I wasn't sure whether to give this 6 or 7 so I went with 6 because 7 feels too high. I watched this film because I enjoyed Shion Sono's Cold Fish a lot. I found that to be a well-directed, tense, beautifully paced orgy of madness so was hyped to get into Guilty Of Romance.
Now, this film isn't without its skill and tension but, unlike Cold Fish, it's too long. About half an hour of confusing, pointless, pretentious fluff could've been axed from the mid-section without damaging the quality of the movie at all. In fact, it would've been better for it.
Another negative is the characters. They all seem to behave in an abrupt, masochistic, demented way without us really understanding their motivations. That the main character was bored with her life doesn't seem a sufficient reason for her descending into a pattern of risky, depressing, frightening behaviour that could get her killed. It just didn't buy it.
On the positive side, though, the film is smartly shot and has some brilliant, haunting atmospheric music that really enhances the set pieces. It's definitely an intriguing, haunting, unique and watchable film that will satisfy anyone looking for something different but I have to be honest and mark it down for sluggish pacing, muddled storytelling, and character behaviour that feels unrealistic and inconsistent with even the most basic common sense.
If the film was meant to be unrealistic and magical on purpose it could've dropped some of the scenes of detective work (along with the tedious sub-plot about Detective Yoshida's irrelevant love life) and leaned into a more cartoonish, caricatured approach consonant with the magic realism with which the film dabbles but does not commit to.
Close to being very good, but just a bit too haphazard and injudiciously silly for my blood.
Now, this film isn't without its skill and tension but, unlike Cold Fish, it's too long. About half an hour of confusing, pointless, pretentious fluff could've been axed from the mid-section without damaging the quality of the movie at all. In fact, it would've been better for it.
Another negative is the characters. They all seem to behave in an abrupt, masochistic, demented way without us really understanding their motivations. That the main character was bored with her life doesn't seem a sufficient reason for her descending into a pattern of risky, depressing, frightening behaviour that could get her killed. It just didn't buy it.
On the positive side, though, the film is smartly shot and has some brilliant, haunting atmospheric music that really enhances the set pieces. It's definitely an intriguing, haunting, unique and watchable film that will satisfy anyone looking for something different but I have to be honest and mark it down for sluggish pacing, muddled storytelling, and character behaviour that feels unrealistic and inconsistent with even the most basic common sense.
If the film was meant to be unrealistic and magical on purpose it could've dropped some of the scenes of detective work (along with the tedious sub-plot about Detective Yoshida's irrelevant love life) and leaned into a more cartoonish, caricatured approach consonant with the magic realism with which the film dabbles but does not commit to.
Close to being very good, but just a bit too haphazard and injudiciously silly for my blood.