This shift is so jarring that it snaps us out of near hypnosis in the story's first half and turns us into cringing, withering wrecks. The romantic plot is so slow and dull that we're never prepared for what follows--a hideous descent into paranoia and near madness as Aoyama's imagination gets the best of him (and us) with increasingly awful scenes of carnage and maiming. If it sounds too horrible to watch, it often nearly is. And while Miike drags even this section of the film on just a bit too long, he at least does so with a serious point to make about Aoyama's deep fear of opening up the emotional floodgates again, including a wariness toward moving on to a new commitment and his profound paternal instinct. And that's not all: This is also a blackly comic look at the battle of the sexes in Japan. With more disturbing imagery than most films can imagine (this film leaves even Hannibal in the dust), it's amazing that it's remotely watchable. But Miike also throws in some very funny dialog and action, plus a lot of confusing montage to keep us guessing whether this is all really happening or not. The resulting film is head-spinning, unsettling and just a bit self-indulgent, but such a blast of sheer cinematic talent that it can't be ignored.

strong adult themes and situations, language, violence

12.Mar.01

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