Very definitely worth seeing, Miike's latest starts out wonderfully strong, but tends to bog down during the middle third of its 131 minute running time. Though based on a manga, this is also a clever send-up of romantic/tragic musicals that - at its best - sets hilariously cheesy dance numbers to vintage Japanese pop songs (one song sounds very much like a variation on "Urami Bushi", aka "The Grudge Song", popular from both the film FEMALE PRISONER #701: SCORPION 701, and from KILL BILL: Vol. 2, while another song would appear to be the title theme to 60's TV cartoon, WOLF BOY KEN). FOR LOVE'S SAKE (the international festival title) also features a lot of violent, over-the-top fight scenes, perhaps too many of which involve the male heartthrob nearly punching the life out of a adoring schoolgirls (I found these scenes a bit repetitive after a while). Still, despite it's drawbacks, fans of Miike will not want to miss this one.
Review of Ai to makoto
