Detective Story

Every time I watch a Takashi Miike flick I have to wonder if he has multiple personalities.Because no two Miike flicks seem alike.And Detective Story is no exception.It seemed like a made for Japanese television movie (not like american television mind you, Visitor Q aired on TV over there keep in mind)with heavy influences of Argento's later giallo's (Trauma, Sleepless, Card Player, Do You Like Hitchcock?)with hints of Suspiria, Silence of the Lambs, and Lewis's Color Me Blood Red.About a badly dressed private detective trying to solve a murder case, that he wanted no part of, but now he's involved because he's the one being framed.If you look in the backgrounds of some of the shots you can see something else is at play here.Subtle ghosts creeping about.While it's a little more serious than something like Yakuza Like a Dragon or Dead or Alive, it's not without it's signature Miike idiosyncrasies.(especially the all too confusing conclusion)I loved the detective sporting the gaudiest vintage clothing since the conception of vintage, all while trying not to stand out,his next door neighbor, the businessman with the same first name, who moves around as a sort of hobby,& the criminally insane, maggot obsessed, masked, Japanese Hannibal Lechter-ish consultant with the high-pitched voice, who's depicted on the cover.The gore was all "aftermath gore", but it was beautifully done so.Bodies hanging from trees.Bodies crammed into bathrooms with dirt stuffed in their mouths.Bodies with organs missing, replaced with a bag of water.The filter used on the camera made every color seem like a pastel.Almost washed out.It complimented the sublime artwork used in the film.Razor-sharp paintings of mutilated limbs, and bodies all clinging to each other.I would love to have one hanging in my living room, or bedroom.This was unlike anything Miike has ever done, (which isn't saying much) but it shows that the man can do just about anything.Think of a quirky Murder She Wrote with a bloodlust, and you're in the ballpark.NOTE: Remember to check the backgrounds for ghosts, they don't hit you over the head with them, but they're there for those with a sharp eye.3.5 out of 5 (Based on a Mike scale of 1 to 5)MORAL OF THE STORY:Art not only imitates life, it grinds it's organs into paint.

It's been so long since I saw this movie I barely remember it. I rated 7 stars on imdb though so it must have been pretty good. I could list tons of much better movies and series though from france, germany, netherlands, korea, japan, etc.....love them foreign flicks.

Get this & fall in love (all over again) with Takashi Miike (Ichi 1, Audition, Gozu, Demon Pond, Zebraman(s), etc.)

I'm trying my best to watch as many of Takashi Miike films that I can. So, Detective Story comes my way. I really liked it. I thought the characters were well written and acted and I love how the movie didn't takes itself too serious in parts. Plus, the guy on the cover of this DVD was both funny and creepy as hell. Give this a look if you are into Miike films. I deducted one star because the ending with the killer or killers...don't want to ruin it for you lol...was a little too slapsticky. But, don't let that stop you from watching this. Definitely a repeat viewing.

Controversial Japanese director Takashi Miike has been known in the U.S. as a master of horror, a title he has earned. This man has been hailed as one of the best directors of this age, even by Tarantino. I've always seen Miike as one of the most versatile directors around, he has given the Japanese movie-going public "kid-flicks", Japanese comic book adaptations, gritty and violent Yakuza stories, and films of disquieting horror. "DETECTIVE STORY" (aka. Tantei Monogatari, 2007) is a comedic mystery; quite bizarre but all the more disquieting with its premise, the film looks to be a welcome return to the stuff which made Miike famous in America; gore and crazy death scenes.Raita Takashima (Kuroudo Maki) is a businessman who just moved in an old apartment building where his next door neighbor is another guy named Raita Kazama (Kazuya Nakayama). But as a private eye, the other Raita's life is way different from a businessman's lifestyle. One night, in the beginning of a bizarre series of murders, one of the private detective's potential clients is murdered and has her liver removed. The following victim has her kidneys removed, the next one is found dead missing her lungs. Kazama is accused as the one behind the killings, and must now follow the clues to find the true killer with the aid of Takashima. A very sinister secret is poised to shock the two Raitas as this serial killer is an eccentric painter bent on creating an `immortal' work of art."Detective Story" has a premise with potential, the film has the usual Miike signature of gruesome death scenes but curiously it seemed mild compared to his other films. Some of the gore scenes are "fogged" in the film's first half, as to emulate a little `censorship' but then the gore becomes more graphic near the climax. Yes, there are severed fingers, processed human organs, disemboweled body parts and a very creepy guy in a mask with maggots all over his arm. This guy's relationship to Kazama may feel reminiscent to Edward Norton's relationship to Hannibal Lecter in "Red Dragon", but the film doesn't really focus their relationship.Much of the film's focus is the investigation sequences by Kazama who proves to be a bumbling detective. There are a lot of comedic touches as our clumsy private eye goes through his antics, some are funny while some are definitely a little heavy-handed. I thought actor Kazuya Nakayama's performance was a little too "cartoonish" and I did feel a slight disconnection to his characterization. Kuruodo Maki's Takashima is also a little goofy as he spends a lot of time staring at Kazama's assistant, Mika...Miike does know how to pick his female performers; the Japanese actresses looked positively sexy in a very innocent way. (too bad there is very little nudity) The child who played Miho does steal the show that I couldn't help feeling sympathy for her.The story does have its credibility as Miike does set the plot's groundwork, and everything does add up in a manner similar to other suspense thrillers. The film's main concept does pitch in some discomfort from his audience as it deals with psychological child abuse, vanity and imbalanced psyche. The character of Yuki Aoyama does feel unsettling but the actual revelation feels a little too forced. I guess it is because the film is a comedy, that any visceral impact in its narrative seems a little lost after all the humorous scenes pitched in.I have mixed feelings about this film. I may have to say that I am surprised that I didn't really enjoy this one film by Miike. I suppose one has to be in the proper mindset to enjoy this film, and while it is clearly a comedy, I thought it could have done better as a solid thriller. The blood and violence was very mild compared to his other films, and the death scenes offers very little in the way of becoming fresh. The final scene did make scratch my head, and I couldn't help snickering. I guess I was expecting a more put together film for a film by Takashi Miike--this film is a Hoot!Rental [2 ½ Stars]

You know when your watching a report on the news and the faces of the innocent have been masked-out to protect their identity? Well, thats what happens in this flick when a brutal murder has been committed and the camera is on the victim. But instead of concealing their faces they have blurred the injuries. Was this Miike's intentions or was it added later by the distributor? I haven't been able to find the answer but needless to say it's very irritating. Especially when you take into consideration that the main premise to this flick is a play on words and unless you're fluent in Japanese then half the enjoyment will be lost in translation.A down-and-out private investigator is trying to solve the recent spate of brutal murders. One of the victims was a potential client who he declined to see because he was busy indulging in the pleasure of consuming alcohol. The killer is aware of his presence so he deliberately plants false evidence to frame the PI. Could these bizarre ritual killings have any connection with the critically acclaimed controversial artist, whose recent exhibition has come under intense scrutiny by a selection of his most faithfully admirers? A macabre comedy that isn't very funny unless you're a native or you speak the lingo. Still, worth a watch... what Miike flick isn't?