Kamikaze Girls (2004)

Kooky, kinetic, and colorful, 2004's Kamikaze Girls is a delight, and one that could only have come from Japan. Our principal character and narrator is Momoko (Kyoko Fukada), the 17-year-old product of a highly dysfunctional marriage who wishes she'd lived in 18th Century France, during the Rococo age; instead, she and her bonnets and frilly dresses are stuck in Japan's rural outback, where she abides by a philosophy that claims, "If I can't live independently, I'd rather be a water flea." Enter Ichigo (Anna Tsuchiya), a tough-talking, head-butting, scooter-riding thug who doesn't know rococo from rock & roll, and whom the haughty Momoko deplores and mostly ignores--at least until they're brought together by, of all things, embroidery (Momoko's good at it, Ichigo needs some for her biker threads). Suffice it to say that these two oddballs form a union of sorts, and Kamikaze Girls (entitled Shimotsuma Monogatari in Japanese) ultimately delivers a fairly straightforward message about independence, loneliness, and friendship. But getting there is quite a trip. Director and co-writer Tetsuya Nakashima combines live action, animation, special effects, fourth-wall asides, fantasy sequences, and more in a dazzling onslaught of images; in that way, as well as in its overall outlook ("Humans are cowards in the face of happiness," says one character), the film is somewhat reminiscent of Amelie. True, Kamikaze Girls lacks the full measure of that French film's grace, heart, and charm. But for sheer imaginativeness and cinematic virtuosity, this one's hard to beat. --Sam Graham Amazon.com

Way better than the book

For anyone who read the book and was dissapointed by its lack of actual storyline until at least half way through the novel should give the movie a try. I was soooo excited when I rented it because it's one of those movies that is just plain out fun to watch. July 4, 2008

Great movie!

Before I start, I have to sa that the subtitels are FINE. and you can READ THEM. A lot of people b--- about it, but I could read them just fine!

For the movie, it was great. Cute, funny, and even brought a tear to my eye. The movie really showed me how great Japanses movies can be (that are not based on Anime) I hope to find more like this. I really injoy the Lolita look, and might protray it now.

All in all this is a great movie. May 27, 2008

Shimotsuma Monogatari (Kamikaze Girls)

This is a very fun, and cute movie that also has some morals in it. I recommend it to anyone who is curious or a lover of the Lolita style in Japan. Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya are both very good actresses! May 11, 2008

Frills & Flowers

"Kamikaze Girls" is wildly inventive. Japanese pop star Kyoko Fukada plays Momoko, a girl whose heart and style are attached to the Rococo period in France where dresses bloomed frills & flowers, beautiful and ornate. The visual look of this film is a key element. Stylistically, ABC's TV series "Pushing Daisies" is kin with its larger than life settings. Fukada does a great job with wide-eyed innocence. Ichigo is played by Anna Tsuchiya as a motorcycle girl whose hard edges and constant spitting are the polar opposites of Momoko. Tetsuya Nakashima does a good job directing this wildly improbably but thoroughly entertaining piece.

Many of the supporting cast are also excellent. Hiroyuki Miyasako who was in Casshern: Director's Cut plays Momoko's heartbroken father. His zany antics are over-the-top as he parades around in his boxers and has a flatulence episode. Kirin Kiki who has been in over 60 films plays Momoko's grandmother who seems a bit touched in the head, but who can pull a dragonfly out of the air. Ryoko Shinohara plays Momoko's mother who abandoned the family to pursue her dream of happiness. Yoshinori Okada's cameo as the owner of the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright clothing store is somewhere between Elvis Presley and Liberace in style. With cabbages flying unpredictably, this is a delightfully brainy piece of Japanese cinema. Enjoy! March 11, 2008

fun, fun fun

This kinetically paced movie is pure feminine fun. It's about following your own path in life as we follow the budding friendship between two very different teenage girls in a suburb ~60 miles outside of Toyko. Not being too hip to the Japanese youth culture, I loved that this disc has a "sideways" version of the movie. What is that you ask? It's the movie with cabbages appearing on the bottom of the screen periodically and if you press the "enter" button whenever you see one, you get a quick footnote on what is going on in the movie for those of us who need it. These extra little tidbits were great for providing insight into this very different culture.

The characters were quirky and fascinating. I loved "little peach", an emotionally detached girl whose true devotion is saved for the Rococo period. She dresses in the Lolita fashion to reflect this love. She was an outcast in school and liked it that way. Into her life careens "little strawberry", who changes her name to befit her position in a girls' biker gang (we're talking mopeds here). She owes her loyalty to the gang's leader who saved her old timid self and made her who she is today. A girl that bangs heads with anybody who gets in her way or annoys her. It is a delight to watch the deepening bond of sisterhood forming between this intriguing duo.

True, this movie is part fantasy, part comic book and chick-lit but it all adds up to an amazing movie that just zips by way too fast. I understand it was based on a popular series of books. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for an American version (don't we copy all of their best?) but I'm not sure it would translate well.
January 20, 2008

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