Insutôru (2004)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Kei Kataoka

Writers:

Mika Omori (screenplay)
Risa Wataya (novel)

Release Date:

25 December 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Aya Ueto	...	Asako Nozawa
Ryûnosuke Kamiki	...	Kazuyoshi Aoki
Shichinosuke Nakamura	...	Kouichi
Rei Kikukawa	...	Momoko-sensei
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hijiri Kojima	...	Kayori
Hiroshi Ôkôchi
Yoshiko Tanaka	...	Megumi Kasa

Also Known As:

Install (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Certification:

Japan:PG-12 | Singapore:NC-16

Company:

Happinet

Quotes:

Kazuyoshi Aoki: The erotic world is not scared if I go into the world by myself.

A Nutshell Review: Install

This film attempts to explore the sleazy cyberworld of internet sex chats, and suggests things that we all know of cyberworld - you might not be who you are represented online. Am I talking to a hot young chick? Probably. But chances are that it could turn out to be a balding fat gay man pretending to be a hot young chick.

The pretty Aya Ueto stars as 17 year old Japanese schoolgirl Asako, who one day decides to play truant and ponder on what she wants to do in life. She chances upon 10 year old elementary schoolboy Aoki, who is extremely horny, and introduces her to the world of cybersex, and lucrative business of impersonating an online woman in a chat room.

As expected, cheap laughs result from numerous awkward situations between the two, and from the interactions in the chat room. There is a moment when the filmmakers attempt to highlight the dangers of net predators, but somehow it was quickly brushed over with humour from the next scene. They have also tried to explore other themes like meaning of life, etc, but like films with weak story lines, this only serves to distract and frustrate audiences.

This film might seem to appeal to fans of American Pie, but given that the raunchy US flick has lots of skin to show, this one pales in comparison, and falls flat in its choppy delivery. The yawning and complaints from the rest of the audience tells me that their sentiments are the same. Probably the only saving grace of this film are the lingering soft focus shots of Aya Ueto.