Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2011

©2011ADKアーツ

Fifty-eight-year-old director Kazuki Omori is a long-established and well-thought-of Japanese filmmaker. In 1980, he was one of the first to adapt a Haruki Murakami novel (Kaze no Uta o Kike), and the same year he crafted the successful romantic comedy Disciples of Hippocrates. Both were for the highly respected indie production house Art Theater Guild. Unfortunately, from there he moved toward the mainstream, helming two Godzilla entries and the 1998 weepy June Bride. Sekai no Doko ni Demo Aru Basho showcases a script that Omori has been sitting on for many years. It’s obvious that he should have sat on it some more. Taguchi (Isao Kumakura) is wanted for fraud, and it seems all his escape routes are blocked. With nowhere else to turn, he heads to the hills and finds a deserted (but fully stocked!) zoo that also serves as home to a mental hospital. Clearly, this is more than a little contrived, and the film jumps from one set of ridiculous characters to another: soldiers fighting a make-believe war, a woman who talks to animals, and a wannabe actress, to name a few. The plot then spirals out of control, mixing romance, self-discovery and Taguchi’s efforts to avoid the police. Unwatchable. English title: Anywhere in the World. (97 min)