Raindance Film Festival 2017: Noise

I first went to Japan, namely Tokyo, in September 2008, a little under three months after the Akihabara Massacre - see how I'm using the social media technique of making it all about me! It made me think that in going to Japan, I had little to fear in terms of everyday crime, but had more chance of a random attack from an everyday man whom had snapped. With his debut film, Yusaku Matsumoto examines the sort of motivations that lead individuals to such attacks, the pressures people are put under and how they cope in these scenarios.

Eight years on from the massacre, the lives of seemingly unconnected individuals are the focus: Misa (Kokoro Shinozaki), a teenage part-time masseuse and low level idol performing to small groups of middle-aged men, while avoiding her abusive father at home; the contrasting Rie (Urara Anjo), a disaffected youth, ignoring her father and his attempts at forming a connection; and Ken (Kohsuke Suzuki), a quiet part-time delivery worker, partaking in online studies, while most of his income goes towards his mother's debts.

Based around the Tokyo district of Akihabara, the three main characters gradually find their lives pressured into situations that they can no longer face. Misa's well-meaning manager is under pressure for higher takings; pressure that is put onto Misa. Begrudgingly, he is forced to "hand her over" to his superior to manage, namely what's in her knickers. Losing her mother to the Akihabara Massacre eight years previous, she has suffered at the hands of her abusive father since.

Despite his renewed attempts, Misa is without a father-figure; both her father and manager having let her down. As such, she finds some connection to Rie's father - drawn by her resemblance to his daughter with whom he can't connect - when they meet at her gigs. Rie lacks a mother in her life, and on discovering her father's attendance at idol performances runs away to the same scout who has his designs on Misa; no doubt soon to find herself in a similar situation.

All the while, Ken goes about his daily work, connecting little with those to whom he delivers packages, as well as his work colleagues. His home life is no better; his mother running away, leaving debt collectors knocking at his door and face and about to be kicked-out of his home. Regularly making pre-recorded threatening calls to companies and the police, his new-found homelessness will force him to turn them into action.

The "noise" in question is the non-stop world that continues to force pressure on the lives of the young protagonists, with little opportunity for relief from their elders. And it is generational differences that run as a connecting theme throughout the three main story arcs. With her mother now dead, Misa's father's abuse continued after the massacre, with no communication left between the pair who live under the same roof. The same goes for Rie and her father, with the latter having worked long hours and having to care for his sick father, perhaps leaving Rie the figure of neglect. Ken's mother sees him has a source of additional income for debts, demanding that he makes more money than he does, discouraging him from his studies.

A traditionally hierarchical society in Japan, generational differences and chains of command build on those at the lower ends to the point of breaking, leaving Misa, Rie and Ken wandering, coiled springs, able to go off at any moment. Matsumoto builds this tension well throughout towards the film's finale, which is somewhat sudden and abrupt, but reflects the continuous nature of these pressures.

But some novice learning aside, such as slips into melodrama, this is an interesting social comment on the causes of violence: one-way, aggressive communication, with those at the bottom's voices lost through all the noise.

Raindance Film Festival 2017: Perfect Revolution

Something of a late bloomer in the acting world, Lily Frankie has become a Japanese indie staple, regularly appearing in the works of perhaps Japan's most internationally-renowned director, Koreeda Hirokazu. While largely in supporting roles, he always brings a charm to the screen with his presence and a welcome addition as he strolls in front of the camera. Now in the lead role, playing a disabled author, "Perfect Revolution" is a film that relies heavily on this onscreen charm.

Kuma (Frankie) is an author with cerebral palsy, a sex-obsessed author with cerebral palsy; a fact that leads to various humorous incidents, such as up-skirt viewing of young shop assistants from his vantage point of his wheelchair as they reach for some "top shelf material" and extensive product-placement for Japanese male masturbation aid manufacturer Tenga.

While at a book launch, the young Ryoko (Nana Seino), after an unexpected outburst, forcibly demands his attention. After several meetings together, they start an unusual relationship, with both the age difference and Ryoko's ability to handle his disability questioned by Kuma's family and his carer, Eri (Eiko Koike). And gradually their concerns are realised, with Ryoko's erratic behaviour resulting from her "personality disorder."

Ryoko subsequently threatens Eri before turning on Kuma himself, attempting a joint suicide. Forced apart, the two are allowed a brief reunion a year later, resulting in a somewhat farcical and cheesy ending.

