Tatsushi Ohmori made an impressive transition from arthouse filmmaker to cineplex crowd pleaser. Known for violent disruptions of conventions both cinematic and social, he created his own style, starting in 2005 with the debut film “The Whispering of Gods”. His latest production, “Goodbye Cruel World”, is a heist movie about a group of people who rob a Yakuza gang. Betrayal, love, and revenge are mixed together and crowned with an A-List cast.
Nao Ohmori (“Outrage Coda” 2017) steals the show as a detective hired by the yakuza to find the culprits. On the other side, “Drive my Car” actor Hidetoshi Nishijima leads the robbers, consisting of Takumi Saitoh (“Shin Godzilla” 2016), Hio Miyazawa (“his” 2020), Tina Tamashiro (“Diner” 2019), Tomokazu Miura (“Adrift in Tokyo” 2007), and Daisuke Miyagawa (“Drop” 2009). All the characters are portrayed in a passive way, and their story is told with many omissions, which makes it stringy at times. But the mysterious, ambivalent cop holds up the suspense. Is he good or bad? Do I sympathize with him or not? Also, the psychopathic acting of Okuno Eita is worth mentioning. His borderline expressions bring danger and madness into the calming aftermath of the robbery, risking the happy end for Nishijima's role.
Rather disappointing is the script in regard of the love interest. Miyazawa and Tamashiro somehow bound together, but are never given the chance to prove their love on screen. That's why the passion seems too scripted and not reasonable. Their “Bonny and Clyde”-type of journey is not grounded on any expressed feelings, but rather in a murder spree culminating in a cafe scene, which could have been straight out of a Tarantino movie.
Tatsushi Ohmori tries to replicate that Tarantino vibe on many occasions, using music, cars, violence, and the various storylines to blur the lines between good and evil. The Japanese approach to Hollywood's enfant terrible anticipates a lot of patience from the audience but offers a promising framework not often seen in Asian cinema. It looks like all the right ingredients are placed in front of us, but the overall composition still lacks a bit of pep.
Going into “Goodbye Cruel World” I was hoping for a wake-up call for a Japanese cinema, that tends to snooze behind a production wave of drama and political correctness. The verdict is rather dull, but not hopeless.
