaka, a travelling backpacking loner, is not a taciturn young man. He is mature and outgoing, making a temporary home for himself in the ruins of a deserted island belonging to Okinawa. He works on and off at construction sites. A young girl Izumi (Zuzu Hirose) and her adolescent boyfriend Tatsuya bump into Tanaka when they explore the island and befriend him. Their relationship is the most casual of the three stories, until something traumatic happens and change them forever. While the plot obviously anchors on guess-the-murderer, the meat of the movie is in depicting the gloomy reality of frustration, mistrust and anger that plagues the country. There is also the feeling of helplessness, which can arguably be seen as the emotion that primarily fuels the rage. I'll leave it at that, as further elaboration means treading a tad too close to spoiler zone. The cast is "dream team" calibre to the Japanese moviegoers. Ken Watanabe is likely the Japanese actor that is best known to the global audience, most notably with his appearance in "Inception". Aoi Miyazaki I have seen in "Nana" (2005) but I understand that she has since appeared in numerous popular films that I have not seen. Satoshi Tsumabuki is a familiar face and I remember him best in "The Kiyosu Conference". Suzu Hirose is unforgettable from "Our little sister" (2015)as the little sister who became the darling of her three step-sisters. The others in this ensemble cast have equally impressive credentials.

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• One of the most engaging powerful Japanese Films

  pinokiyo2017-05-11

  Not to be confused with the Nicolas Cage film with the same movie title, "Rage" follows 3 different story/relationship, each involving 3 main characters within the group, where one of them may end up being the suspect. Of course it involves rage, but also mistrust. There really aren't that many powerful Japanese films that keep you engaged from start to finish. However, this is one of those rare interesting/powerful films that is definitely worth checking out. It does make you want to keep watching to see how it's going to end and who the suspected killer is that's on the loose. The film does not hold back at all covering many controversial subjects like homosexuality/gay club prostitution, rape, Okinawa/US Soldier problem. These are actual real-life issues. This film is definitely not something you watch with your entire family; it will definitely make you feel uncomfortable. There is nudity and some extremely depressing uncomfortable scenes that is almost too graphic and realistic. I could not help it but cry and REALLY feel for the character, the impact was so big; it will leave you with rage too. I think the beginning of the film was more powerful than the climax. The climactic scene maybe could have been better... Nevertheless, it is a film that stays with you even days later. Excellent all-star casting. Aoi Miyazaki really fits the clumsy air-headed prostitute daughter of Ken Watanabe. Satoshi Tsumabuki really put himself out there playing a gay character in the closet. Suzu Hirose, super cute and recently popular actress, playing the girl from Okinawa was quite powerful. Powerful performances and great music to go with the film. It is definitely a movie I would put on my top list of Japanese films. Sang-il Lee is definitely also one of the best directors in Japan. Worth watching!

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• Goes for your lowest and highest feelings

  afshari-ali2016-09-16

  Great Movie (be aware of some scenes might be very disturbing) that does not hold back any punches. You will be angry, sad, happy and disturbed. Amazing acting, the movie will keep you guessing and questioning yourself. Its a detective movie and multiple love story at the same time. Movie takes place in 3 different Japanese cities with beautiful cinematography. As you sit on the edge of your seat you wonder about the different scenarios that someone faces in life and how you would react to it. Truly enjoyable, a movie that you need to dedicate your time to it to understand it. Love it..

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• Riveting and disturbing Japanese mystery/drama

  Red-Barracuda2017-07-01

  This Japanese mystery/drama is made up of three concurrent stories centring on enigmatic strangers who enter the orbits of trusting individuals from different Japanese cities, while a grim double-murder investigation plays out in the background. In Chiba, an ex sex worker forms a relationship with a taciturn young man whom her father is wary of, a confident gay man begins a relationship with a quiet and mysterious man he met in a seedy joint in downtown Tokyo and a young lady newly arrived in Okinawa befriends a drifter who lives alone on a nearby island. I must say that I found this film to be pretty riveting from start to finish. The detective strand of the story takes a bit of a back-seat while the three main plot strands propel forwards. But the whodunit aspect remains extremely compelling and I was gripped to the end. The various stories all play off feelings of trust/mistrust in regard to how the trio of strangers are perceived and treated by the people they come into contact with. The acting by the ensemble cast is very strong throughout and the different dramas all have a strong dramatic punch to them. The film is pleasingly unpredictable and it really is difficult working out how it is going to play out, which is of course a big bonus for a mystery movie, but while the ending was satisfying it might have been slightly less than the journey getting there. This is a fairly minor complaint as this as a whole is a very strong bit of Japanese cinema. Be warned though, there is one extremely harrowing scene mid-way through the picture which was hell of a difficult to watch and very emotionally tough indeed. A couple of folks at the screening I attended walked out at this point in actual fact, I won't say any more as its best to go into this with no prior knowledge as it is a key scene. So, it is a film which is definitely tough in places. It is a very impressive bit of work though, with strong dramatics underpinned by a compelling mystery framework and it is well worth seeing if you can take films with disturbing content.

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