A relative novice, there is a lot of challenging subject matter for writer-director Jumpei Matsumoto to take on, alongside cerebral palsy sufferer Yukihiko Kumano. Japanese stigma towards disability has always been a touchy subject, particularly when it comes to mental health. The is exemplified by Kuma's family's reactions to the couple's relationship, as well as their harsh words towards Kuma as the family curse and burden. This perhaps impacts of Matsumoto's writing, with disability and difference a key focus throughout, rather than looking at the pair as a simply an unorthodox couple.

What starts off as a comedy, soon descends into rom-com territory, before over sentimentality and emotional responses start to spoil the film. The film's conclusion drifts into silliness before quite a cheesy finale.

Ryoko's idea that their relationship will be their "revolution" is countered by the fact that neither are perhaps emotionally stable enough for a relationship. Kuma has given up on truly finding love due to his condition, turning his attention to sexual gratification; while Ryoko is a danger to those she sees as in her way, including Kuma. This tricky subject matter makes for tricky responses. Perhaps Matsumoto wanted to challenge audiences, though the cheesy reunion towards the end perhaps undermines this.

As the star, Frankie delivers a solid performance as the likeable rogue, Kuma; his charm the film's strength. Though those around him are less agreeable, whether employed to voice society's views or display a range of overstated and directed emotions; Frankie is the measured voice holding it all together. As often can be the case with films tackling controversial subjects, the conflict between the characters creates conflict within the film itself - with sudden changes in character motivations - leaving it a little confused as to what story it is trying to tell.

Though whether good or bad, "Perfect Revolution" raises topics that it important to ask.

Raindance Film Festival 2017: Love and other Cults

Lost and out-of-control youth is not uncommon in Japanese cinema, with the rigid formality of Japanese schools countered by the over-the-top rebellion of kids who see no place for themselves within the education system. The second collaboration between British-born, now Japanese-living Third Window Films and director Eiji Uchida after "Lowlife Love", "Love and other Cults" is a film that follows similar lines of others in terms of theme, though the final destination isn't as per the usual.

Ai (Sairi Ito) is a girl who comes in many guises: the daughter of a serial religious and cult follower, she finds little place for herself at home; her mother often distracted by the new fad in her life. Eventually sent by her mother to a cult commune under Mount Fuji at a tender age, she soon finds happiness, before the cult's exposure and mass arrests leave her again without a place to find herself. Growing out of hand, she dyes her hair and shacks up with her boyfriend and his drug addict family of friends by her mid-teens.

Bumping into brief former classmate Ryota (Kenta Suga), she hangs out with him and his gangster mates after being ditched by her boyfriend, but lovingly welcomed by a class president Yuka's (Kana Matsumoto) family. Here, she switches between domestic bliss with her adopted family and her double life working in a hostess bar. Eventually found out, she moves back in with her mother - her apathy no longer a cause for concern - and works as a call girl.

Meanwhile, Ryota, our narrator, holds a torch for Ai, even when they drift apart at various moments. A bit-part player in Kenta (Antony) and Yuji's (Kaito Yoshimura) gang, he quietly keeps his head down, trying to gather together enough money to escape small town blues. Yuji himself has designs on becoming a yakuza, while natural gang leader Kenta gradually begins to reject the life upon meeting, Reika (Hanae Kan), an underwater photographer who shows an interest in him.

What runs throughout the film is the sense that none of the characters are happy. Whether a member of a religion, a cult, a gang, a school group, none feel they have found the place that's right for them. In doing this, despite the central focus on Ryota and Ai, Uchida switches the storyline to Kenta and Yuji and how their lives play out, as all four look to make a life-changing move to find their place, however unusual they may be.

Ryota and Kenta both reject the criminal life: Ryota going to university in Tokyo; Kenta leading a quiet life with Reika, deep-water diving. Being that this is partly based on the true story of a porn star whom Uchida noted for her cult followings, Ai works with Lavi (Matthew Chozick), the former leader of the cult where she was once happy, as a porn star, finding minor fame.

There are warnings that trying to escape a doomed fate are not always easy: Reika abused for Kenta's decision to quit the gang; Ryota losing his savings along the way. But, where other films about lost youth may build to exaggerated and frantic endings, or leave things open without established consequences, the characters of "Love and other Cults" are able to find a place where they are comfortable. The one unable to find this peace, Yuji, is left alone by his yakuza lifestyle. Wherever it may be, and with whoever it is with, the closing theme is one of changing for the better.

