|
How entertaining? ★★★★☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 20 November 2011
This article is a review of UNDERWATER LOVE. |
|
|
“What brings you here?” Asuka
“Stuff.” Aoki
Who would’ve thought that an erotic musical could be so good? This is elevated beyond gratuitous nonsense by several factors:
- Stylish camera-work and editing;
- Director of photography maestro Christopher Doyle’s cinematography;
- Great soundtrack from band Stereo Total; and
- UNDERWATER LOVE starts off funny and sweet and I hoped as I watched that the atmosphere would not be trampled upon by distasteful story and character choices. In fact the charm and humour are not only maintained, it gets to be a little moving too.
This movie sits within the pink film subgenre from Japan – soft-core pornography that has a story. I went to a talk about these pictures at the Japan Centre in London, but until now have not watched one. If the quality matches UNDERWATER LOVE the distributor should seek out more to bring to our shores. It is about Asuka (Sawa Masaki), a factory worker, and newly engaged to her boss. Then one day she meets Aoki (Yoshiro Umezawa), a creature called a kappa, who arrives from the sea. He has a beak and turtles shell on his back. We are told that kappas are mystical, mischievous beings. Like much of the work of Studio Ghibli, having the fantastical in the everyday world does not send everyone panicking, either people are welcoming or are indifferent. It turns out that Aoki was Asuka’s classmate that accidentally drowned when he was 17, and afterwards became a kappa. He has now returned to her 18 years later. Interspersed with the tale of them getting to know each other again, are infrequent musical numbers (energetic and joyfully choreographed) and sex scenes (which stem from mutual lust). Well acted and engaging and fun.
|
|
We have selected movies below that we think will be of interest to you based on this review.
Using these Amazon affiliated links help us keep Filmaluation free for all film and arts lovers.
Amazon UK
|
|
|
|
|
Amazon USA
|
|
|
|
|