Party 7 (2000)

Thanks for the memories!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

With a poll taking place on IMDbs Classic Film board for the best titles of 2000,I started to search around for overlooked movies on Amazon Uk,and I ended up stumbling upon a stylish-looking Japanese film,which led to me getting ready to party.The plot:Stealing a suitcase full of cash from a gangster, Shunichirô Miki decides to go into hiding at a hotel in the middle of nowhere.Whilst Miki enters the hotel,the owner of the building lays on his death bed,and talks to his son Okita Souji.With Souji having been caught dozens of times being a peeping tom,he is delighted to hear that his dad has designed a special room,which will allow Souji to secretly peak at all of the hotel guests.Entering the room,Souji is greeted by family friend, (and fellow peeper) Captain Banana,who gets Souji to sit back and watch,as Miki discovers how secret his location is,when Miki's ex-girlfriend walks in.View on the film:Exploding with a dazzling Anima opening credits scene from Peter Chung,writer/director Katsuhito Ishii & cinematographer Hiroshi Machida blend the Anima atmosphere into a warped live action world,filled with vibrant splashes of neon yellows and wet blues.Along with the wild colours, Ishii also gives each of the characters a delightfully strange appearance,which goes from Captain Banana looking like a superhero in waiting,to Miki Shunichiro looking like a burnt out Film Noir loner.Largely taking place in one hotel,the screenplay by Ishii surprisingly stays away from taking things in an anthology direction,with Ishii criss-crossing the characters with oddball comedic shots taking poo falling from the sky,and Souji being an unwilling protégé of Banana. Displaying a skillful eye for when to step out of the hotel, Ishii gradually builds to a deliciously sharp twist ending,as the party begins.

Scattershot and hyperactive in a way only Japanese cinema can get away with, Party 7 is an enjoyable frantic mess. After a speedy animated introduction to 7 different characters, we are suddenly thrust into a narrative about some stolen money. As the man hides in a hotel room, he has no idea he is being watched by some professional peepers (one dressed in super-hero garb and calling himself Captain Banana). As people come looking for the money, the hotel room gets crowded, and twists are revealed. It's very claustrophobic, being set in just two rooms, which is painfully awkward given the over-the-top style. The humour is broad and weird. Funny and fun, even though I was disappointed that the image on the DVD case is nowhere to be found in the film :(

wow...i was looking for a Japanese film that was the perfect cross between 'Mystery Men' and 'Mystery Train'. the cinematography is exceptional, very isolated and claustrophobic.....you really get no sense of an outside world until near the end. Mystery Train' had to be a huge influence on this movie. the animation was maybe the only distraction for me...the ending, not to give it away, was perfect.

I saw this movie in a film festival and I laughed out loud ALL the time (and I saw this subtiteled which usually isn't the best for comedies). This film is weird and has a lot of comic and manga influence, although not in the plot, which has some nice twists and turns despite being rather simple. Here is the deal: 1 Hotel Room, 7 People (Among them the infamous Captain Banana. Only the sight of this guy made me break into fits of laughter not to mention sidekicks "The" Mr. Yellow and Mr. Polar.) and a suitcase of money. If you find this movie: WATCH IT!PS: I hope I can find Sharkskin Man and Peachhip Girl this Directors first film!