Kawaki (2014) Reviews

• Speechless

  thebanzaicharger2015-07-17

  I have no idea what to say. It's impossible not to go "What The Hell" like, a 100 times until the end of the movie. I can't even describe it. ===1. STORY - 6/10=== The story's pretty much about a father searching for his lost daughter, who has been missing for about a week. Every step closer to finding his daughter, sheds a new light on his daughter's true colours. Quite an adventure. It gave me new ideas and tips on to how to create a real thrilling story. The downside is, watching this movie made me walk over to a corner, get down into a fetus position, and rock back and forth. It was REALLY violent, REALLY disturbing, ABSOLUTELY depressing and OVER THE TOP disgusting. The upside is, however, was it wasn't one of those films with random killing and stuff. The movie actually had a story. Everything'll be explained throughout the movie until the credits. All they did was add a little more bonkers into every action they did. ===2. ACTING - 9/10=== The acting however, was absolutely fantastic. Akikazu, Kanako, and everyone else. They all did an amazing job. The movie's true aim was to show that you can't trust anybody but yourself. In the movie, you think that the character seems nice, but next thing you know, they just go ridiculously crazy. ===3. CINEMATOGRAPHY - 9/10=== The cinematography and imagery were REALLY good. It really gave the vibe of a dark,cold and sad world. ===4. SOUNDTRACK - 8.5/10=== The music's really good too. Playing some classic Dean Martin hits while a murder is taking place. It really gave me the feeling of uneasiness they wanted to deliver. ===5. OVERALL - 7/10=== Never watch this at a family gathering. I watched this movie because I loved the film "Kamikaze Girls" which was made by the same director. But instead, I got a film with a 'slice of hell' mushed all over it. Moral To Story: Never do drugs.

  More

• Disturbing, depressing and desperate reality of a sick society

  Kicino2014-12-03

  It is very violent. More than that, it is disturbing, depressing and desperate. We follows our protagonist, former detective and divorcée Akikazu Fujishima (Koji Yakusho) as he searches for his missing daughter Kanako (Nana Komatsu) and learns about her secret life. Through this search, different dark sides of the society emerges which make you antsy in your seat. The more we go along, the more disturbing and depressing the movie seems to portray. None of the characters are lovable. All the institutions: family, police, and schools are malfunctioning. The movie depicts a sick society which appears to be OK but is buried with lots of problems where people are betraying each other and families are and non-communicative and destructive. All characters are pathetic in different ways though they may not be innately devilish. Somehow something goes wrong and everything falls into this big chaos or trap where people do not know how to show their care or use the wrong way to show their love which end up causing more damage as they resort to violence and betrayal. A very sad movie that paints a tragic side of Japanese culture, or can it happen in any culture, regardless of economic development? People yearning for love, care, respect and recognition and identification, but what they meet is betrayal, ignorance, bullying, and violence. Very twisted characters and relationships that make you feel so disappointed and horrified with humanity. On the surface, or in the beginning, you see angels who seem to be your revelation. Kanako appears to be such an angel. But not until his cop father starts to look into her disappearance does he realize how much he understands/misunderstands his daughter, ditto his wife and vice versa. Similar misperception happens at school and in the police station. Perhaps it just serves as a warning sign to us all: in many ways the people around us could just be like that if we hit the wrong button. Look at all the random shootings in the US. And the terrorist attacks. We would not know when they will turn against us and we just have to constantly remind ourselves to be alert. Very good acting of the cast in creating a haunting atmosphere. I would not like to befriend with any of the characters.

  More

• Playful. Daring. Beautifully executed.

  franzrebs2015-08-20

  I don't understand how this movie can only get a 6.8 rating. There's not much to say about its cinematography except that it's brilliant and beautiful. A lot of people somehow complained that it was "dizzying" which I cannot attest to. The scenes do cut so fast sometimes and there were instances were I had to catch up with the distinction between flash backs and present scenes. One tip is to pay attention early on, but a second viewing is not at all discouraged. The story was well thought out. There are many layers that can engage the viewer and put you on the edge of your seat. A lot of questions are asked, you're not sure if you should love/hate the character, different possibilities are played out, and when you get to the revelation near the end you get mind blown but not so much that it seems absurd; in fact it fits in perfectly and the tragedy is justified. Basically there was no dull moment in this movie. Not all questions are answered for you, though, especially with how the father feels about his daughter. He keeps calling her a bitch but it's hard to buy into that and you know there's so much more, be it a simple paternal love or something darker and more complex, if you dare to consider that. I would recommend this movie to anyone who can stomach the violence and often repressed side of the human psyche for the sake of cinema and let the mastery of visuals dominate your experience. I won't get tired of watching this movie over and over again. I hope its gets released internationally and get the recognition that it deserves.

