Shion Sono's "Ai No Mukidashi AKA Love Exposure" may not be for everyone but for those who are willing to look beyond its controversial views on faith, love and belief, the film is a reflective, sometimes absurd but enjoyable and memorable film experience from an unconventional director.
The film revolves around the tragic character of Honda Yu (portrayed by likable singer turned actor Nishijima Takahiro, leader of the Jpop dance group AAA) an earnest yet emotionally stunted high school student who lives a humble life of prayer and reflection with his father Tetsu (the wonderful character actor Watabe Atsuro) who is a Catholic pastor in a little Japanese hamlet by the sea. Yu's mother died a number of years earlier of illness but assured Yu that one day his "madonna" will come to him. Their peaceful and idyllic life is soon turned upside down by the unwelcome appearance of thirty-something party girl Kaori (former model turned actress Watanabe Makiko) who despite her party girl ways has come to Tetsu's church for personal redemption.
Much to Yu's chagrin, his lonely father soon becomes infatuated with the carefree stranger and their "bad romance" soon effects Tetsu's personality in an adverse way. After Makiko leaves Testu for a younger man, Testu takes his frustrations out on Yu and forces him to confess his sins everyday. This causes Yu to develop a psychological obsession with "sins" and thus he begins a quest to expose himself to all forms of sinful acts (outside of killing) so that he can confess his sins and earn his father's forgiveness. Along the way he meets up with "Sempai" and his gang of juveniles who teach him how to become a teenage delinquent (how to fight, shoplift, etc.). They even go under the tutelage of a "sex mania" guru who shows them how to covertly take "upskirt" photos of girl's panties. Yu becomes such an expert at this skill that he becomes known as a "Hentai King" (pervert king) and earns the admiration among Sempai's gang. During one of their outings for girls, Yu dresses up as Kaji Meiko's "Sasori/Scorpion" character from Toei's "Jyoshu 701 Go Sasori" film and gets into a gang fight involving a new high school transfer student, the beautiful "sukeban" Yoko (portrayed by the alluring Mitsushima Hikari). Yu immediately realizes that she is the "madonna" that his mother foresaw and becomes infatuated with her. Yoko on the other hand mistakenly believes that the androgynous Yu is a girl and falls in love with Yu's "Sasori" persona. To add insult to injury Yu soon finds out that Yoko is also the adopted daughter of Kaori who returns to Tetsu's church asking for forgiveness and his love.
Amidst this bizarre love triangle, appears the enigmatic Koike (played with sadistic glee by Ando Sakura) whose father was a high ranking priest in the Scientology-like church called "Zero Church" and who beat her using Flagellation as a means of repentance (in flashback we see Koike killing her father in a grisly fashion reminiscent of the film "Ai No Corrida AKA Realm of the Senses"). Using the Church's influence and power, Koike manipulates and sabotages Yu and Yoko's budding romance and even destroys Yu's reputation by exposing him to his classmates as a "hentai". Yoko, Yu's father and Kaori are also abducted by Koike's underlings and forced to join the Zero Church. Can Yu save his family and his "madonna" before they are lost to him forever?
"Love Exposure" is definitely a departure from Sono's previous J-Horror films "Jisatsu Circle" and "Exte" and is a much more reflective film which uses stylized and controlled visuals to tell its unconventional story. From its cast of bizarre characters to the edgy cinematography, and music (90s punk band Fura Fura Teikoku) it seems more like a psychedelic 70s experimental/exploitation film. Even the poster art for the film was unique (cute faced Mitsushima "giving everyone the finger"). It certainly set the tone for the film.
While Sono's story clearly was his cynical commentary on Japanese society and structured religion (particularly blind obedience to God as professed by crazed cults like Aum and its ilk) I also sense that he wanted to explore the idea of obsession in the media (obsessions with sex, etc.) The story does stray off focus at times and brings in too many zany side stories and other off-beat elements. Sono definitely tries to emulate the much en vogue Tarantino "Pulp Fiction" style of movie (Sono splits the movie up in Chapters a la "Kill Bill") and includes a lot of pop culture references, but it does seem a bit much at times and too gratuitous (while I loved the tribute to 70s Sukeban Pinky Violence cinema, it seemed like pandering to fan boy service).
Nishijima is geeky cool as the troubled Yu. While a little rough around the edges in some parts, his film acting debut here makes a good impression and I hope he makes more films. Mitsushima is also very cool in this movie. She brings both a fresh look to her part as well as intoxicating charm. Her athleticism is also very impressive and I wouldn't be surprised to see her in more action roles in the future. Ando is however the clear standout as the "bitch to hate" character of Koike. Like "Lost's" Benjamin Linus character, Koike is a grand manipulator and agent of chaos who loves nothing more than twisting and destroying the lives of those around her (for the higher cause). With her narrowed eyed, evil smirk Ando's holy terror Koike seems to relish in the mayhem she instigates and is truly one of the most spiteful villains in recent Japanese cinema.
