Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2011 Hot director Ryuichi Honda (GS Wonderland) comes forth with a wacky, surreal comedy in the vein of Kankuro Kudo, king of the genre. Based on a novel by celebrated author Shiro Maeda, this road movie-cum-dreamlike exploration opened the beloved northern Japan Yubari Fantastic Film festival in February. The […]
Hot director Ryuichi Honda (GS Wonderland) comes forth with a wacky, surreal comedy in the vein of Kankuro Kudo, king of the genre. Based on a novel by celebrated author Shiro Maeda, this road movie-cum-dreamlike exploration opened the beloved northern Japan Yubari Fantastic Film festival in February. The story centers on Nobu (Yutaka Takenouchi) and Saki (Asami Mizukawa), newlyweds already getting tired of each other and starting to bicker. The flick starts out slow-paced, sketching the couple’s dull everyday life, and picks up as it gets more surreal—a clever technique. After meeting a bizarre fortuneteller, the couple embarks on an otherwordly romp through alternate realities—or kinds of hell. Worlds disappear into new landscapes and red-faced demons and bluish nymphs appear from nowhere. Clever, inventive and unpredictable, this unique piece borders on brilliant. English title: The Oki Family’s Fun Trip: Newlywed Hell; (121 min)
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