divemaster13
Member: Rank 4
Suicide Club (2001)
Ok; I liked this quite a bit more than Noriko's Dinner Table, which I commented in either May or June's thread. I thought Suicide Club was set up as an interesting mystery and police procedural. Some good scenes, and the side-track with the faggy punker who lived in an abandoned bowling alley was bizarre, but compelling, even if it had nothing at all to do with the rest of the movie.
It was pretty obvious from the get-go that the suicides were tied to the Dessert/Desert/Desret girl-group; and when the girlfriend discovered the hidden clues, I thought we were in for an interesting reveal or explanation.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Nothing in the last half hour really answered any questions or made much sense. Deep philosophical questions coming from 10-year-olds, with no supporting explanation...well, I wasn't sold. No reason is ever given for anything and the tie to the girl group, hinted at, is never established. Secret meetings with 10-year-olds who obviously set up a website and operate a skin-grafting cabal? Strains credulity. So at the end of the movie we have just been treated to random scenes.
Obviously it's a Japanese "thing" (the Koreans do it to, to a lesser extent), to go for effect even if it means sacrificing logic; they are willing to allow mysteries and contradictions that western filmmakers would regard as "plotholes," but the Japs obviously don't give a shit. A little more thought into the plot and we could have had a masterpiece.
But the individual scenes were good and I liked the mystery even if nothing was ever "solved" or explained, so that accounts for my basically positive rating. But it could have been higher.
3.5 stars
Ok; I liked this quite a bit more than Noriko's Dinner Table, which I commented in either May or June's thread. I thought Suicide Club was set up as an interesting mystery and police procedural. Some good scenes, and the side-track with the faggy punker who lived in an abandoned bowling alley was bizarre, but compelling, even if it had nothing at all to do with the rest of the movie.
It was pretty obvious from the get-go that the suicides were tied to the Dessert/Desert/Desret girl-group; and when the girlfriend discovered the hidden clues, I thought we were in for an interesting reveal or explanation.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Nothing in the last half hour really answered any questions or made much sense. Deep philosophical questions coming from 10-year-olds, with no supporting explanation...well, I wasn't sold. No reason is ever given for anything and the tie to the girl group, hinted at, is never established. Secret meetings with 10-year-olds who obviously set up a website and operate a skin-grafting cabal? Strains credulity. So at the end of the movie we have just been treated to random scenes.
Obviously it's a Japanese "thing" (the Koreans do it to, to a lesser extent), to go for effect even if it means sacrificing logic; they are willing to allow mysteries and contradictions that western filmmakers would regard as "plotholes," but the Japs obviously don't give a shit. A little more thought into the plot and we could have had a masterpiece.
But the individual scenes were good and I liked the mystery even if nothing was ever "solved" or explained, so that accounts for my basically positive rating. But it could have been higher.
3.5 stars