Much like the characters' lives, "Love and other Cults" is perhaps a little bumpy along the way. While probably a step-up in terms of production quality from "Lowlife Love", it is not as well crafted and witty. There are many twists of fate along the way that require leaps of faith in the audience, leaving the story flow a little unnatural in parts.

But the sense of peace reached in the film's ending is refreshing from how films of this nature can pan-out. Where the likes of "The World ofKanako" can build into messy, over-zealous finales, the stepping-down a tone by the film's end is welcome, despite the rather choice appearance of a school girl panties porn film script. But then, there is love...and other cults (sic).

Raindance Film Festival 2017: Junk Head

Stop-motion animation is one of those things that you thought might die-out with the Nineties, much like shell suits, Aston Villa footballing success and that Prince song. But, while sometimes employed due to budget constraints, has created some very effective moments in cinema, giving many works a charm not possible with modern CGI. Takehide Hori's debut feature "Junk Head" may be lacking in certain areas, but charm is certainly not one of them.

Essentially self-made, with the help of Yuji Sugiyama and Atsuko Miyake, much like Nick Park with "A Grand Day Out" which took years to make, "Junk Head" is four years in the making and a clear labour of love. And while watching a stop-motion film in 2017 may feel a bit backward, the fact that it takes you back to the days of yesteryear is part of the attraction to "Junk Head", with a soundtrack and style that feels straight out of the Nineties.

Humans have modified themselves to the point where they can live with vastly expanded life-spans; though the price for this endless living is the loss of ability to reproduce. With the need for greater manpower, human clones were created to take on the workload, though inevitably they rebelled. Forced to live underground, the "unstable" clones have taken on a number of differing forms: some mad; some evil; some funny; some friendly; all seemingly straight out of a creative art studio.

With the need for humans to learn more about how to reclaim the ability to reproduce, volunteers are sent underground to learn how it may be possible again. One such volunteer accidentally crashes underground; only his modified head surviving the journey.

Found by a trio of eccentric hunters, the head is taken to a doctor who transfers his mind into that of a boy robot. Understanding that he is of human form - the master race of creators - the clones revere him as a god. But confused by his new body and surroundings, the human runs in panic. To start, this leads to many scenes of running through seemingly endless corridors, trying to avoid the monstrous clones that lurk behind each and every corner.

Eventually plummeting further into the depths of the Earth, he is again found in a heap on the floor in need of reconstruction - his next incarnation as a mute worker robot. Getting lost on an errand, he again finds himself in an endless maze avoiding monsters everywhere, before being reunited with the original hunters to try and find the secret of reproducing.

Plot-wise, with a newly created world, there are many gaps, and we are thrown into a scenario knowing about as much as our dazed and confused hero. To start, there is a feeling that this could be two hours of endless running through corridors to Nineties-esque electro. But as the bumbling hero's story develops, you do follow him on his journey, with the animation style soon feeling less of a novelty as it progresses. Sadly, however, just as you're getting into the characters and their various quirks, the film comes to a somewhat abrupt, and inconclusive, end.

Humour is laced throughout "Junk Head", from the movements, to character traits, to the down-right strangeness of the character design, particularly the hunters. The obscure, distorted language in which all characters speak starts off as potentially irritating, but gradually you feel as if you almost comprehend it. Indeed, "Junk Head" is a film that you grow into in the unique environment, much like the human in the underground setting.

But for all its charms, "Junk Head" perhaps needs a more satisfying conclusion, particularly with the running time in a challenging style to hold an audience's attention. Originality of themes may not be as strong as it could be also; many ideas feeling likes those you may have seen before. In that sense, developed from a short, as a feature it is a little lacking overall.

But in a day and age where "quick and easy" (I say with no authority) computer graphics are starting to rule, the heart and soul of "Junk Head" are there to see, despite its hero lacking either. The sped-up shots of the three man crew during production over the end credits are a nice touch, though with so few people working on the film, these are over far too quickly. A shame for a film that took so long to make...

