Kagi (1997)

User Rating:

4.2/10   

Director:

Toshiharu Ikeda

Writer:

Junichirô Tanizaki (novel)

Release Date:

18 October 1997 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Ikuko is a mature, reserved Kyoto woman married for many years to a respectable, now-middle-aged man...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Naomi Kawashima	...	Anzai Ikuko
Akira Emoto	...	Anzai Soichiro
Mikio Ôsawa	...	Kimura Kenichi
Kenji Imai	...	Soma Hiroshi
Noboru Mitani	...	Dr. Kojima
Terumi Niki	...	Mori Makiko
Yuriko Hirooka	...	Taki
Kyoko Yamaguchi	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kaori Tsuji

Also Known As:

The Key

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Certification:

South Korea:18 (2009) | Japan:R

Company:

Toei Company

Movie Connections:

Version of Kagi (1974)

A take on DOUBLE INDEMNITY

..... but with a few differences. For instance, nearly everything is done with the full knowledge of all the other characters, though not always with them knowing. The husband and wife read each other's diaries, the husband allows Kimura to take Ikuko out, Kimura beds and proposes to the older man's daughter in order to spend more time with Ikuko.

I was quite impressed. Although the pace is generally quite slow, there is a lot happening here, to which the above descrip and plot summary only partly allude to. Emoto Akira as the elder photographer gives a terrific performance, and both Naomi K and the younger girl are very sexy (both do nude scenes, Naomi appearing briefly full frontal).

I found it a little difficult to find a suitable genre label, but I think the most suitable description is black comedy. Kimura at first jokingly discusses killing off the husband and at first Ikuko resists the temptation to actually do the act with him (she calls out his name during sex with her husband instead, which the husband encourages).

Overall, if not quite a great film, it is compelling, edgy and at times very funny.