Movie Review: Gozu - Page 2

Metaphorically stuffing this flick into a pretty little box with a bright shiny label is definitely a challenge for those who enjoy such things. The best way I know to describe the content of this picture to someone completely unfamiliar with Miike's work would be to declare it a sci-fi gangster epic, with bizarre psycho-sexual undertones and plenty of unnerving imagery.

And speaking of icky visuals, no matter how many times Takashi gleefully thrusts a juicy lactating breast into my flabbergasted maw, I'll simply never get used to it. I'm not kidding. I can handle a lot of disgusting crap, but this one always makes me uncomfortable. Yeesh.

To help ease us gently into this foaming cup of high-grade nonsense, we have the insanely talented Hideki Sone (Yakuza Demon) and the always enjoyable Sho Aikawa (Dead or Alive, Tokyo Zombie) as our slightly warped tour guides. Aikawa is in top form as Ozaki, delivering an off-kilter performance that ranks among his best work. The man it seems, can do no wrong.

Sone, meanwhile, keeps our feet planted firmly in what passes for reality in this twisted universe, even when things get entirely out of hand. The supporting cast is also razor sharp and pitch perfect, many of whom have appeared in Miike's other demented delicacies.

Part Twin Peaks, part Cronenberg body horror, and part sketch comedy, Gozu is a true one-of-a-kind motion picture experience, which is something that simply cannot be said for the majority of movies I've watched recently. From the opening yakuza attack dog showdown to the jaw-dropping vaginal finale, you'd be very hard pressed to find anything remotely resembling this celluloid monstrosity anywhere in your local neighborhood video store.

Miike, bending genres like cheap dollar store licorice, gently toys with your misshapen head before effectively splitting it open and visually ejaculating all over that blistered meat wad you call a brain. Besides the vastly superior Audition, Gozu is easily the auteur's most mature endeavor thus far.

If you can overlook the leaky boobies, of course.

Article Author: T. Rigney

T. Rigney was specifically designed for the mass consumption of B-grade cinema from around the world. His roughly translated thoughts and feelings can be found lurking suspiciously at The Film Fiend, Fatally Yours, and Film Threat. …

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