Audition (Odishon)

Japanese Poster

US Poster

US Poster Alt.

1999UR115 minutes

Cast:

Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura, Miyuki Matsuda, Toshie Negishi, Ren Ôsugi

Director:

Takashi Miike

Genres:

Foreign, Foreign Horror, Asian Horror, Japan

Language:

Japanese

This movie is:

Violent, Dark, Suspenseful, Scary

Director Takashi Miike fashions an explosive drama in Audition. Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) has lived as a widower for too long and decides it's time to marry again. But how will he find a wife? When a friend suggests he hold a fake audition to pick the right woman, he takes him up on it -- only to realize that his choice may be a better actress than he bargained for.

This is one sick and twisted movie, and I mean that in a good way....sort of. What begins as a bittersweet little film about a widower's search for a new companion becomes a dark, surreal tale not for the squeamish. Director Miike explores themes about the role of women in male-dominated Asian society, with the women taking their revenge in a jarring sequence that plays like a kick to the gut. The tone of the film shifts seismically between beginning and end, and Miike handles it seamlessly, moving from quiet, contemplative scenes to psychologically and graphically violent imagery. For viewers with a strong constitution, there is much here to recommend.

Anyone who knows the genre can tell you that the most creative and frightening horror in the last 5 years has been made overseas- in Japan. AUDITION is no exception. Takeshi Miike breaks all rules, so don't expect a "typical" horror film- or cinematic "experience" for that matter. Miike's films are often extreme, and often dark, but always unforgettable.