The Super Network

Cold Fish

Cold Fish can certainly lay claim to being one of the most unique and completely off beat serial killer films I have ever seen. This was my first venture into the works of director Sion Sono (who also wrote the screenplay with Yoshiki Takahashi), having heard positive things about his previous films, I just had not had the chance to discover him yet. It was by chance that I was able to see Cold Fish, and I am glad that I did, I haven’t seen anything like this before. It is as I understand loosely based on the ‘Saitama serial murders of dog lovers’ (a couple who murdered and dismembered four people in 1993), that basic idea was then turned into this film.

It begins and we are introduced to an awkward family, consisting of the father Nobuyuki Shamoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi), wife Taeko (Megumi Kagurazaka) and daughter Mitsuko (Hikari Kajiwara). It seems Mitsuko is a bit of a trouble maker, having issues with her father marrying Taeko so soon after her mothers death. She is caught shop lifting, and Mr. Shamoto is brought in to sort the situation. Coming out from thin air is the charismatic Mr. Murata (Denden), acting like the families lost Uncle. We find out that Mr. Shamoto owns a small Tropical Fish Store, and Mr. Murata as it turns out also owns one but on a larger scale. He insists they all come and visit his store, and they do. He also insists that Mitsuko should work for him, and live with his other young female employee’s, that this guidance would fix her attitude. With Mr. Murata seemingly having good intentions, with his own wife Aiko (Asuka Kurosawa) coming across as eccentric but well meaning people Mr. Shamoto agrees. The next day Mitsuko begins her new job, and we the audience then find out exactly who Mr. Murata is and what his real intentions are.

I feel it almost criminal to divulge too much information about this film, as I went in basically blind about the synopsis and I was completely floored by what was to come. Obviously, as it is based on a serial killing case (and I mentioned it was a serial killer film earlier) you can gather that Mr. Murata is the films antagonist. After the film is slowly established, and we can get a feel for the characters, the real crazy begins. Mr. Shamoto is a shy and awkward man, he is unable to do much of anything out of fear for the consequences. Mr. Murata is his direct opposite, he is loud and confident man, he does things and thinks about them later. These two men are central to the film, and their performances are outstanding. They have this real chemistry between them, their dynamic is that of a master and servant. One slowly pushing the other to do things they don’t want to do, which will eventually lead to the unwilling participant to potentially snap. Also very much a big part of this film is Asuka Kurosawa, her portrayal of Aiko is a very sick and twisted one. Her actions and reactions to certain situations would lead one to believe she gets turned on by the morbid. The fact that she can do this and make it apparent just by her movements and facial expressions is a real credit to her acting abilities. Megumi Kagurazaka plays Taeko as an unhappy wife, one who is easily manipulated to do whatever someone else wants and doesn’t question it. Hikari Kajiwara plays the rebellious teenager well, and she has a few very frightening scenes that she handled very strongly. The actors in this film were all quite fantastic in their very different and difficult roles, I was extremely impressed.

Sion Sono has crafted such a crazy film, it blends many different elements successfully, they shouldn’t work together but they just do. This might be one of the quickest two and a half hour films I have experienced, it did not feel long and it was paced just so well. There was never a dull moment, the first 20 minutes especially are there to capture the audience, and after the title screen finally shows up the investment and interest is there. The strange meeting between the characters sent alarm’s ringing, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what exactly was going on. It is a very loud and abstract film, the humor is dark and the brutality borderlines on the really absurd and absolute insane. It is twisted, yet it does have a lot to say (however I wont delve into that because I would need to reveal more about the plot), it was interesting and intense.

The film is shot beautifully, even in the face of some of the more brutal stuff, it is well handled. The camera angles, use of colour and light really make this compelling viewing. The cinematography was stunning, care was taken with every scene. I was a big fan of the score used here, for the most part it remained one of the only subtle things here. This film is definitely not for everyone, and I have a hard time giving it a general recommendation. If you like what you have heard here, this might be worth your time. I’d imagine if you haven’t really enjoyed anything Sono has done previously, you’d be hesitant to watch this. I do now want to seek out his other work, if this is anything to go by I know I wont be bored.

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