Raindance Film Festival 2015: Obon Brothers

There's something about a slow, black comedy about society's less-than-productive members shot in black and white. Jim Jarmusch's 'Coffee and Cigarettes'; Kevin Smith's 'Clerks'; other ones, which brings me to Kiyohiko Shibukawa and his role in 'And the Mud Ship Sails Away...': the black and white debut from Hirobumi Watanabe about a low life in a small town which ends as a psychedelic art piece. Shibukawa has been keeping himself busy of late, and again takes to a black and white screen to play a small town low life in Akira Osaki's second feature 'Obon Brothers'.

Takashi is the director of one film - seemingly, not much has gone his way since. Self-unemployed, failing to get any scripts funded and kicked out by his wife, he uses his brother's colon cancer and the need for a live-in carer as an excuse to put his life on hold and move back to a small town in Gunma. Spending his days cooking for his brother, he tries to claw back his old life, pitching weak film scripts and trying to talk his wife away from divorce papers.

His brother, Wataru, on the other hand, seems not to care for Takashi's car, mocking him for losing his wife, seemingly wishing he'd leave him in peace with his record player, piano and artificial anus. Takashi's life soon becomes one of falsehood, rejecting the advances of Ryoko, whom his best friend, Fujimura, set him up with. Living in hope that his old life will return, he quickly resorts to alcohol to avoid the reality of his present.

All good comedy needs a bit of soul, and much as Dante realises that he 'needs to shit or get off the pot' (not via an artificial anus, of course) at the conclusion of 'Clerks', Takashi is soon put in his place by those around him, realising that the ones he loves can no longer bring themselves to see him in such a funk; crushed alcohol cans following him wherever he goes.

Director Osaki stated that the film was 'about 60% autobiographical' when he appeared at the UK Premiere, dressed in a yukata and hat. He then subsequently went on to reveal how much of the film is similar to his own life: Osaki, from Gunma, directed one film previously a decade ago, sharing his writing with a close friend, with a family member that suffered from cancer. 'Obon Brothers', as a result, doesn't simply fit in a genre such as a comedy, but is more a piece of realism.

The black and white take any 'movie gloss' off the film, with long takes of harsh and honest dialogue. Everyone around Takashi's lives, no matter how seemingly bad, take better shape than the healthy and 'successful' life he believes he can return to. There are not too many huge revelations here, or happy endings like in the movies; but more the need to get on with life rather than living in the past. 'Obon Brothers' is a comedy in the sense that life is a funny ol' game.

Raindance Film Festival 2015: Fires on the Plain

At the less-than-half-full UK Premiere of Shinya Tsukamoto's 'Fires on the Plain' at London's 2015 Raindance Film Festival, the question seemingly everyone wanted to ask was: 'In light of recent changes to the Japanese constitution, what message did you want this film to say about war?' A question he pretty much answered - via an interpreter - as 'war is Hell.'

For me, you don't so much watch a Tsukamoto film as experience it. His 2014 adaptation / remake of Ooka Shohei's / Ichikawa Kon's book / film of the same name certainly fits that statement. He stated he wanted this film to remind people that war is not a positive thing; something he feels has been lost among the new generations of Japanese. With this film, he certainly sets some reminders.

A nameless solider, suffering from TB, is sent to see the medic during Japan's fighting in the Philippines. deemed not unwell enough to be there, he is subsequently sent back and forth between his base and the medical base, seemingly unwanted by either. The medical base destroyed by fire from above, he is left to wander aimlessly around the jungles and field of the Philippines, surviving as best he can.

Tsukamoto claims that he is faithful to the original novel, depicting the natural beauty of the Philippines against the violent, graphic and intense scenes of war; perhaps hinting at some sort of stupidity of war. Well, I've not read the book, or even seen the original film, so I can speak with great authority about this. However, there is a definite contrast between serenity and the frantic Hell of war, which Tsukamoto balances nicely.

As with all his films, there is quick, frantic camera work and intense acting to create a similar emotion in the viewer. However, as with his other films, there is always that feeling that it's on the edge of being comical/annoying in its frequency. War films always get a bit repetitive for me and are never the easiest viewing, and 'Fires on the Plain' is probably that. His previous films just about get the balance right by being entertaining in their urban settings. However, here perhaps the intensity gets a bit too much after a while, relieved only by shots of Filipino landscapes.

'Fires on the Plain' is not Tsukamoto's best work, though probably isn't his worst either. It is stapled all over with his standards of good cinematography, hand-held camera work and making use of a limited budget in an imaginative way. Maybe a larger budget would  have allowed him to do more and make a better film, maybe not. But one thing is definite: Tsukamoto is a clear master of creating some intense cinema, that'll leave you sitting un-comfortably (Garth Marenghi).

