Otogiriso (2001)

Director:

Ten Shimoyama

Writers:

Goro Nakajima (screenplay) &
Takenori Sentô (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 January 2001 (Japan)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Nami has been creating artwork for a new video game based on images she's been seeing in her dreams...

Plot Keywords:

Twin | Video Game | Brother Sister Relationship | Same Actress Playing Twin Role | Inheritance

Cast

Megumi Okina	...	Nami Kikushima / Naomi Kaizawa
Yôichirô Saitô	...	Kohei Matsudaira
Koji Ookura	...	Shin'ichi Ukita (as Kôji Ôkura)
Reiko Matsuo	...	Tôko Koseki
Minoru Terada	...	Sôichi Kaizawa (as Minoru)
Yasunari Hashimoto	...	Voice on the Radio (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kim Little	...	Nami Kikushima (voice: English version)
Jeff G. Peters	...	Radio DJ (voice: English version)

Also Known As:

St. John's Wort (Canada: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Germany:16 | Japan:PG-12 | USA:R

Soundtrack:

Girlie

Interesting lesson in new techniques but lacking bite and ultimately, scares.

The movie doesn't exactly kick off it just flows on to a beginning. Mixing between future images, dreams, computer artwork and the real story, it's all very confusing. However, like many Asian films if you hold on in there things start to become clear, and they do just that. The problem is it takes so long to get out of the "exploration of the house" act, which contains scenes of incredibly drawn out silences, inappropriate dialogue. I even felt myself urging the main character to turn round when her friend told her to look behind her and she just kept looking at him while making confused noises.

It was a struggle, but I got through it. However, you shouldn't miss what's been done there technically. The use of hand-held and remote cameras, the clever movement of the camera into the hand-held to provide a new perspective, all new and interesting film techniques pulled together actually make for some interesting viewing. However, they don't save the story. It's almost as if the makers have tried to pull everything together that the current "kids" are into, videogames, matrix style action shot, technology...nah, doesn't work I'm afraid.

One problem is it's predictable, until the closing shock which is just railroaded over and doesn't seem to be a surprise that the film makers wanted to pursue. They brought out this great one liner near the end of the movie then just let it go.

So poor script, interesting ideas and some cool techniques, but the suspense is lost, as is any horror, surprise and effective story telling. It is mighty shame though, the overall story, once you grasp it, is quite a good and very uneasy one, although it is still left quite unexplained.