Within the first 15 minutes we see the protagonist commit the grave act, go to prison, and be paroled, and the meaning of the title is revealed. 'The eel' wastes no time on exposition, moving quickly into the meat of the plot. It's at once, quiet, peculiar, and captivating.
Every character has very unique personalities, not least of all protagonist Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) and chief supporting character Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu). But so it goes for almost everyone: somewhat lacking in social skills and graces, yet finding a measure of kinship in their idiosyncrasies as they struggle with their individual circumstances. There's a decidedly playful bent to the film, almost to the point of being mildly fantastical.
At all points 'The eel' is weirdly entrancing, The cast is excellent, capably realizing their distinct characters in all their eccentricities. Filming locations and set design is swell, rounded out with fine decoration. Anchored by a great cast and offbeat characters, the narrative is slightly quirky, not unlike more familiar sardonic comedy-dramas - though this is notably darker all the while, as there's a murkiness hiding behind the oddities. The film-makers manage to balance the picture's varied elements with greater dexterity than we generally anticipate from features of this nature.
Despite myself, it's difficult to discuss further without betraying plot points. Suffice to say this is a delightful, strangely endearing movie that exceeds any imagined limits of genre, language, or timeliness. I stumbled onto 'The eel' by chance, and walk away quite pleased: This is well worth seeking out to watch.
Every character has very unique personalities, not least of all protagonist Takuro Yamashita (Koji Yakusho) and chief supporting character Keiko Hattori (Misa Shimizu). But so it goes for almost everyone: somewhat lacking in social skills and graces, yet finding a measure of kinship in their idiosyncrasies as they struggle with their individual circumstances. There's a decidedly playful bent to the film, almost to the point of being mildly fantastical.
At all points 'The eel' is weirdly entrancing, The cast is excellent, capably realizing their distinct characters in all their eccentricities. Filming locations and set design is swell, rounded out with fine decoration. Anchored by a great cast and offbeat characters, the narrative is slightly quirky, not unlike more familiar sardonic comedy-dramas - though this is notably darker all the while, as there's a murkiness hiding behind the oddities. The film-makers manage to balance the picture's varied elements with greater dexterity than we generally anticipate from features of this nature.
Despite myself, it's difficult to discuss further without betraying plot points. Suffice to say this is a delightful, strangely endearing movie that exceeds any imagined limits of genre, language, or timeliness. I stumbled onto 'The eel' by chance, and walk away quite pleased: This is well worth seeking out to watch.