Kiyoshi Kurosawa Horror Part Two

LOFT

(2005)

Overall: MEH

Though it is beautifully photographed, has a handful of noiselessly eerie moments, and largely evokes the identical, lethargic mood that all of his horror films utilize, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Loft makes some puzzling choices along the way.  Speaking of the filmmaker's deliberate, tried and true pace, the near two-hour running time is less forgiving here.  This is due to a script that is both barren in large parts, then silly and incomprehensible in others.  The first two acts are largely void of narrative movement and the third becomes monotonously confusing.  In this regard, a good twenty to even thirty minutes of screen time seems like it could have been removed to streamline everything.  Especially in the finale, it becomes curious as to whether or not Kurosawa was even going for some kind of avant-garde humor, which obviously clashes with the rest of the meditative, dour tone.  Ultimately, the story is not that interesting and when romantic music sweeps in and characters start talking like they are reciting Hallmark greeting cards, it is all a bit head-scratching as to what the takeaway is supposed to be.

 

RETRIBUTION

(2006)

Overall: GOOD

 

In 2006, Kiyoshi Kurosawa provided his entry into producer Takashige Ichise's J-Horror Theater series with Retribution, (Sakebi).  Actor Kōji Yakusho is in all of Kurosawa's supernatural tales and he is quite effective here as a psychologically stressed Tokyo detective who is unraveling before our eyes.  Speaking of eyes, the lovely Riona Hazuki makes an effectively haunting presence as well.  Kurosawa generally takes his leisurely time with not only the scares but the story as a whole and this is a textbook example.  Cliches are regularly bypassed as well, with specters ignoring the rules and showing up in the daylight, sticking around to have meaningful, (be it still cryptic), conversations, and usually having no stock, creepy music accompanying their appearances.  Even when utilizing such things as jump scares and electricity not working though, the tranquil tone remains unchallenged.  The director's ability to equally convey dread and thought provoking ambiguity by the film's end is on par here as much as ever, making this one of his many triumphs.

CREEPY

(2016)

Overall: GOOD

 

The domestic thriller Creepy, (Kurīpī: Itsuwari no Rinjin), sees filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa returning after ten years to his horror aesthetics even if the movie technically does not fit into said genre in a conventional sense.  Based off of the novel of the same name by Yutaka Maekawa, Kurosawa spins the common, "disturbing neighbor" motif in his always singular way, utilizing long takes and sparring incidental music to create his usual understated tone.  Though the entire cast is quite good, the film largely hinges on Teruyuki Kagawa's performance as a mysteriously disturbed eccentric who manages to be aloof, charming, terrifying, and pathetic often within the course of a single scene.  There are a few curious plotting moments where plausibility is stretched; character's not explaining concerning behavior to each other, police not catching on to the bad guy far sooner, a silly monologue near the end, etc.  Yet just when it seems like such issues will undue the otherwise tightly controlled presentation, interesting surprises spring up that seem to set things back on track.  It is still an odd story to be sure, but it is also one that is  ideally suited for Kurosawa's abilities behind the lens

DAGUERROTYPE

(2016)

Overall: GOOD

As the first non-Japanese speaking, (or cast), film from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Daguerrotype is an unmistakable change of locale for the filmmaker yet it attains many of his hallmarks.  The mood is persistently understated and the pacing is as deliberate as ever.  Thankfully as well, Kurosawa's penchant for staging his select yet impactful, supernatural moments in broad daylight and without the use of virtually any derivative horror cliches is just as unwavering and strong.  The tone still carries the bulk of the weight, but the material allows for Kurosawa to indulge in far more contemplative and romantic ideas than usual.  With the feel of a period piece, (even though it is set in the modern day), and a narrative that seems like it was based off of a novel, (even though it is solely from Kurosawa's own pen), it showcases a boldness that is quite admirable to say the least.  Performance wise, it could not be better with the almost entirely French cast fitting effortlessly into the director's well-honed aesthetics.  There are some plot points that may seem a bit too sparse, yet the film's ambiguity appears to be intentional so in this regard, it is an effectively challenging end product.