Audition (1999) ***1/2

"Everyone in Japan is lonely."

More than a quarter century on, Audition (1999) doesn't pack quite the same punch that it did when I first saw it, but it's still a very good film with a level of reserve and depth—touching upon loss, longing, the Japanese patriarchy, and child abuse—lacking from some of director Takashi Miike's other work.

While I understand it's intentional (in order to lull the audience), barring a few jarring scenes starting at the 43-minute mark, Audition is a very slow, ordinary drama (in both look and tone) until its final, unforgettable act. I get that the build-up approach is necessary and makes the ending that much more shocking (at least the first time), but I think there are other films that do the "slow burn to a crazy climax" thing just a bit better. However, those last 35 minutes really are something—hallucinatory, revolting, disturbing, but, at times, beautifully and dramatically shot.

"To live means to approach death gradually."

Takashi Miike Films Ranked