Gozu
Joe Nguyen, staff writer
Sept. 24, 2004

Takashi Miike’s ("Audition," "Ichi the Killer") "Gozu" follows the story of Minami (Hideki Sone) as he is sent to kill his mentor Ozaki (Sho Aikawa), who recently lost his sanity. On the way, he ends up in a strange town where nothing seems to be right.

This movie is listed as a horror, but that title should be taken lightly. In reality, it’s a twisted comedy that features some very disturbing scenes that makes you want to laugh out loud as weird as that may sound. The opening scene features a Yakuza member killing off a small dog, but the absurdity of the situation and the way he does it just forces you to laugh.

One of the things that bothered me was the over saturation of suspenseful music throughout the film. At times, it was a bit confusing why the music was playing as the scene didn’t call for it.

Harume Sone and Hideki Sone in "Gozu"

The ending left me with a feeling of uneasy closure. I accepted it, even though it didn’t feel right. At all. It was funny, sick, and wrong all at the same time.

Although it has some hilarious warped scenes, the pace and the confusion drop it down a notch. Absolutely, this is not a movie for kids, as is any other Takashi Miike movie from what I have read. If you're looking for a horror, I'd suggest watching "Audition," a much more interesting and far scarier film.

Joe gives "Gozu":

Joe Nguyen is a staff writer for asiaXpress.com. You can reach Joe at joe@asiaxpress.com.

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