Invisible Waves

What do I mean by that? Two things come to mind (although I'll let, better yet encourage you to interpret it in any way or fashion you like):

1) This movie (waves) does have a slow pace ... is this bad? I don't think so, but if you're used to mainstream movies and want some big bangs every other minute you are definitely wrong here!

2) This movie is also not supposed to be as entertaining as a mainstream movie (that's why you can't ride it). It's gritty and raw (not as a documentary, of course) and the camera let's you inside. You won't get pretty pictures, but you will get shots that feed the mood of our main characters.

You will also get a man on his journey (literally and philosophical). A great ending, that some might not like (too quiet), but there could not be any other ending ... imo!

Reading through the reviews on this page all I can say to myself is how they have throughly missed the point. The movie is slow, very slow, but I still sat there and watched it. It's supposed to be slow, it's supposed to have a minimal script.

Throughout the entire movie I couldn't stop thinking about it. The speed of the movie really pulled me into the mood of the main character, and it worked.

One of the other reviewers talked about shotty production values, I completely disagree. The movie is supposed to be sketchy and ugly, its not meant to be pretty. Although I think the sketchy aspect of it is the beauty of it.

The camera work is perfect for the feeling I think the director was going for.

The reason I think this film is getting less-than-favourable reviews is that this isn't what people are expecting when they go into it. When someone hears "japanese contract killer" you don't think of a slow-paced gray drama. I went into this film expecting nothing (as I do with all Film Festival movies) and came out silent, my mind racing.

Don't see it if your expecting an action movie, see it if you are in the mood for a slow-paced interesting drama of a mans life.

i watched this movie before i read its script (which came out not so long after the movie released in the theater in Thailand ) and i can say that this movie is so great even though the story is not so catchy so people who cannot sit and stare at something not so fun may feel extremely bored. i think asano didn't understand the meaning of the character for this story. he seems to act too relax which is none sense if you were kyoji., you killed , cut a woman, you still can walk normally? no way. but even though his acting for this movie is not as good as last life in the universe but still we can aim the meaning of the story to a different direction not as prabda(the script writer)'s imagination.

who gonna love this movie or not is not important but what i think is they are so team. they should make more movies together and i hope later movies will be more surprisingly good!

Invisible Waves is a movie about gangsters, loyalty, murder and revenge. Gangster movies are typically action packed with chases, fights and confrontations. Invisible Waves is a courageous film in that it only uses these traditional action elements to punctuate its mesmerizing and hypnotic pace. Depending on your perspective, this is either brilliant or boring.

Kyoji is a talented chef in Hong Kong who makes two big mistakes. First he has an affair with his boss's wife and then he murders her. Though his boss is a likable gangster with a big heart, he is a dangerous man when he has been betrayed. So Kyoji is in big trouble. He is also "the stupidest smart guy" and so naively entrusts his escape from Hong Kong to Lizard, someone he has never met, and climbs aboard a clapped out old cruise ship heading for Phuket. Before the ship has left the dock, we (though not optimistic Kyoji) begin to suspect that he has been set up.

Though Kyoji does not inspire confidence, blundering his escape and dawdling into disaster, we did find Invisible Waves intriguing and atmospheric. Unfortunately there are just too many irrelevant scenes; long, low or off centre camera shots; and lengthy silent pauses to make this film riveting. It also suffers from multiple random characters who seem as if they could be significant, but never amount to anything and so must be purposely pointless.

This is definitely a film that will divide audiences. Between those people who appreciate that art requires risks that may not always be successful and can still enjoy the attempt and intention; and others who abhor pretentiousness and are fed up with having expert cinematography compensate for poor construction and storyline. So whichever group you identify with, please conclude our verdict for Invisible Waves accordingly.

I don't know how to describe this film, to put in in a category: drama or thriller, or even crime flick. It is boring, and something is missing in this story, it is slow but it is not a complex intrigue that no one could understand. A bad acting, unconvincing on many points, finish to annoy the audiences after twenty minutes of viewing. However this film is not a crap, just clumsy.