  More

• "And it's been the ruin of many a poor girl,And God I know I'm one."

  morrison-dylan-fan2016-11-14

  Getting a chance to host an event on IMDb's Film Festival thread,I started gathering up the titles on DVD.Putting things into place whilst nearing the end of IMDb's Horror board October Challenge,I was pleased to discover that one of the films was hitting UK DVD (that Empire magazine reviewer Kim Newman would pick as his "breakout star" in His October 2016 "straight to video" page) on Halloween, (despite coming out in cinemas in 2014)which led to me entering the world of Kanako. The plot: After a bitter divorce detective Akihiro Fujishima loses contact with his wife and their innocent teenage daughter Kanako. Carrying the bitterness on his shoulders, Fujishima is taken aback when his ex- wife phones to reveal that Kanako has gone missing.Finding that Kanako (who got perfect marks at school) has left all her belongings in the bedroom, Fujishima starts tracking down her pals.Pulling info out of them, Fujishima is horrified to discover a completely different world of Kanako to the one he knew. View on the film: Spraying the screen with Comic-Book-style credits,co-writer/(along with Miako Tadano & Nobuhiro Monma) director Tetsuya Nakashima and cinematographer Shôichi Atô unleash a hyper-stylised Neo-Noir revenge nightmare,blazing with unsettling catchy cover songs and burning rapid-fire edits from editor Yoshiyuki Koike.Breaking out in waves of lavish animation being kicked with harsh point-blank violence, Nakashima closely works with Koike to pull back some of the confrontational edge with a rich dour Neo-Noir stillness splashed from every clue Fujishima finds,as the vibrant reds and blues engulfing Kanako life image fade into bursts of crimson and sour greens. Taken from the world of Akio Fukamachi's hard-nosed novel,the screenplay by Nakashima/ Tadano and Monma sharply use flashbacks to get under the burnt skins of loners Fujishima and Kanako,as the writers brilliantly twist and turn the initial pristine image of Kanako,and also tear open the ruthless brittle wires of Fujishima's scrambled mind.Shaking the animated violence he uses to get clues on Kanako,the writers soak the title in a tense, sombre Neo-Noir atmosphere,as Fujishima finds his perfect image of Kanako to melt away in the snow.Screaming out in pure anger over finding Kanako, Kôji Yakusho gives an excellent performance as Fujishima,whose Noir loner desperation Yakusho fires up with unforgiving, wounded rage,as the world of Kanako crumbles.

  More

• Some people are just born rotten

  manuelasaez2017-01-03

  I have always believed that some people are inherently evil. They are born with twisted mentalities that no amount of psychological aid can help. These people learn to assimilate into society as best they can, but they are conniving, wicked and wholly untrustworthy. This film is the story of one such person, and her name is Kanako. In the vein of movies like "Audition" by way of Quentin Tarantino, this film is the tale of a very twisted girl from a very broken family. The more we learn about Kanako, the more we realize that she was rotten to the core, and nothing could have been done to rehabilitate her. Sure, her parents might be at fault for their lack of rearing, perhaps it was a mix of nature and nurture, or it could simply be that she is just a horrible human being with no redeemable qualities. Whatever the case may be, Kanako uses her looks, and her influence to deceive, torture and use anyone that she pleases, and as her parents find out just how twisted she is, the story goes from depressing to downright terrifying. The love of a parent for a child is unparalleled, but sometimes, parents have to recognize when their kids are just no good and ensure that they are permanently removed from society. This was one of the most disturbing, shocking and downright vile films I have seen in some time, and I loved every single minute of it. The acting: Superb. The entire cast was amazing. The Directorial style; Reminiscent of Quentin Tarrantino. You can tell that this director was a fan. The cinematography; Beautifully shot, with many scenes equally beautiful and stomach churning. Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys disturbing, gritty films that show the true nature of humanity. It is a portrait of a textbook sociopath, who destroys everything she encounters, leaving battered husks of humanity in her wake. It is not for the feint of heart, or those easily offended.

  More