Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Key of Life (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)
Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Kenji Uchida
Starring: Masato Sakai, Teruyuki Kagawa, Ryoko Hirosue
Language: Japanese
Duration: 128 min.
Rating: 8.2
Summary:
The identities of a struggling actor and an expert hit man get mixed up with hilarious results.
Key of Life is a film written and directed by Kenji Uchida. It is his third feature, following 2008's After School, and 2005's A Stranger of Mine. It premiered at the 2012 Shanghai International Film Festival, where it won the award for Best Screenplay.

It's a strange blend of dark gangland thriller mixed with quirky rom-com along with a healthy dose of screwball comedy a la Trading Places. A premise that sounds like the makings of a tired and predictable story, but it is so cleverly scripted and brilliantly acted, the result is one of the freshest and funniest films of the year.

It features three main characters, all of whom are wonderfully developed with a patience and careful attention not normally seen in a comedy. First there's Kanae (Ryoko Hirosue), a career driven magazine editor in her mid thirties, who to her co-workers' surprise, announces the date of her upcoming wedding. The only catch is, she hasn't found the husband yet.

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Then there's lovable loser Sakurai (Sakai Masato), a complete failure at everything in life including his chosen profession of acting. When we first encounter him, we see that he's such a screw up, he even fails miserably at committing suicide.

The third individual is Kondo (Teruyuki Kagawa), a highly efficient professional killer who, after successfully completing a hit, finds himself stuck in traffic, and fatefully decides to stop at a public bath to clean up. There he slips on a bar of soap, knocking himself out, and sending his locker key flying right into the feet of none other than Sakurai, who only happens to be there because he's all sweaty after his botched attempt at taking his own life.

Once the introductions are complete, Uchida's dextrous screenplay marvelously weaves the plot lines of the three oddball characters, taking us to what is ultimately a familiar conclusion, but using a meandering path full of refreshing twists and surprising reveals to get there. The running time (at just over two hours) is admittedly longer than usual comedies, but this isn't your usual comedy, with a smart clash of genres, solid pacing all the way through, and some very strong acting all around.

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

The star of the show is Kagawa. Who manages to effortlessly switch from cold killer to clueless actor, all with a deadpan style that is not only believable, but also outrageously entertaining and even unexpectedly touching in a couple of tender moments. Masato, I thought was a bit over the top at first, but he is after all playing a guy who is a terrible actor, so he's actually perfectly on point. Giving us some silliness that works amazingly in tandem with Kagawa's measured subtleness. Hirosue completes the trio, delivering a neurotic but likeable character who displays plenty of charm and chemistry with the others.

Another positive aspect is the remarkable amount of detail in the set design. Every little prop and background object, be it a perfectionist's agenda book, a closet full of disguises, or a pile of dirty laundry, are all meticulously chosen and strategically placed to give us deeper understanding of who these people are, all without feeling forced.

Take all that and add to it the fact that this is ridiculously funny from start to finish, and you have what is easily the most shamelessly enjoyable two hours I've had at the cinema all year. Make sure you see this gem if you get the chance.
Bonjour Tristesse

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

Key of Life • 鍵泥棒のメソッド (2012)

5 comments:

d_4 said...

It really does seem like it could easily be just 'anything else in the movies' to me, at least at first. I wanna give it a watch though, it's been a while since I've seen a great comedy.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Yeah give it a shot if you get the chance. Not sure if this will ever get a North American release but it really deserves one.

filmnohito said...

Great review! I totally agree. The concept is one that is refreshed thanks to the actors and the script. All three are good but it is Teruyuki Kagawa and his turn as an amnesiac that wins it for me.The picture you have of him waving just reminds me how he won me over. I still crack up when I think about Kondo and his response to Sakurai's "plans". That said, all of the characters are well-written and the entire thing is brilliantly acted.


I had to pick the films I saw at the BFI LFF carefully and I am so happy I picked this one. It is so funny! The whole crowd was with the film and there was a lot of laughter in the cinema (especially at the reveal of Kondo's disguises).

Bonjour Tristesse said...

I don't say this often, but I agree this one was fun to watch with a big crowd. Such a hilarious film. It was a last minute coin flip decision for me to see this one, and I'm so glad I chose it over whatever the other option was.

Bonjour Tristesse said...

Nice. Thank you Bob. I too hope it gets picked up. I feel it has the chance to be a sleeper hit with a little support.

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