Neil Young's Film Lounge

Neil Young’s Film Lounge

AUDITION

6/10

Odishon
Japan 1999
director : Miike Takashi
script : Daisuke Tengan (based on novel by Ryu Murakami)
cinematography : Hideo Yamamoto
editing : Yasushi Shimamura
stars : Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina
115 minutes

Do you like Tarkovsky movies? asks lonely widower Aoyama (Ishibashi), interviewing potential brides on the pretext of casting for a movie. Theres little trace of the Russian masters influence on director Takashi here, but he’s definitely a connoisseur of a very different, but (arguably) equally talented European director, Italian horror legend Dario Argento. Though Audition starts off agreeably low-key, we gradually slide into a thoroughly Dario territory of gaudy colours and spectacular, irrational violence as the demure Asami (Shiina), Aoyamas selection as suitable marriage material, reveals herself as an evil sadist in a final-act orgy of stomach-churning excess.

And that’s about it: boy meets girl – girl turns out to be a psychotic killer -end of story. Its refreshing to come across such an inexorably smooth linear narrative, but Audition is just too linear, and feels more than a little pleased with itself. Wow, Takashi says to us, you won’t believe what this womans going to do to this poor guy this review won’t reveal the details, but it involves a somewhat messy amputation. But, unlike Michael Hanekes Funny Games another Tarkovsky-referencing, deliberately extreme vision of nightmarish evil unleashed upon innocent protagonists Audition neither functions as a visceral thriller, nor on the philosophical level Takashi seems to be aiming at: Japan is finished, remarks Aoyamas best pal at one stage, but that’s about as far as it goes. And, while Argentos movies are often ramshackle affairs, at least they’re never less than amazing to look at Takashi makes some clumsy use of filters, and when someone irritably remarks The whole thing is tilted, many viewers will strongly sympathise.

From the half-way point, Takashi confusingly alternates between actual events, dreams and what seem to be fantasies, thus preventing any effective build-up of tension at what should be the crucial stages. There are some cheap twists late on, along the lines of I woke up and it was all a dream no, this is the dream no, this is the dream that mainly serve to try the viewers patience while making Asamis background and motivations unneccessarily baffling. Audition isnt without tense scenes and diverting moments, and there are some neat touches of black comedy, most of them involving some nicely icky sound-effects. But its all a bit too self-indulgent, with a definite air of so-what, and if youre after a Japanese horror picture featuring a demonic female killer, Hideo Nakatas Ring is different class.

1^st April, 2001
by Neil Young

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