Forgetting to know you (Raindance Film Festival 2014 Part II)

The second, and indeed final, film I ventured to at this year's Raindance Festival in London was a slow burner. 'Forgetting to know you' (or 'Mo Sheng' if you're that way inclined) is the only IMDB-known film from director Ling Quan, though is produced by modern master of Chinese cinema, Jia Zhang-ke, giving it an additional notch of interest, as well as a stamp of his influence on the film.

Starting off as a slow-paced tale about a couple and their child, initially it is unclear as to the exact nature of their relationship. Divorced, separated, still together but probably having less sex than before, we are unsure, though it is clear that all is not well. Shot in a manner similar to that of Zhang-ke's slow-paced realism, the film takes a while to get into before the real story starts to unfold.

With neither party in the relationship exactly great at communicating with the other, a night messing around on the Internet leads the husband, Cai, to uncover elements of his wife Chen's past. The discovery leads dormant questions to resurface, forcing the couple further apart leading to the ultimate finale to be raised.   

'Forgetting to know you' takes some patience to start. Not exactly a long film, it does, however, take a while to get going, but once it finally does, you do find yourself drawn into the story as it develops, peaking your interest at the film's quite abrupt and inconclusive ending. This is the film's strength: While other films can drag and leave you looking for the end credits, this one sees your interest rise and rise before an anti-climactic, but not altogether dissatisfying conclusion. The fact that the film ends leaving things unresolved only adds to this - the ending of an episode of a TV series that leads you yearning for the next.  

Being produced by Zhang-ke, there is a minimalist feel throughout, with less in the way of editing and letting the camera roll through scenes. Some interesting side view dolly shots could have been used more, though the photography is strong throughout.

What is good about 'Forgetting to know you' is the continuation of the style of modern Chinese cinema looking at the bleaker side of change in the country, with a realism that may not always entertain but leave you with something you won't immediately forget. 

Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats (Raindance Film Festival 2014 Part I)

The Raindance Film Festival in London is one of those film festivals that I don't always get excited about, falling as it does behind the likes of the London Film Festival, the Terracotta Film Festival, the Japan Foundation annual film programme, the London Korean Film Festival and the all-night Steven Segal Wank-a-thon in my thoughts. That's not to say it's bad or anything, I just always forget about it.

This year was no exception, coming at a time when I was far too busy to even think, let alone watch a film. But hang on, there's some good shit here. Decisions to attend films were made slightly late in the day (i.e. the night before) and I was watching the films in an uncomfortable state of tiredness.

Essentially, I couldn't make many of the films anyway; and those I did see were squeezed in around important things in my life (wedding food tastings, Villa playing Man City). There were, however, some good films on offer, notably the Third Window Films line-up of four, count them, films...I made one of them (I've pre-ordered the 'New Directors from Japan' DVD already).

So, that's three paragraphs gone and I haven't even mentioned a single film yet. 'Fine, Totally Fine': now that's a film. The debut feature by director Yosuke Fujita, it is a film that I very much liked. A nice, gently-paced comedy, it is full of 'Quirky Guys and Gals', much like the title of his next feature. I, therefore, had high hopes for his latest work: 'Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats'.

Reading the premise, you instantly knew this was going to be in much the same vein of 'Fine, Totally Fine'. About a man - played by a woman - Fukuda is a happy-go-lucky industrial painter whom is everybody's best friend and counsellor, helping introverted colleagues and let's say quirky neighbours alike. But there's something clearly missing from his life (not the obvious being that this is a female playing a male).

The side story of aspiring photographer Chiho soon merges with the life of the lead as she unannounced arrives at his door: his first love, but essentially a girl that tricked and embarrassed him when they were at school together. A fat man with an unusual face (you can see why they cast a female as the lead), Fukuda re-forms a friendship with Chiho largely based around her taking photos of him. Much like 'Fine, Totally Fine', sexual love might not make the ending happy, but a group of misfits find each other and so maybe feel less confused about their unique ways.

With my constant referencing to 'Fine, Totally Fine' it's clear that I probably prefer the earlier work to this new one. And I probably do, but the fact that I was anticipating this film for a while means that I'm not concerned by this.

