Audition (1999)

A widower takes an offer to screen girls at a special audition, arranged for him by a friend to find him a new wife. The one he fancies is not who she appears to be after all.

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writers:

Ryû Murakami (novel), Daisuke Tengan (screenplay)

Stars:

Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Shigeharu Aoyama
Eihi Shiina	...	Asami Yamazaki
Tetsu Sawaki	...	Shigehiko Aoyama
Jun Kunimura	...	Yasuhisa Yoshikawa
Renji Ishibashi	...	Old man in wheelchair
Miyuki Matsuda	...	Ryoko Aoyama
Toshie Negishi	...	Rie
Ren Osugi	...	Shimada (as Ren Ôsugi)
Shigeru Saiki	...	Toastmaster
Ken Mitsuishi	...	Director
Yuriko Hirooka	...	Michiyo Yanagida
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	TV station presenter
Misato Nakamura	...	Misuzu Takagi
Yuuto Arima	...	Shigehiko as a child
Ayaka Izumi	...	Asami as a child

Storyline

In Tokyo, Shigeharu Aoyama is a widower that grieves the loss of his wife and raises his son Shigehiko Aoyama alone. Seven years later, the teenage Shigehiko asks why his middle-aged father does not remarry and Shigeharu meets his friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa, who is a film producer, and tells his intention. However, Shigeharu has difficulties to approach to available women to date and Yasuhisa decide to organize a sham audition for casting the lead actress for the fake movie. They receive several portfolios of candidates and Shigeharu becomes obsessed by the gorgeous Asami Yamazaki. Despite the advice of the experienced Yasuhisa, Shigeharu calls Asami to date and he falls for her. But who is the mysterious Asami?

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Plot Keywords:

murder | torture | killing an animal | sadomasochism | yoghurt | 

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Taglines:

She always gets a part

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/torture and sexuality

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

3 March 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Audition

Company Credits

Production Co:

Basara Pictures,Creators Company Connection,Omega Project

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 113 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The music video for the first single of My Chemical Romance (Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us) had a very similar storyline to the movie, but with a different ending.

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Goofs

During their weekend getaway, Asami clearly removes all of her clothing then lies in bed and covers with a sheet. She then raises the sheet to expose the wounds on her thigh. The white panties can clearly be seen despite the fact that she just removed them.

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Quotes

Asami Yamazaki: This wire can cut flesh and bones easily.
Old man in wheelchair: You're wonderful.
Asami Yamazaki: I never felt unhappy... Because I have been unhappy all the time.

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Alternate Versions

Many items deleted from the finale in the U.S. "R" rated version. Most items are implied, but in the uncut version they are shown. this includes close-ups of the needles put into Ryo's body, a close-up of the hypodermic needle in the tongue and a shot of Eihi discarding Ryo's dismembered foot.

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Connections

Referenced in Antichrist (2009)

User Reviews

Landmark horror movie

A class act horror film - not for anyone with a queasy stomach. Japanese subtitles don't deter from the fact that it can easily rank as a landmark in cinema horror, pushing back taboos. Like Sixth Sense, you could watch half the movie and not know it was going to be a shocker. When the shocks come they make you want to jump out of your seat right into the aisle and then crawl back under it with your face over your hands. More Hitchcock than Cronenberg, there is little in the way of special effects, but lots in the way of a very precisely crafted plot, great acting and editing, atmosphere and moments of evocative beauty as well as terror. The story concerns a Japanese businessman whose friend thinks of a novel way for him to look for a second wife. That's all I'll tell you!