First Love (2019)

A young boxer and a call girl get caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme over the course of one night in Tokyo.

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writer:

Masa Nakamura

Stars:

Becky, Sakurako Konishi, Masataka Kubota

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Becky	...	Julie
Sakurako Konishi	...	Monica
Masataka Kubota	...	Leo
Jun Murakami	...	Ichikawa
Nao Ohmori	...	Otomo
Sansei Shiomi
Shôta Sometani	...	Kase
Seiyô Uchino	...	Gondo

Storyline

Leo is a young boxer, successful but unable to show emotion. He has a fight scheduled and is sure that he will win. Instead, his opponent knocks him out. This triggers a chain of unpleasant events involving drugs, corrupt cops, the Yakuza, a female assassin - and Monica, an escort that he must rescue. It's one hell of a night for Leo.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | call girl | japanese woman | boxer | japanese girl | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official site [United States]

Country:

Japan UK

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

25 December 2019 (France)

Also Known As:

First Love

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oriental Light and Magic (OLM), Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Toei Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

an energised piece of work that has to be seen to be believed

A chance encounter between a young boxer and a prostitute causes an all out gang war and they are both caught right in the middle of it. Takashi Miike anyone?

When one goes to see a Takashi Miike film one expects certain things. It has to be grotesquely violent, slightly tongue in the cheek and an over the top story that that would never work with anyone else at the helm. FIRST LOVE delivers everything and more. In fact it is a surprisingly coherent, thought through and even touching film that works on many levels. It is drama, it is a comedy, it's an action film and it's a thriller, where all elements are a perfect fit.

This is classic Miike with Japanese yakuza and Chinese triad going at each other over nothing. It may be a bizarre and violent affair, but the cut off limbs and heads seem a bit Monty Pythonish, which makes the gore slightly less disturbing.

There's a lot of fun to be had here, this is a sort of film Tarantino would like (he did praise Miike as one of his favourites) and this film is Miike at his best.

With its jazzy upbeat soundtrack and out there action, this is an energised piece of work that has to be seen to be believed.