Audition (2001)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

I'll tell you why so serious

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

I've seen a few J-horrors to know that the genre is filled with some sick and twisted entries. But honestly, not seen anything quite like this. A widow attempts to find a wife again by hosting auditions for a fake film. He becomes captivated by a young girl named Asami who remains elusive until her true intentions are shown. A clear narrative structure where the story builds up the tension and releases all hell within it's harrowing climax. And what an ending! I can deal with Asami's torture methods. I've got that down. What I could not comprehend was just one scene. I shan't spoil it, but it does involve vomit. I've never seen anything quite like it. Scarred for life. Too much detail. My eyes. They are bleeding. What was left of my innocence, has now dissipated. The context of the story and its purpose are well explored and described. Portraying how rich greedy men view women as just objects. The beauty of this horrific nightmare, is that the character who was truly in control was Asami herself. She is able to manipulate his mind. Sure she has issues as a person, I won't deny that. But it's refreshing to see that the male protagonist is the vulnerable character. It works on so many levels. Takashi Miike's direction was interesting to observe. A variety of different camera techniques to convey control and power in the blossoming relationship. Aoyama always looks at the camera whereas Asami consistently looks down on the floor, POV shots to increase suspense, long stationary shots to let the characters interact...and then skewed angles for the nightmarish climax. Speaking of said ending, I do think it becomes slightly too crazy too quickly. The build up was exceptional, masterfully crafted with an unnerving undertone throughout...and then it happens. As if Miike knew that time was depleting so he had to quickly wrap it up. I did find the first two acts occasionally slowed down to a halt but the pay off is what we wanted, and it delivers. Needles, wires, drugs, clamps...Asami is well equipped!

I always have a hard time rating shocking films. As a concept they often disgust me but at the same time I can appreciate this kind of tales based on the darkest side of humanity rather than ghosts and fantasies. They´re far more interesting alright but, are they really that good? I´m talking about Funny Games or Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. I find Audition to be a lot less shocking than those two, but it has a sub-plot on child abuse that makes it a lot richer. It´s more subtle and nuanced too, and tries to find beauty in all of this, even some twisted romance.At times it seems this kind of films rely entirely on their shock factor but I think it´s a mistake to base my opinion on it. That would be, for instance, like rating a thriller on a plot twist alone. What about all the rest? Audition stretches the mistery for about an hour and seems to have run out of time when it finally wants to unravel it. A rushed dream sequence is supposed to get it all out of the way quickly. That first hour is supposed to be tenseful since we suspect something is wrong and yet, when it finally does, it seems to come out of nowhere, unresolved. On top of that I don´t find the torture, which apparently is the most important part, to be any more memorable than the one on Marathon Man. Certainly not enough to glorify this tale as an all-time classic. If I had time to get a bit into the mind of the girl maybe the "deeper, deeper" would mean more than just "I´m gonna do this now, if that´s ok".In conclusion, I find myself in the middle ground. It isn´t either that good or that bad. It´s a fine example of that asian horror new-wave, with enough elements to become a cult film but too vague to really leave a mark.

Well it starts out innocently enough but quickly becomes one of the more disturbing horror movies I've ever seen. There are several parts that are uncomfortable to watch and will make you feel like 'maybe I shouldn't be watching this' but it's one you'll never forget. This is an extremely unique and engaging watch with scenes that will be ever embedded into your memory.

''Audition'' is the kind of movie that you will never forget once you have watched it. There are many elements that make this movie memorable. The contrast between the beginning of the film that almost feels like a light-hearted romantic fairy tale and the conclusion that turns into a mentally and physically violent horror movie is made in a unique, profound and detailed way. The acting by former model Eihi Shiina in her debut film as well as the performance by her male counterpart Ryo Ishibashi who had acted in a few critically underrated movies before is superb, diversified and credible. The use of sounds, locations, light effects and camera angles is very detailed, innovative and intellectual and adds to the story that shifts between two extremes. The director also leaves a lot of room for interpretation in a movie that seems like a mixture of a beautiful dream, a gruesome nightmare and a reality somewhere in between despair and hope. This is where Takashi Miike surpasses the novel by Ryu Murakami this movie is based upon. ''Audition'' is one of the rare cases where the movie adaption is probably better than the source material which is already stunning.Many critics have seen themes such as family, isolation, misogyny, relationship issues and social values in this movie but I personally don't think that there is a deeper message in this film. The fact that this film can still be analyzed in so many different ways shows us the greatness of an unpretentious director who lets its audience put the pieces together without trying to spread a precise message. Even the conclusion of the movie is debatable and it's up to the audience to decide whether they witnessed a twisted dream turning into a nightmare at some point or to an accurate story. The line between reality and dream is very thin and this adds to the mysterious atmosphere which can be seen as the fascinating guiding line to this masterpiece.Another element that is very convincing is that you can at certain points feel with or even identify with the characters. You empathize with the poor physically abused child. You feel the fragile character of a woman that has been disappointed so many times in her life. You can understand the concern of the side characters for many different reasons. You can identify with the loneliness of the clumsy yet sympathetic widower. This empathy is what makes one of the best final scenes in the history of cinema even more intense.The story seems to be simple but at the same time it isn't. We get to know a middle-aged widower and businessman who feels lonely despite the presence of his caring son and his adorable dog. When his teenage son starts to date a charming girl, he suggests his father to open up to a new relationship again. After some hesitation, the widower works out a plan with a clever friend and partner. They decide to arrange an audition for the female lead role of a movie project but in reality the two men are looking for a perfect wife that meets the widower's reasonable criteria. He falls for a charming, emotional and mysterious young woman that simply isn't like all the other women. He starts dating her to get to know her better and their feelings for each another seem to be mutual as the woman isn't disappointed when she gets to know that there won't be any movie with her. Despite the warnings of his friend and partner, the clumsy widower is overwhelmed by positive emotions and quickly invites the young woman for a romantic weekend at a beautiful seaside hotel where they intensify and solidify their relationship. After an emotional night, the young woman has disappeared and the confused widower tries to find her. He finds out more and more mysterious details about the young woman's past and tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together.Telling you anything more than this would be too revealing. Anybody who enjoys movies should watch this mysterious drama. It's one of these movies that is so great that it will leave an impressive impact on anyone who watches it.