Kikujiro
In his home country, "Beat" Takeshi Kitano is a beloved entertainer-of-all-trades — Japan's answer to Regis Philbin (only less abrasive).In the United States, those familiar with his work know him as the maker of violent thrillers like "Sonatine" and the acclaimed "Fireworks (Hana-bi)," garnering him a reputation as Japan's answer to Quentin Tarantino (though again, less abrasive).
Perhaps that's why he changed gears so drastically with his latest, "Kikujiro." There are many surprises in this oddball, mostly successful comedy-drama, perhaps the biggest one being that the stone-faced writer/director/actor finally cracks a smile on the big screen.
"Quit playing gangster," one of the characters admonishes Kitano early on in the movie, and that's clearly what he's done here with relish — in the the title role, that of an unrepentant gambler who suddenly becomes a surrogate father to a lonely youngster.
His new charge is Masao (newcomer Yusuke Sekiguchi), a 9-year-old boy desperate to reunite with his long-missing mother. Bored and with time on his hands (school is out for summer), Masao decides to head to Toyohashi, his mother's last-known whereabouts.
Then it's time for this odd couple to depend on the kindness of strangers, such as the kindly couple that picks the two mismatched hitchhikers, and a traveling poet (Nezumi Mamura) who at least manages to get them closer to their destination.
And though the loudmouthed gambler bullies the boy to begin with — not to mention making several enemies along the way — he eventually warms to him, as they discover they have similar backgrounds.
In theme and plot, the movie seems to resemble both 1998's Oscar-nominated Brazilian drama "Central Station" and the 1996 Oscar-winning Russian drama "Kolya." But as you might expect with one of Kitano's films, the results are much less sentimental, with more off-kilter sensibilities than either of those movies.
Admittedly, this one is not always successful — there's a very disturbing subplot about a sexual predator, and the final third of the film seems a bit padded — but it's a refreshing change of pace coming from the all-too-often pigeon-holed Kitano.
Not too surprisingly, he seems to really relish the opportunity to play a different character. In fact, he and Sekiguchi have a great, natural chemistry together, and both of them seem to be having a ball interacting with the many eccentric characters.
"Kikujiro" is rated PG-13 for occasional profanity and insults, most of it mild, violent beatings (much of it implied or shown off-screen), male nudity and glimpses of nude statues, and some crude humor. Running time: 116 minutes.
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