Love Exposure (2 discs) [DVD] [2007]

I first encountered Love Exposure when it was aired late night on Film 4, at almost 4 Hours in length (237mins Approx) This film might conjure up ideas of being long winded, you couldn't be more wrong! You will wonder where 4 hours went!

I cannot recommend this film enough. Obscure it may be but there's something here for everyone. An essential watch for any Hikari Mitsushima fan. If you're wondering who Hikari is you are missing out on some amazing performances (see Kakera - A Piece of Our Life [DVD] [2008] and the brilliant Sawako Decides [DVD])

This film deals with Love, Hurt, Sex, Peek-A-Panty Photos, Cults, Street Fights, Sin, kidnapping to name a few subjects. This is a real "Cinema Gem". If you haven't seen this film BUY IT! You won't regret it!! If you do regret it (please send it this way)!

This DVD is presented by Third Window Films (check out their other releases there's some great stuff).

I love the 'Making Of' it gives you a real insight into the making of the film, scenes with Hikari Mitsushima are particularly entertaining as you follow her journey in making the film.

This film sits proudly in my collection next to films by Hitchcock, Kubrick and Argento.

This DVD will leave you hungry for more, I've already watched it 5 times (6 if you count the Film 4 showing), It never gets old!

Fun, shocking/provocative, stimulating, charged with emotion levels few works of art ever achieve, where do you start when commenting on a tour de force like Love Exposure?

A superb view of modern teenage angst on par with Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day in its depiction of lovetorn teenagers in crisis, this is also a film inviting comparison with Kung Fu Soccer, Tsui Hark's The Lovers, Tender is the Grass, Bad Lieutenant, the Graduate, or ...Porkies. Go, run, fly and see this extraordinary film about the coming of age of a pure soul who finds true love (and an impressive boner) through the travails of sinful under skirt ninja-style photography, (yes, I know) and fights a brainwashing cult -led by short skirted japanese nymphets-, mistaken (sexual) identities, abduction and madness to be united with her.

Like his principal character, Director Sino Sion manages to do all the wrong things for all the right reasons: few are the films whose actors deploy so succesfully such levels of physical and emotional intensity: fans of Samuel Fuller will relate to the raw intensity and frankness whilst others will enjoy the bawdy humour worthy of Hong Kong category III.

PS don't believe the sleeve that mentions a 4 hours running time, I found the film way too short and will probably see it again as soon as tomorrow...

The poet turned filmmaker, Sion Sono, continue's his celluloid thesis based upon the Japanese youth culture with adolescent relationships being his primary objective this time around. His latest offering is not a shockfest in the same vein as Strange Circus or Suicide Club but it does have the same bizarre elements that feature prominently in all his previous flicks with the exception of the Mitsuko character which has been dropped this time around and replaced with the male equivalent; a troubled adolescent boy named Yu.

Takahiro Nishijima is cast in the lead role as Yu; his delirious portrayal of a young man with an identity crisis, desperately seeking affection, is truly exceptional and holds the whole film together; he has more charisma and screen presence than Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note, Battle Royal); he looks very convincing and strangely attractive in his alta-ego role - the fist swinging, roundhouse kicking Ms. Scorpion. After the death of his mother, Yu has two main objectives: to win back the affections of his father, who's lost his way in the Cristian priesthood; and, to find his one true love. In order to achieve his goals, Yu sets up his own peeka-panty club, with his delinquent friends, and transforms himself into the ultimate pervert.

On this new path of self destructive enlightenment, Yu will encounter an evil, manipulative cult leader named Aya (Sakura Ando) and a feisty young man-hater named Yoko (Hikari Mitsushima). Sion Sono introduces the three main protagonists seperately; in a similar fashion to Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs; revisiting the same timeline from each individual characters own point of view until reaching the present situation at hand. The stage is now set for one of the oddest battles for affection and desire you're likely to see, with all three of the dysfunctional characters becoming entangled in a bittersweet game of rivalry.

The second part of this four hour epic changes tone drastically; the outlandish humour is swiftly replaced with a dark, scathing scenario similar to the one played out in Sion Sono's other flick: Noriko's Dinner Table. This truly outstanding examination on the trials and tribulations of the strong emotions we humans associate with the word love, serves to enhance the vastly talented Auteur's reputation as one of the best Asian directors to have emerged during the Noughties. Buy, buy, buy, it's guaranteed to be one of the strangest movie experiences you'll encounter all year.