Dutch Filmfreak label DVD release.
Audition/Ôdishon, Takashi Miike, 1999, Japan, 115 mins, 1.85:1, PAL (Colour), 16 (NL), Filmfreak, Region 2, Trailer, Dutch subtitles
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Synopsis : The story centers around Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a successfull man in his late fourties, working for a tv channel who has lost his wife and lives together with his teenage son. His life is dull. He seems burnt out and still has trouble forgetting the demise of his wife. So he decides he needs a new challenge, and together with a business associate he sets up an audition for a new television show. They invite lots of pretty women, but the real purpose to Aoyama is to find a new mate. He falls for Asami (Eihi Shiina), a somewhat mysterious and lone woman with a vague past. When his associate does some research he finds out Asami lied about her past and he warns Aoyama not to get involved with Asami. Still, his dates with her really work out and he madly dismisses the warnings from his long time friend and associate. But when he get's deeper involved with the girl he discovers she has a secret past and something to hide.... from this point on he finds out gradually she's not what she seems to be. Review : The build-up of this film is genious. The first 45 min. of this Miike film is centered on the theme of "unreachable love" and creates more of a dramatic mood instead of "frills and kills". As the plot thickens thing become severely disorienting. There are shocking revelations about Asami's past along the line and the climatic last 20 minutes of the film reveal some harsh time-twisting madness! Truly shocking and really surprising, even if you take into account the brooding atmospheric flashbacks that early on in the movie warn the viewer something's "just not right". The actors covey a convincing world where decadence and mental poverty go hand in hand. The stunning character of Asami makes it very believable that Aoyama falls for her, in some way this makes it very credible that what we get to see could come out of the daily life of a Japanese widower and businessman. The "revenge" theme is never pushed as moralistic and that's good. This film has had quite some negative critics about the slowness and outrageous elements in it's climatic ending, but these are by any means criteria to me to make it a very, very good film! Crystal-clear widescreen presentation with absolutely no grain or visual artifacting. The films colours are quite subdued , use of reds and browns gives it a stylish look and this is well presented by the transfer. Sound is in DST Stereo. The balance between voice and music is good. Nothing too special here, just a decent job. The score is intense but typical. The R2 edition is very bare bones, coming with just a trailer it left me a bit unsatisfied. But the film's dark theme and filmography, the transfer and the beauty of the main actress make up for this undoubtedly! What many casual viewers might consider as a slow and boring film, to me is a film with enormous depth and charcater. It's slow and foreboding storytelling, comforting the viewer at first then unrelentlessly delivering a blow, is ultimately interesting. Because of the chronological trickery it packs a psychological punch that pummels the viewer toward the finale which finishes you off with elegant cruelty. A true masterwork and essential for cult maniacs! - Reviewed by Jeroen van Brussel |