The role of Fukuda, played by female comedian Miyuki Oshima, is good as the lead, necessary for a character comedy to work. My always favourite Yoshiyoshi Arakawa is not as involved as I would normally desire though provides some incredibly necessary facial expressions, while the supporting characters are weird and wonderful, particularly the typical-of-Japanese-comedy duo of Mabuchi (Tateto Serizawa) and Nonoshita (Asato Iida): two men that very much need to get laid.

A scene that surmises this film stylistically, and indeed Fujita's brand of direction, is the beautifully insane visit to a curry house. Odd human beings, a baffling situation, social awkwardness, all done with a sense of calm...until someone bursts into an ultimately futile fir of rage. Fujita's style is very much in-line with that of other Japanese directors when injecting some comedy into their films. A very subtle buffoonery is present throughout, sometimes reminiscent of an early Kitano Takeshi at his most silly. 

Third Window Films have distributed many films along a similar line as this and continue to do so. A gentle brand of foolishness that is ultimately fun to be enjoyed, with the odd bit of Shinya Tsukamoto thrown in for balance. 'Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats' was a film I was anticipating, and I'm glad I did. Now let's all try and stab someone for no apparent reason...

Way Out East

One that nearly passed me by, the Raindance Film Festival hit London, with some slightly obscure Japanese films on the bill. Entitled, ‘Way Out East’ the films shown certainly were that, with the festival offering the chance to see some of the weird and wonderful new films from Japan.

Unable to get round to seeing all 11 films on the bill, I got round to seeing 4 of the offerings, with mixed results…

Youth 2: Come As You Are

I don’t think I read the premise for my first film at the Raindance Festival correctly. The title, ‘Come As you Are’ is quite literal, focusing on a man’s PE problem and his excessive masturbation in order to reach the magical 15 minutes duration before point of load releasing. For this, he enlists the help of his female flatmate and a sock.

Cue many a humorous scene and many a shot of the naked arse of the lead, who happened to be sat a couple of rows behind me, along with the director and female co-star for its international premiere. But far from just a wanking comedy, there is also a tragic element here about a man that works in a video shop who lies about an acting career and spends the majority of his time bashing the bishop, missing the youth that flashes before his eyes.

Fair play to the director, Kota Yoshida, for admitting that the film was based on his own fast download speeds after the screening of a fairly enjoyable watch. It’s unlikely that this will ever reach a wider audience in the UK, but I think that any fan of the Inbetweeners would LOL at this.

Sleep

‘Sleep’ is a film that it would be easy to sleep through; though at the same time, it is not. A dark, slow-paced film, it would very much facilitate the closing of eyes while sat in a darkened cinema. But, the various plot holes, controversial subject matter and character decisions at the same time can provoke thought and debate.

Raped as a 15 year old girl, we are taken forward 17 years to Kotono’s search for the man who raped her: the father of her daughter. Forced into prostitution to fund the search, ‘Sleep’ follows the life of an unconventional family set-up.

With overly sentimental scenes, the films seems to force emotion on the viewer, rather than allow it to come naturally. Also, the plot holes and stranger scenes can create confusion with some less-than-great storytelling. The film is well shot, with some good cinematography on display in some of Tokyo’s less desirable districts and the film should create enough topics for discussion to make it a worthy watch; just don’t lose any sleep over it.

The Whistler

Based on a story by Osamu Dazai, ‘The Whistler’ is a short by Tsukamoto Shinya of ‘Tetsuo’ fame; the first of 2 shorts dubbed ‘Kaidan Horror Classics’. A period piece about 2 sisters and their loves, this is rather strange territory for me for Tsukamoto, and the result feels likewise. The story never really gets going, with random bits thrown in here and there, and while we get a sense of the characters, this only feels touched on and never goes deeper.

This just didn’t really work for me, which is a shame as I am a fan of much of Tsukamoto’s work.

The Arm

‘The Arm’ is the second of the two ‘horror classics’ and leaves me with no idea where to start. This is pure bizarre! A man borrows a woman’s arm for an evening of bedroom antics, sneaking it home to his flat intending depravity. But, once the arm starts conversing with him, he ends in a discussion with it that I really couldn’t follow.

What was intended here, I have no idea…

I never thought I would ever say this, but if you have a choice between a film about a detachable arm, lovelorn sisters, rape revenge or excessive masturbation, pick the excessive masturbation one every time. It’s the only choice…