COLD FISH (2010)

Japan, 2010

Directed by Shion Sono

Screenplay: Shion Sono, Yoshiki Takahashi

Starring: Mitsuru Kukikoshi, Denden, Asuka Kurosawa, Megumi Kagurazaka

Running time: 146 min.

 ****  

4   

    Bizarnim sticajem okolnosti nisam na blogu živopisao jedan od najboljih filmova koji su na Zapadu premijeru imali prošle godine. Naime, procurio je (i smesta bio odgledan) tik pred putovanje na Fantastic Zagreb festival, početkom jula, a onda sam se otuda vratio pun novih utisaka + ubrzo zatim imao da idem na još dva festivala bukvalno jedan za drugim, na njima se napunio drugim impresijama, odgledao još 20 filmova u međuvremenu, tako da je avgusta, kad sam došao sebi, već bilo prekasno za rivju. Kasnije sam angažovan da o njemu pišem za RUE MORGUE, pa sam to i uradio, a za blog – ništa.
    E pa, to će sada biti donekle ispravljeno.

    Evo, ekskluzivno na blogu, šta sam pisao za RM. Tekst je kratak, kraći nego što film zaslužuje, ali je zato koncizan i jasan, a slike uz njega su još jasnije, te stoga, zajedno sa mojim PEČATOM – ko nije gledao, šta se više čeka?! 
U pitanju je najcrnja od svih crnih komedija, pa još sa obilatim dozama splattera i u režiji Šiona Sonoa, najzanimljivijeg japanskog reditelja danas (uz Miikea i Tsukamota). Na pojedinim listama najboljih horora godine naći ćete i COLD FISH: jedini razlog što ga nećete videti na mojoj jeste što ovaj film ne smatram hororom, odnosno on nema dovoljno činilaca tog žanra da bih ga u njegovim okvirima sagledavao (uprkos grdnoj krvi koja tu pljušti). No, kako god ga svrstavali, njemu je svakako mesto u samom vrhu najboljih filmova iz prošle godine. Evo i zašto.

Cold Fish is a brilliantly bleak metaphysical splatter comedy about the horrors of humanity – loosely based on real events, but fully recognizable as another idiosyncratic gem by the Japanese shock-meister, Shion Sono (Suicide Club, Exte, Love Exposure...).
It depicts the (de)evolution of a tropical fish store owner Shamoto, from a weakling ignored by his wife and daughter to a "real man" who refuses to be bossed around.

This process is started and brought to its violent conclusion through Shamoto's partnership with Murata, another fish store owner – who also happens to be the most charismatic and unique cinematic serial killer in a long while.

Played to perfection by Denden, a well-known Japanese comedian, Murata is a boisterously loud and utterly amoral psycho who kills people for money and pleasure together with his even more demented sexy wife. Although deceivingly funny, this killer is fully rounded and convincing especially in his over-the-top moments and is never shallow nor comicky (did someone mention I Saw the Devil?).

Murata is a dead soul: raped by his father, he grew up to see the Earth as a pile of ugly rocks and people as bags of meat, viscera and bones to be dumped after use. Big fish eat small fish, and in a world in which you either eat or you are eaten, he refuses to be on the receiving end ever again.
Thus he jumps at the opportunity to play a surrogate father to Shamoto, teaching him the experienced butcher's tricks in the art of body disposal, but also, more importantly – how to fight back at the cruel, or at best indifferent world.

Cold Fish contains incredible amounts of depravity (sexual, and other), frank depictions of eroticism (often sadistic), a refreshing disregard for "political correctness" (including hints of nihilism, misanthropy, misogyny...) – and several scenes of explicit and inventive slaughter culminating in the most blood-drenched ending since Hellraiser II: Hellbound (1988)!

Consistently clever, unpredictable and shocking, Cold Fish is Sono's most balanced and satisfying film so far, and it definitely puts him up there with Miike and Tsukamoto as one of the most daring (and rewarding!) among today's Japanese directors.