Koki Mitani used to be one of the main faces of intelligent comedy in Japanese cinema, but his works in 2010s did not share the quality of his previous ones, indulging into too much in silliness and slapstick. His last effort of the decade, however, finds him back in form, with a film that is quite smart and entertaining, to say the least.
“Hit Me Anyone One More Time” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
Keisuke Kuroda wakes up in a hospital bed without being able to remember who he is, and even starts roaming the streets in his pajamas, at least until his entourage picks him up. Soon, he realizes that he is the President of the country, but also one of the most hated leaders Japan ever had, with his approval having reached an all-time low. Soon, his two secretaries, the always serious Isaka and the more kind and understanding Banba, explain to him his situation, leaving hin completely stupefied. When he returns to the Presidential residence, he is in for an even bigger surprise, since his son seems to hate him, his wife has him completely alienated, and even the cook seems not to like him very much. The more Kuroda learns about himself, the more despicable he realizes his former self was, as he seems to be corrupted, womanizing and completely ignorant of the feelings of everyone around him, including the Japanese people. A changed Keisuke, however, immediately embarks in a “campaign” to change his image, and in essence, himself, although the obstacles his former self has put in his path prove much more than he anticipated. Soon, however, his transformation brings some people to his side, starting with his two secretaries.
The main theme of the film may not be exactly original, even as an amalgam of different previously implemented ideas, but the devil is in the details and here is where Koki Mitani's effort really thrives, through a number of ingenious tropes. In that regard, the concept of “sleeping with the enemy” reaches a whole other level here, while the presence of Chief of Cabinet Tsurumaru and his decisions regarding the future of the President can be described only as hilarious. The same applies to the appearance of a number of characters, including Onoda, Nanjo and Rolly. The apogee however, is the presence of the US President, who, in this case is a blonde, American-Japanese woman who acts in the same bullying ways as the actual one, not to mention her Japanese translator, who is also revealed to have some past with Kuroda.
Expectedly, some of the many episodes again follow the slapstick, hyperbolic approach, but fortunately, these are few and do not dominate the narrative in any way, with the same applying to the on-the-nose political messages, like the one referring to democracy, human rights and pacifism as the main elements of Japanese politics.
Dean Fujioka as Isaka, Eiko Koike as Banba, and Koichi Sato as journalist Furugori, take care of the serious aspect of the narrative, providing very fitting performances that are also subtly induced with humor. Yuriko Ishida as Satoko, the First Lady, is also quite good in the same approach, although her performance moves more towards the comic. As usual in Mitani's works, the cast is comprised of many and quite famous actors, which, in this case include the likes of Yo Yoshida, Susumu Terajima and many others. However, the one who definitely stands out is Kiichi Nakai in the protagonist role, who gives a rather measured performance that is both funny and serious, in a testament to his prowess as an actor that netted him awards from both Hochi and Blue Ribbon.
Quite frequently, the film unfolds like a stage play of sorts (Mitani is also a stage director after all), particularly in the way the scenes are set up and the heavy dialogues. However, the many changes of setting, all of which highlight both the excellent job done in the production design and Hideo Yamamoto's cinematography, and the rather fast pace implemented in the narrative, tone down this approach and give a distinct sense of cinematic speed to the movie.
“Hit Me One More Time” is intelligent, amusing and occasionally hilarious; one could not ask for much more from a comedy.
