Kamikaze Girls

If the title of my review makes no sense then hop on a jet to Tokyo and go to Daikanyama station, get off and start walking around. It'll all become clear there...or just watch this movie.

The completely bizarre English title "Kamikaze Girls" (the Japanese title basically would be translated as Shimotsuma [it's the name of the countryside town the story takes place in] Story which gives you no clue as to the storyline. Neither does "Kamikaze Girls" as I envisioned girls bent on actions that were suicidal. The movie has nothing to do with suicide even ironically or figuratively) is basically a chick flick with a twist. It's more about friendship than romance. The male characters are pretty insignificant as either the older adults (the father and grandmother are really the only significant adults) or the young adult gay fashion designer are just filler.

The title aside a quick synopsis is parents divorce. Superficial mom goes off with rich doctor. Small-time entrepreneur and low-level yakuza father takes daughter in love with the Lolita look (basically a fashion sense known in Japan for aping the look of 18th century French nobles--frills and whatnot) to countryside instead of getting his pinkie cut off as a punishment from his yakuza bosses.

There they live with their slightly nuts but harmless grandma and where the cutesy fashion maven girl meets a female Yanki (yakuza in training somewhat and a play on the Yankee as in American gangster style of...oh who are we kidding it's another thing Japanese got twisted. Yanki members look and act nothing like American greaser gangs of the '50s as much as they try) who is part of a bike gang. By "bike" we mean the under 50 cc scooter all gussied up.

Hilarity ensues. From the opening killer fast cuts and punk rock-like tune this is one wild ride. Sadly, after the opening the flick tends to lose steam a bit once our protagonists reach the countryside. It's a pretty uneven movie which although fascinating to watch is not consistently enthralling, if you've lived in Japan. For the rest of you, you might find it more watchable from start to finish than I did. I basically got frustrated with many of the subtitles which although captured the nuances on the whole still left a lot out.

The acting is very good as all actors show a comedic touch. The hairstyle of the "yanki" who shows up at the pachinko parlor is straight out of Leningrad Cowboys (Google them, if I've lost you there) and just beyond classic. The relationship between the two girls from opposite sides of the track works.

The extras are great. Interviews with both stars Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya along with the obligatory "message to fans" (that baffles foreign stars when interviewed in Japan) tacked on that I now know also baffles J-stars especially when you catch Tsuchiya laugh at the end of hers with a look on her face like, "Was that what you wanted to hear?"

The original trailers are thrown in as well as an Anna Tsuchiya clip that rocks a bit.

Plus a tip: When you pop the DVD in, go to "Sideways Mode" as it'll help you understand the movie better. In that mode cabbages (don't ask why) pop up every so often at the bottom of the screen. Hit "enter" on your remote to get further explanation of the weirdness that is Japan.

All in all, if you can get past the title, worth checking out.

If Tom Tykwer and Jean-Pierre Jeunet dropped acid in Tokyo, the resulting movie might be something like "Kamikaze Girls."

At heart, this movie is just a story about an unlikely friendship between two unusual, lonely young girls. But it's also wrapped up in quirky characters, astoundingly stylized cinematography, and dabbed with magical realism and bright colour -- in other words, a made-to-order cult flick.

It opens with a shot of Momoko (Kyôko Fukada) being hit by a cabbage truck, and flung into the air from her moped. She bids farewell to all the things in her life... and decides to rewind so people can see a bit more of it.

The product of a short-lived shotgun marriage, Momoko is an oddity in her rural Japanese village -- she's enamoured of Rococo-era France, and dresses only in "Lolita" clothes. To fund her shopping sprees, she decides to use Ver*ace and Uni*ersal knockoffs her dad used to sell, and immediately gets a customer -- a "yanki" biker named Ichiko (Anna Tsuchiya), who's as punky and raw as Momoko is distant.

The girls soon form an odd friendship, based on embroider, pachinko, and Ichiko's short-lived first love. But their paths lead them in new directions -- Momoko is hired to embroider a new model of dress, and Ichiko finds herself dissatisfied with the new gang organizations. And when she decides to leave her gang, Momoko has no choice but to come to her aid.

When you strip it down to the bone, "Kamikaze Girls" is just a story about two odd girls -- one a "girl anachronism," one a punk biker -- who become friends, and how they come of age and gain their independence in their own unique ways. No more, no less.

Except it's also wrapped in Tetsuya Nakashima's colourful, magical style -- blooming embroidery, flying girls, cartoon interludes about legendary thugs, and rapid-paced camerawork. One particularly funny scene features various villagers posing and reciting prices of a Wal-Martish store's cheap clothing, as if they were in a TV commercial. "The people here are... completely TWISTED," Momoko ponders.

The flashbacks to Momoko's birth and childhood are particularly hilarious, especially since they're so exaggerated. And the dialogue is just funny enough without being obviously so ("It was like salivation!" "Did she mean 'salvation'?"). But Nakashima does insert some understatedly poignant scenes, such as when Ichiko cries on a hillside with Momoko watching her.

Kyôko Fukada does a nice job as Momoko, who can be haughty one minute and a raging dynamo the next -- depending on whether you dirtied her frilly dress or not. And Anna Tsuchiya is absolutely perfect as the lanky, sometimes violent girl with a sensitive heart underneath. The scene where she attacks a man, shouting, "You speak, she falls. Got a breath problem?" is priceless.

"Kamikaze Girls" is a delightful, hilarious little cult comedy, full of delightful little twists and hilarious dialogue. If only Tetsuya Nakashima would produce a few more of these.

This film was giving to me to by one of my friends because she thought it would serve my interest and after viewing this film I thought it was great. Nakashima Tetsuya's wonderful "Shimotsuma Monogatari" (Shimotsuma Story) is quite a unique and charming film. I had my doubts at first but the film turned out to be a refreshing surprise. Mixing anime, quirky narrative, inventive storytelling, outrageous comedy and Japanese Pop Culture charm this movie is a really endearing movie.

This comedy-drama regarding these two 17 year old girls that are vastly different from each other; which later on become friends and changes each other's lives. The film makes the most of this simple plot line, and shows the compelling personalities of both main characters.

Fukuda Kyoko is infectiously cute as Momoko, the "Lolita" fashion obsessed girl with a naive yet surprising take on life. Her French 17th Century (Rocco) styled fashions are at times oddball and avant-garde and yet surprisingly cool looking that it's little wonder why American Pop Singer Gwen Stefani has drawn inspiration from this fashion trend for her L.A.M.B. fashion line and to dress her Harajuku Girls. Anna Tsuchiya is also wonderful as Ichiko/Ichigo, the tough talking "Yanki" Sukeban with a heart of gold. She has most of the best lines in the movie and is also quite funny through out this film.

Other than that "Shimotsuma Monogatari" came to me as a very nice surprise and was a pure joy to watch. I highly recommend this film.