From the very, very beginning the movie is filled with robustly cheeky, playful style that's readily engrossing. Humor is immediate, blood and gore is over the top (and looks great), and the fantastically jaunty, lively score composed by writer-director Sion Sono himself is a great bit of fun, emphatically recalling music from other pictures in the process. In nearly every regard 'Why don't you play in hell?' works hard and fast to establish all its primary elements to move along to the story it wants to tell. I appreciate the effort, and it pays off, because the film has our attention right away.
Jun'ichi Itô's editing readily impresses, with sharp transitions and sequencing smartly helping to build the tableau alongside Sono's masterful, practiced direction that builds great shots and scenes, and guides his cast into phenomenal, fetching performances. And his screenplay here is a real marvel, rife with diverse, complex characters, and brilliant and biting dialogue. The scene writing is rich and captivating through every turn of comedy, violence, and drama, and the overall narrative is wonderfully smart and original, maintaining an endearing lightheartedness even in the more gnarly story beats. From start to finish 'Why don't you play in hell?' is a great joy - and more so because given the entire thrust of the plot, it's clear this is Sono's love letter to cinema, and making movies.
Everyone in the cast is absolutely outstanding as they lean completely into their roles to make this the utmost violent, funny romp that it could be. From the amateur filmmakers, exuberant in their passion, to the rival Yakuza clans, filled with strong, varying, and curious personalities and idiosyncrasies, all the assembled actors inhabit their parts with dazzling vigor and bombast. But they just as surely demonstrate incredible skill; as ridiculous as each character is, everyone shows their capabilities with range, nuance, physicality, and poise to make each figure seem as real as they could be. And so it is with every element here: blood and gore, special effects, hair and makeup, costume design, set design and decoration, lighting, choreography, music - every little detail and aspect of the technical craft is exquisite, given meticulous care to bring the movie to life, and it's a true delight.
The narrative advances quickly, but never feels rushed; there's a great deal going on in this movie, but it never feels overfull or frenzied. There's astonishing balance between all the component parts while never losing sight of the action, the comedy, or the contributions of anyone involved. I've seen several of Sion Sono's films about this point and have dearly loved some of them, including 'Love exposure' and 'Noriko's dinner table.' But to my pleasant surprise, 'Why don't you play in hell?' exceeds the bounds of the genres it plays in to become an exhilarating, exemplary piece of cinema, showcasing the utmost abilities of cast and crew alike. I expected a good time when I began watching, and those expectations were blown away: This is a highly engaging, satisfying, rewarding movie that never feels as long as its 130 minutes, and would be worth seeking out at twice that length. Wherever you're able to watch it, 'Why don't you play in hell?' is a fabulous action-comedy that I enthusiastically recommend to all comers.
Well done!
Jun'ichi Itô's editing readily impresses, with sharp transitions and sequencing smartly helping to build the tableau alongside Sono's masterful, practiced direction that builds great shots and scenes, and guides his cast into phenomenal, fetching performances. And his screenplay here is a real marvel, rife with diverse, complex characters, and brilliant and biting dialogue. The scene writing is rich and captivating through every turn of comedy, violence, and drama, and the overall narrative is wonderfully smart and original, maintaining an endearing lightheartedness even in the more gnarly story beats. From start to finish 'Why don't you play in hell?' is a great joy - and more so because given the entire thrust of the plot, it's clear this is Sono's love letter to cinema, and making movies.
Everyone in the cast is absolutely outstanding as they lean completely into their roles to make this the utmost violent, funny romp that it could be. From the amateur filmmakers, exuberant in their passion, to the rival Yakuza clans, filled with strong, varying, and curious personalities and idiosyncrasies, all the assembled actors inhabit their parts with dazzling vigor and bombast. But they just as surely demonstrate incredible skill; as ridiculous as each character is, everyone shows their capabilities with range, nuance, physicality, and poise to make each figure seem as real as they could be. And so it is with every element here: blood and gore, special effects, hair and makeup, costume design, set design and decoration, lighting, choreography, music - every little detail and aspect of the technical craft is exquisite, given meticulous care to bring the movie to life, and it's a true delight.
The narrative advances quickly, but never feels rushed; there's a great deal going on in this movie, but it never feels overfull or frenzied. There's astonishing balance between all the component parts while never losing sight of the action, the comedy, or the contributions of anyone involved. I've seen several of Sion Sono's films about this point and have dearly loved some of them, including 'Love exposure' and 'Noriko's dinner table.' But to my pleasant surprise, 'Why don't you play in hell?' exceeds the bounds of the genres it plays in to become an exhilarating, exemplary piece of cinema, showcasing the utmost abilities of cast and crew alike. I expected a good time when I began watching, and those expectations were blown away: This is a highly engaging, satisfying, rewarding movie that never feels as long as its 130 minutes, and would be worth seeking out at twice that length. Wherever you're able to watch it, 'Why don't you play in hell?' is a fabulous action-comedy that I enthusiastically recommend to all comers.
Well done!