Although Kensuke Sonomura has started his career doing stunt work for various productions, such as John Woo's “Manhunt” and Yugo Sakamoto's “Baby Assassins”, ever since his debut feature “Hydra” (2019) he has also made a name for himself as a director. Given the level of skill in the action and martial arts-scenes of “Hydra”, there are many indicators Sonomura has gained quite the knowledge about genre filmmaking, blending storytelling, character development and hard-hitting action. While his second project, “Bad City” also incorporates martial arts, the story goes in a somewhat different direction, blending thriller and yakuza drama, following a plot dealing with the connection of organized crime and politics.
Bad City is screening at Camera Japan
For many years, Kaiko City has been a place defined by crime, violence and corruption. The latest events, however, a massacre at a bath house and the acquittal of a local businessman named Gojo (Lily Franky), who was accused of bribery and collusion, represent the climax of that development. Monitored by Kaiko City's top prosecutor, a secret task force, consisting of three members of the Violent Crimes Unit as well as disgraced cop Torada (Hitoshi Ozawa), should help get evidence on the businessman and his dealing with the local mob. They quickly uncover his dealings not only with the yakuza, but also the South Korean mob in order to secure a lucrative land development contract which could set in motion his career in politics, thus securing his power and influence in the city even further.
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As their investigation continues, they find themselves in the middle of a war between various factions, with killers at their tail and enemies who have more influence than anticipated. At the same time, Torada's past catches up with him, especially the alleged murder of the son of the leader of the Korean mob in the city. Thinking he will likely never make it out alive from the task at hand, the former policeman uses his remaining contacts in the underworld as well as his skills as an investigator to make sure the culprits behind the latest chain of bloodshed and crime will be brought to justice.
Probably as expected, given the director's background and his previous feature, it should come as no surprise that the action and martial-arts-scenes in “Bad City” are top-notch. Excellently photographed and choreographed, the finale alone is worth checking out this movie, with the focus being on hand-to-hand-combat as well as blunt or sharp weapon, giving these moments a heightened sense of physicality and kinetic energy. In combination with the editing, these are definitely the formal high points in this thriller, but there are a few instances which are also worth pointing out.
While some viewers may probably need some time finding their way through the various characters, their affiliations with each other and their backstory, once this has happened, “Bad City” proves its thriller-elements are just as gripping as the aforementioned action scenes. Although you could make a case whether some of the side-stories, for example, one involving an aspiring news reporter and her quest to uncover Gojo's crimes and his exploitation of the city, the majority of them are quite interesting. Besides the relationship of the three cops coming over from the Violent Crime Unit, Hitoshi Ozawa's performance as Torada is the heart and soul of the movie, showing a man who seems as the stereotypical cop carrying a grudge and executing his own brand of justice Dirty Harry-style, but there is more to him than meets the eye, especially when the story delves into his connections with organized crime. At the same time, Ozawa, as well as all the other actors, bring a physicality to the role, which is all the more evident in the fight scenes, giving you a sense of what these characters risk for the sake of the investigation.
In the end, “Bad City” is a great genre flick, blending action, thriller and drama. Kensuke Sonomura again proves his talent within the action elements of his second directorial feature, but also his development as a storyteller, showing characters surrounded by crime and violence, with some of them doing their best to stay away and remain pure within this “bad city”.
