Kirikirikirikirikirikirikirikiri.

The Movie: Audition, directed by Takashi Miike.
Recommendation: Horror fans!
Reason: J-horror really raises the bar for freaking people out, and Miike pushes even those limits.

Now that I've chased off everyone else who's seen this movie with the noise that lives in my and their nightmares...not even Rob Zombie could make it through Audition. Rob Zombie, who made House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. Now don't assume that just because he (and I) were disturbed by the film, that it's a useless heap of schlock akin to Eli Roth's Hostel series. Audition is a good, solid film with interesting themes and gore that is truly horrific. It's a commentary on the lofty expectations of many men and women when it comes to relationships.

The protagonist, Aoyama, presents a list of criteria for his potential mate to a friend in a bar. At no point does he list 'sane' as something he seeks in a wife. His friend encourages him to have the women come to him, under the pretense that he's producing a movie soon (Aoyama is a television producer). Miike's presentation of these two men isn't subtle. They're portrayed as slightly boorish, occasionally heading into 'pig' territory. Though Aoyama is generally a sympathetic character, he doesn't raise his head too far above the line of 'decent person'. Like the protagonist in Chan Wook Park's Oldboy, he thinks he's better than he is. When he meets Asami, a vulnerable, pretty young woman, his shallow self is sold. She seems to be just what he wants, and he pays and pays for not seeking the real person below the facade.

It's so simple for the bad guys to steal the show in movies like this. They get the gravitas, the ponderous shots (I fell in love with the shot of Asami's secret smile), the buildup. The hero is the focus of the film, but the focus of our terror is the villain. If a weaker actor had had the part of Aoyama, I think that could have been the case here, but with two strong talents playing off of each other, the result is beautiful. Miike's controversial work is a good film, though I really stress that having a strong stomach is a requirement to watch.

-149/365 down, 216/365 to go