In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Marebito (2004)

Marebito is the sort of movie that's more interesting than it is good. Both its characters and its Lovecraftian premise are fascinating, and I struggled to take my eyes off the screen even when nothing was happening. The film is packed with compelling ideas, but they're rarely capitalized on, and the whole thing feels a bit undercooked.

I've read Takashi Shimizu filmed this in only eight days, and it shows. If he and writer Chiaki Konaka had spent a little more time on this, I think it could have been something truly special. Shimizu is a talented director, and there's plenty to like about this. It's terrifically atmospheric, it has great visuals, and the actors give excellent performances. It's disturbing in a Cronenberg sort of way, and it holds up to repeat viewings. I just wish the film realized its full potential.

3.5 seconds of missing camera footage out of 5.

4 comments:

Dr Faustus said...

I agree it feels rushed, and underdeveloped. I've only watched it once, about 5 years ago, but from memory I'd give it 2.5 apartment buddies out of 5.

Marceline said...

I liked it more when I watched it again, maybe because I had managed my expectations. I believe there's a novel. If I ever find it I'd love to read it.

Borderline said...

I searched around the writer Chiaki Konaka's website

www.konaka.com and found a link to what I think is the novel. It's only available on the Japanese Amazon site. Not sure if that helps.

Marceline said...

Thank you for doing that! I can't really read in Japanese right now, but I'm doing my best to learn. Someday. :)