Cold Fish

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Cubed B. @cubedbrick Jan 3, 2026 Sion Sono gives us his rendition of Japanese Fargo, only this time it's much more nihilistic, bleak, erotic, bloody and dark. And I really do mean this film is essentially Fargo amped up to 11. Unfortunately as much as something like that should impress me, and I really wanted to love this, I just can't really get there with this. I adore what Sono does with color in this film, and a lot of his other films too. He seems to relish in making everything either grim and grey or colorful and popping. The performance from Yoshihiro “Denden” Ogata is delightfully twisted. He absolutely snares you like a fisherman, keeping you hooked on him and what he does. Sono’s camerawork is a mixed bag, he brings in some good moments, but I can't say much for the pacing. Dare I say the film felt rather average. Not mediocre, but rather, moreso overdone. The film tries to be so shocking to the point where the gore is practically cartoonish, this cartoonish nature doesn't blend well together with the picture's darker elements. It feels like too much all at once. You can't properly take it all in because so much is happening at once, which feels off because the film itself feels so slowly paced. Overindulgent? Maybe. Speaking of maybe overindulgent. Let's talk about that script. Can't say I'm terribly impressed. The plot throws so much at you that you're simply overwhelmed. The characters, especially the main characters don't feel all too fleshed out. No pun intended. They borderline on one dimensionality to where I couldn't really care less about what happens to our protagonist. This film is a lot of things, but I wouldn't call it pretentious. Not quite. It's all just rather average. Which is a shame since I really wanted to love this. 園子温監督は日本の『ファーゴ』を再現したが、今回はより虚無的で、殺伐として、エロティックで、血なまぐさく、暗い。この映画は『ファーゴ』を11倍したようなものだ。残念なことに、それこそが私を感動させるはずのものであり、私はこの映画を本当に愛したかったのだが、そこまでには至らなかった。園監督のこの映画における、そして他の多くの映画における色の使い方は称賛に値する。彼はすべてを重く灰色にするか、カラフルでポップにするかのどちらかにすることに喜びを感じているようだ。 緒方 「でんでん 」義博の演技はひねくれているが、漁師のように観客を魅了する。園監督のカメラワークは平均的で、いい場面もあるが、テンポが悪い。あえて言うなら、この映画は凡庸に感じた。凡庸どころか、むしろやりすぎだ。血糊の描写は、ほとんど漫画的なまでにショッキングであろうと試みているが、この漫画的な描写は映画のダークな要素とうまく調和していない。この漫画性は、映画のダークな要素とうまく調和しない。一度に多くのことが起こりすぎて、すべてをきちんと受け止めることができない。過剰？そうかもしれない。 脚本について話そう。ひどく感心したとは言えない。プロットが多すぎて圧倒される。登場人物、特に主要人物にあまり肉付けされている感じがしない。彼らはみだらではない。平板なキャラクターだ。 See more

ill 3 @RT25493494 Nov 2, 2025 This film has a lot going for it: it's crazy, thrilling, and its dark humor is well-balanced so as not to unsettle you. It's a truly entertaining film that should keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. I highly recommend it, and since not all of Sion Sono's films are listed, if you liked this one, you might also enjoy Guilty Of Romance & Strange Circus, which tackle different subjects but retain the same madness and have an even more raw edge. See more

Alex C @RT82897175 Dec 21, 2023 Loved this, inspired by true events. This movie is well paced, well acted and overall very well shot. I would recommend to anyone who enjoy long foreign films. The gore is great and violence is well acted. See more

acsdoug D @acsdoug May 12, 2023 An original, quirky, wonderfully bizarre film. You'll stick around even if for no other reason to see what happens next. See more

Jun 19, 2022 It was a fun but unnecessarily long ride See more

Apr 5, 2022 You know you've got a good movie when it makes two and a half hours feel like 90 minutes. See more

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Cold Fish

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