At a butt-numbing four hours, Sono's film is like a grand, crazy opus of perversion and absurdity. Its controversial views on Catholicism, belief, obsession and love will surely infuriate some but will also make a lasting impression on all.
The film revolves around the tragic character of Honda Yu (portrayed by likable singer turned actor Nishijima Takahiro, leader of the Jpop dance group AAA) an earnest yet emotionally stunted high school student who lives a humble life of prayer and reflection with his father Tetsu (the wonderful character actor Watabe Atsuro) who is a Catholic pastor in a little Japanese hamlet by the sea. Yu's mother died a number of years earlier of illness but assured Yu that one day his "madonna" will come to him. Their peaceful and idyllic life is soon turned upside down by the unwelcome appearance of thirty-something party girl Kaori (former model turned actress Watanabe Makiko) who despite her party girl ways has come to Tetsu's church for personal redemption.
Much to Yu's chagrin, his lonely father soon becomes infatuated with the carefree stranger and their "bad romance" soon effects Tetsu's personality in an adverse way. After Makiko leaves Testu for a younger man, Testu takes his frustrations out on Yu and forces him to confess his sins everyday. This causes Yu to develop a psychological obsession with "sins" and thus he begins a quest to expose himself to all forms of sinful acts (outside of killing) so that he can confess his sins and earn his father's forgiveness. Along the way he meets up with "Sempai" and his gang of juveniles who teach him how to become a teenage delinquent (how to fight, shoplift, etc.). They even go under the tutelage of a "sex mania" guru who shows them how to covertly take "upskirt" photos of girl's panties. Yu becomes such an expert at this skill that he becomes known as a "Hentai King" (pervert king) and earns the admiration among Sempai's gang. During one of their outings for girls, Yu dresses up as Kaji Meiko's "Sasori/Scorpion" character from Toei's "Jyoshu 701 Go Sasori" film and gets into a gang fight involving a new high school transfer student, the beautiful "sukeban" Yoko (portrayed by the alluring Mitsushima Hikari). Yu immediately realizes that she is the "madonna" that his mother foresaw and becomes infatuated with her. Yoko on the other hand mistakenly believes that the androgynous Yu is a girl and falls in love with Yu's "Sasori" persona. To add insult to injury Yu soon finds out that Yoko is also the adopted daughter of Kaori who returns to Tetsu's church asking for forgiveness and his love.
Amidst this bizarre love triangle, appears the enigmatic Koike (played with sadistic glee by Ando Sakura) whose father was a high ranking priest in the Scientology-like church called "Zero Church" and who beat her using Flagellation as a means of repentance (in flashback we see Koike killing her father in a grisly fashion reminiscent of the film "Ai No Corrida AKA Realm of the Senses"). Using the Church's influence and power, Koike manipulates and sabotages Yu and Yoko's budding romance and even destroys Yu's reputation by exposing him to his classmates as a "hentai". Yoko, Yu's father and Kaori are also abducted by Koike's underlings and forced to join the Zero Church. Can Yu save his family and his "madonna" before they are lost to him forever?
"Love Exposure" is definitely a departure from Sono's previous J-Horror films "Jisatsu Circle" and "Exte" and is a much more reflective film which uses stylized and controlled visuals to tell its unconventional story. From its cast of bizarre characters to the edgy cinematography, and music (90s punk band Fura Fura Teikoku) it seems more like a psychedelic 70s experimental/exploitation film. Even the poster art for the film was unique (cute faced Mitsushima "giving everyone the finger"). It certainly set the tone for the film.
While Sono's story clearly was his cynical commentary on Japanese society and structured religion (particularly blind obedience to God as professed by crazed cults like Aum and its ilk) I also sense that he wanted to explore the idea of obsession in the media (obsessions with sex, etc.) The story does stray off focus at times and brings in too many zany side stories and other off-beat elements. Sono definitely tries to emulate the much en vogue Tarantino "Pulp Fiction" style of movie (Sono splits the movie up in Chapters a la "Kill Bill") and includes a lot of pop culture references, but it does seem a bit much at times and too gratuitous (while I loved the tribute to 70s Sukeban Pinky Violence cinema, it seemed like pandering to fan boy service).
Nishijima is geeky cool as the troubled Yu. While a little rough around the edges in some parts, his film acting debut here makes a good impression and I hope he makes more films. Mitsushima is also very cool in this movie. She brings both a fresh look to her part as well as intoxicating charm. Her athleticism is also very impressive and I wouldn't be surprised to see her in more action roles in the future. Ando is however the clear standout as the "bitch to hate" character of Koike. Like "Lost's" Benjamin Linus character, Koike is a grand manipulator and agent of chaos who loves nothing more than twisting and destroying the lives of those around her (for the higher cause). With her narrowed eyed, evil smirk Ando's holy terror Koike seems to relish in the mayhem she instigates and is truly one of the most spiteful villains in recent Japanese cinema.
At a butt-numbing four hours, Sono's film is like a grand, crazy opus of perversion and absurdity. Its controversial views on Catholicism, belief, obsession and love will surely infuriate some but will also make a lasting impression on all.