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A Yakuza hitman, Ishibashi, is released from prison after
a ten-year sentence. The world is very different, and the
people he once swore an oath to destroy are now peacefully
coexisting with his old gang. What has happened to the Yakuza
code that Ishibashi and his sort lived by? He makes the decision
to either change things back to how he remembers them, or
leave the Yakuza for good...
Another
Lonely Hitman,
or to give it it's original title Shin Kanashiki Hittoman,
was originally released in 1995. The film is based on ex-Yakuza
lawyer Rokuro Mochizuki's novel.
Ishibashi
soon discovers that his old gang is little more than a joke.
A group of drug dealers have moved in on his old territory
stripping his old gang of all respect - one of his old friends
doesn't much care for the old times anyway, as he is looking
forward to a legitimate future as the owner of a golf course.
It
would seem that Ishibashi has undergone a transformation in
prison. While he is still violent, he has given up drugs and
is eager to ensure his new girlfriend also kicks the habit.
While
this movie is far from original - it's yet another tale of
bad man trying to go straight, but his environment won't allow
him - it still packs a punch. There are plenty of laughs too.
One of Ishibashi's old Yakuza friend's is a nightmare. He's
like that embarrassing relative that we all have. You know,
the one that you really shouldn't like, but can't help yourself.
He has no dress sense, is loud, laughs at his own jokes and
spends his time slapping people as a sign of affection.
What we end up with is a bit of a clichéd film that offers
few surprises - even the ending is expected. But that doesn't
mean that this is not enjoyable. While the main narrative
is unoriginal, the little moments that pepper it are surprisingly
fresh. Examples include Ishibashi's girlfriend losing bladder
control after Ishibashi chains her to the bed to stop her
from taking any more drugs, and Ishibashi's failed attempt
at being lovingly reunited with his mother.
Director
Rokuro Mochizuki gets the best out of the material and his
actors. Like Ishibashi, you can't help but feel for his junkie/prostitute
girlfriend. And there is a deeper moral message here too.
While events change, a corrupt society remains so - it just
transforms to fit into its new surroundings. The only way
to save yourself is to move out of those surroundings and
start again. But, if that society has already corrupted you,
can you ever really escape it? This movie is claustrophobic,
until the final few scenes, offering the viewer some form
of perspective on Ishibashi's world.
Extras
include a 26 minute interview with the director and an optional
audio commentary with Tom Mes, writer on Japanese cinema.
It's bleak, funny, spirit lifting and tragic - everything
that a great movie should be.
Darren
Rea
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$17.47
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Widescreen - Region 1 Edition |
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£19.99
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£19.99
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